Minister of Justice instructed DSI to investigate the case brought forward by the Immanuel Foundation involving over 128 victims deceived by an online job scam who ended up working for call center gangs and serving as money mules in Cambodia

On Friday, October 17, 2025, at 2:00 PM, at the Ministry of Justice building, the Immanuel Foundation, along with representatives of 6 victims, one of whom was a minor, filed a complaint with Police Lieutenant General Rutthaphon Naowarat, Minister of Justice, and Police Major Yutthana Praedam, Director General of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). They requested assistance for 128 victims who were deceived by a call center gang into applying for online jobs through social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok, which posted job advertisements for common positions familiar to Thai people, such as housekeeper, cook, driver, and administrative roles, etc., offering salaries between 12,000 and 30,000 baht per month. When people showed interest, the gang would invite them to join LINE or Telegram groups and create fake members who posted deceptive messages to make them believe the job applications were genuine, such as travel photos, office photos, or photos of national ID cards with cash from other applicants to build trust. Subsequently, a broker would contact the victims asking them to open multiple bank accounts, claiming they were for receiving salaries or work expenses, but in reality, these accounts were used for money laundering and cybercrime (becoming "mule accounts"). After the accounts were opened, the gang would falsely claim the Bangkok offices were full and instruct victims to travel for "training" to Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province, which borders Thailand and Cambodia, before smuggling them across the border through natural channels into Cambodia. Upon arrival in Cambodia, the victims would have their ID cards and mobile phones confiscated, be forced to reveal their bank account passwords, be detained, and be forced to work as call center operators deceiving other Thai citizens into transferring money. Those who refused to comply would be threatened, physically assaulted, or psychologically tortured. After returning to Thailand, they would even face legal action for supporting cybercrimes and money laundering, even though they were deceived and victims of human trafficking.

The Minister of Justice instructed the DSI to receive the complaint and will assign the Human Trafficking Bureau to conduct an investigation into whether these actions constitute human trafficking and transnational crime, in order to accept it as a special case for further investigation and to expand the probe into the networks operating behind the scheme.