Police return money to phone scam victims

BANGKOK, April 11 (TNA) -- Authorities returned about 1 million baht to 11 victims of phone call scams which are declining, thanks to serious suppression. National police chief Chakthip Chaijinda and representatives of commercial banks and the Anti-Money Laundering Office held a press conference on the money return and updated the situation of phone call scams. Pol Gen Chakthip said authorities seized the money from phone scam gangs for victims in many provinces including Bangkok, Chanthaburi, Prachin Buri, Trat, Nakhon Nayok and Kalasin. Four of the victims received full amounts they earlier lost. The national police chief said that the faster victims reported the scams, the more money could be retrieved for them. Reports within 30 minutes would lead to full money returns. Most of lost money could be frozen with reports made within an hour. For reports filed longer than an hour after deception, small amounts of lost money could be returned, Pol Gen Chakthip said. According to him, from Dec 8 last year to April 10, there were 419 cases of phone call scams with damage estimated at 209 million baht. Of the sum, about 16 million baht was seized and returned to 87 victims. Thai authorities went to four countries for five times to suppress phone call scams. Consequently the number of such scams was dropping, from 73 last November to 67 in December, 65 in January, 36 in February, 28 in March and none so far in April. Peerapat Ingpongpan, deputy spokesman of the Anti-Money Laundering Office, said phone scam gangsters usually told authorities that they entered the illicit business for the wealth of their families. He warned that their families would be prosecuted for laundering money and liable to up to 10 years in jail for receiving stolen money. (TNA)