Thai police arrest 15 Japanese men in call center scam

Lock 'em up in Bang Kwang for 20 years!

It seems they have only been arrested for violating their visas In Thailand and will be deported. I hope that Japanese authorities will arrest them on arrival at the airport in Japan and they are prosecuted for the actual scam they ran as well.

Low-lifes. These types that scam the elderly really ought to made an example of.

Pattaya is a hotbed of criminal activity.

These Japanese are just the unlucky ones to be charged with ‘immigration offenses’

Thank you Thailand for doing such a good job catching them. Please send the names over so we can blacklist them. Also you can keep them if you want. They won’t be miss.

Like Oldman said, "the big tiger" gonna eat them!

Best news of the day. May they rot in prison.

Name and shame each, especially their bosses.

They should have cut the landlord in on a piece of the scam.... amateurs.

Charged with only immigration violations? Does Thailand have laws similar to FCC violations, or operating without a business license, racketeering etc? Man, I'm only a layman and can see the numerous other charges these dumbos could be charged with. They should be tried and serve their sentence in Thailand before being deported to Japan to eat their dessert.

Bastards. Stealing from the elderly and vulnerable. I hope their prison term is long and miserable.

They could've done that here because there is high-speed internet access in Japan. I guess they chose Pattaya because after a hard day of scamming, they can saunter outside to enjoy the warm sun, beach and cheap drinks. Scam, enjoy life, scam... Wonder whether they will be greeted by reporters upon their return.

Japanese criminals?! What a shocker.

Wish the article had more info on what will happen (criminally) when they return to Japan. But good job Pattaya police!!

Pay day for the thai police, there is millions of dollars involved.

japanese police are going there to investigate.

Pattaya is a hotbed of criminal activity.

These Japanese are just the unlucky ones to be charged with ‘immigration offenses’

Pattaya is not a hotbed of criminal activity. And, they are not unlucky, they have been caught and charged the same as anybody committing crimes in Pattaya. Well done to the Royal Thai Police.

As the men entered Thailand on temporary tourist visas...

According to the police, the gang used Thailand as a base because Japanese nationals can enter the country without a visa...

hmmm...

Yakuza have expanded heavily abroad

Why don't they ever mention which yakuza groups they work for, I doubt it's greenback or an npo.. Yakuza power is immense even in PR control...

*Greenpeace

Ethically its wrong, but so is the top one percent having all the money, what surprises me is fifteen hardworking phone operators can make $12million in two months from such a tiny scam;

falsely claim that their phone use exceeded a limit and that they would need to pay an excess charge to continue using their phones.

I mean excess charge on phone usage is not a lot, normally.

Is this a real story.

Where did they get the phone numbers? I want details. How did they get names and ages and other details?

I think 20 years each in a Thai prison might teach them.

Treat them like Japanese authorities would treat foreign criminals. Throw them in a jail as bad as the "Bangkok Hilton". Then send them packing to their own country and let Japan deal with them.

they will be charged with working without legal permission and fined before being sent back to Japan

Gimme a break. Working? Sent back? Puleeez.

Ok guys, go on cover up your faces. Soon your faces will be all over Japanese tv, and I know how much you guys hate that shame thing...

I’m sure these scumbags are not going to enjoy their time in a Thai lock up. They make Japanese prisons look like a holiday resort.

This group must also have members in Japan. Hopefully the Japanese police are working on catching the rest of them.

If these men were cool, they should scam the Yakuza organisations instead of their old country people.

Last year (I think) a gang of Japanese telephone scammers were busted in China. Does anyone know what happened to them?

@Ex_Res

Crime in Pattaya is high.

There are numerous crimes occurring of which scams and corruption are amongst the highest.

In fact, the chances are extremely high of being scammed as soon as you enter the country just be taking a taxi!

You need to either visit the country or do some more online research mate.

All of the men are hiding their faces.

Quote: "All of the men deny the allegations against them."

Ah, so they are all liars too.

(No charge of obstructing justice by lying to the Royal Thai Police, then?)

I'm sure once Thailand is done with them, they will be deported back to Japan and then the real horror will begin.

Attached to a wall of the house was a sheet of paper listing directives for the scammers to follow, such as "Don't be negative!" "Keep calm!" and "Never fail to earn!"

There was also another sheet of paper on which a number labeled as "current sales" was written, and another number considered to be the target amount.

LOL. Are they written in Japanese, English or Thai? I bet it is Japanese.

The police said the landlord alerted authorities after becoming suspicious about the large number of phones in the house.

LOL. Someone forgot to tell the landlord they are just doing tele-sales.

I hope these guys do some time in the Bangkok Hilton I am sure they will be "loved long time" top tip of the day guys, sleep with one eye open! And a big thank you to the land lord for dropping them in the poop with the cops, he could quite easily took a back hander and turned a blind eye.

Japanese Consular shouldn't go and give assistance to these bastards. Locked them up in the cell with rat and cockroach and then throw the key into Chao Phraya River.

On TV this evening their faces were shown, but all blurred out. Is there some reason that their identities need to be protected?

"Enjoy" being in the Thai Prison System.

Let me know how that works out for you.