Bangkok: Cyber police have apprehended two teenagers who were reportedly hired by a Chinese investor to use a fake base station simulator (FBS) to send fraudulent SMS messages. These messages contained links designed to deceive recipients into withdrawing money from their accounts.
According to Thai News Agency, Police Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwpaen, Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, announced the successful outcome of Operation Pinklao, which led to the arrest of 20-year-old Niran and 21-year-old Kittiwara. Authorities confiscated a False Base Station (FBS) simulator and four mobile phones during the operation. The FBS machine was used to send fake SMS messages, impersonating various government and private agencies, to lure individuals into clicking on links under the guise of redeeming prizes, with the aim of siphoning money from their accounts.
AIS had previously received numerous complaints from the public regarding suspicious SMS messages believed to be scams. In response, the company coordinated with the Cyber Police to initiate an investigation. Teams were deployed to strategic areas, including main roads and residential zones, to locate the culprits. A suspicious vehicle was identified and subsequently apprehended at a gas station on Sirindhorn Road in Bangkok’s Bang Phlat District.
During the investigation, Mr. Niran revealed that he had been contacted by a Chinese investor via the Telegram application to distribute the fraudulent SMS messages, earning a daily wage of 2,500 baht. Both suspects confessed to having conducted the scheme three times. They were initially charged with several offenses, including jointly making and using unauthorized transmitters, setting up a radio communication station, using radio frequencies without permission, attempting fraud, intercepting signals, and participating in a secret society.
The AIS Corporate Relations Manager clarified that the FBS device was used to transmit spoofed SMS messages to victims, facilitated by a mobile phone. The device could transmit signals within a radius of approximately 1-2 kilometers and send over 20,000 spoofed SMS messages per day. He emphasized that AIS and other agencies do not send links requesting personal information or make direct calls to customers. AIS remains committed to collaborating with cyber police to combat fraud and protect the public.