Thread: Boiler Room Targeting Australians Taken Down in Central Thailand

Thailand’s immigration police, with the assistance of the AFD, have arrested 13 men accused of running a boiler room aimed at Australian citizens. The operation, based in a luxury house in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan, is believed to have cost Australians about AUD 1.5 million over the past year.


Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy from the Australian Federal Police said the scam is part of a larger network that has defrauded more than 14,000 Australians out of billions of dollars over the past twenty years.


The Central Investigation Bureau commissioner, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, confirmed the arrests took place on Monday. The group included five Australians, six Britons, one Canadian, and one South African.


Authorities said the group had previously operated in Indonesia. After a police raid there, two leaders – a Briton and an Australian – moved the operation to Thailand in 2024.


During the raid, officers seized 58 items, including computers, phones, network equipment, scripts used to pitch fake investments, and documents with the names of Australian targets.


Australians Offered Fake Bonds


Investigators said the group pretended to work for real financial firms, calling Australians and offering fake bond investments with promises of fixed yearly returns between 7 and 10 percent. The team worked according to Sydney business hours, starting early in the morning in Thailand to match Australian time.


Thailand’s Immigration police were tipped off by the Australian Federal Police about the group’s move to Thailand. After tracking the suspects in Pattaya, investigators found they had shifted to a secure, high-end home in Samut Prakan valued at 70 million baht and rented for 120,000 baht a month.


Officers found the suspects working in a converted office on the ground floor. Each man had a workstation with a phone, computer, and investment scripts. Documents at the scene listed more than 14,000 Australians.


None of the men held valid work permits in Thailand. Police said they entered on various visas but did not overstay them. Their visas will be cancelled and they will be banned from returning to Thailand.


Australian police said victims have lost more than AUD$4.45 billion in the last four years to scams like this, with much of the stolen money moved through cryptocurrency.


During early interviews, all suspects denied any wrongdoing. They said they were recruited online and promised a monthly salary of AUD$3,000 plus a 2.5 percent commission for calling potential investors from company-provided lists.


The scammers face charges of working without permits, taking part in a criminal group, and breaking visa rules.


Boiler rooms in Thailand typically refer to high-pressure telephone investment scams, often operated by foreigners targeting victims abroad.


These fraudulent operations, prevalent in Bangkok since the late 1990s, involve cold-calling potential investors to promote worthless or non-existent stocks, often using tactics like “pump and dump” schemes or advance-fee fraud.


These operations often disguise themselves as legitimate firms, using fake press releases and professional setups to deceive victims.

Boiler Room Targeting Australians Taken Down In Central Thailand

Moment police storm Thai mansion allegedly used as scam centre


This is the moment Thai police officers raided a house near Bangkok, suspected of being used as a scam centre.


Footage shows the officers entering the rented house in the province of Samut Prakan, and arresting 13 people - five Australian citizens, as well as six British, one Canadian and one South African.


According to Thai police, the group was allegedly running an online investment fraud that targeted Australians, who were duped out of at least A$1.9m ($1.2m; £894,000).


The Australian Federal Police had alerted Thai authorities of the scam and launched a joint investigation.



VIDEO HERE Moment police storm Thai mansion allegedly used as scam centre

Foreign Boiler Room Scammers Denied Bail in Bangkok

Thirteen foreign nationals accused of operating a boiler room scam in central Thailand aimed at Australians were ordered to stay in custody after their appearance at Bangkok’s Criminal Court on Wednesday.


The group includes five Australians, six Britons, one Canadian and one South African. They are charged with running a criminal organization, working without valid permits, and breaking immigration rules.


Police arrested the suspects on Tuesday during a raid at an upscale home in Samut Prakan’s Bang Phli district, which served as their boiler room headquarters. Authorities allege they tricked 14 Australians into buying fake bonds, causing losses of around 40 billion baht.


The Australian Federal Police (AFP), which worked with Thai police on the case, said the arrests only scratched the surface. According to the AFP, the two alleged leaders have scammed Australians out of billions over the past twenty years.

Police began their investigation in May last year after the AFP reached out to Thai officials, following the breakup of a related network in Indonesia. Investigators soon identified the two main suspects, Australian Mark Dennis, 54, and Briton Mark Howship, 56.


Both had recently moved from Pattaya to Bangkok.


Pol Col Arun Wachirasrisukanya, who led the arrest team, said Dennis and Howship regrouped their team at the Bang Phli property. The group kept a low profile, covering the house with tarps to block outside view.


During the boiler room raid, officers found a list of more than 14,000 Australian targets, along with computers and other communication gear. Some members of the group gave statements to police, saying even though only 14 people had been conned so far, they aimed to expand their operations.


Investigators believe the leaders planned to scam Australians out of $54 million (about 2 billion baht) by the end of the year.


The other 11 people arrested were named as Brett Peter Dawson, 51, of Australia; Lewis Samuel Gillespie, 30, of the UK; Nicholas John Mason, 43, of Australia; Ellis Ian James, 59, of the UK; Mark Mackenzie, 61, of the UK; Jeremy Fortoen, 44, of South Africa; Christopher Pepena, 48, of Australia; Dean Crowley, 42, of the UK; Lewis Robbie, 40, of the UK; Luke Cameron Campbell, 45, of Australia; and Szeto Kwok Chi, 58, of Canada.

Foreign Boiler Room Scammers Denied Bail In Bangkok

They would have been better off working as janitors or salesmen back home. Friggin' losers. I hope they do some significant time in a Thai prison. Thailand needs to stamp this shxt out.

Well it's been going on for decades, so that seems unlikely.

Caveat Emptor.

Originally Posted by cyrille

Caveat Emptor.

it does stagger me how people are prepared to part with money so easily, i have little sympathy for them and their stupidity.

Maybe Backspin is one of those stung.

Those 5 Aussies will be popular back home

Originally Posted by cyrille

Maybe Backspin is one of those stung.

I don't think so, he was Belgian wasn't he? I reckon he moved back to France or Belgium.

You're thinking of butterfly.

Ah yes I was. Starts with a B..

Originally Posted by malmomike77

it does stagger me how people are prepared to part with money so easily, i have little sympathy for them and their stupidity.

Until it happens to you. Some of these guys run quite complex and legitimate seeming operations these days. Not all of them are the Nigerian prince or receive 100000% internet on a timeshare apartment lot. Scams and boiler rooms tend to be more sophisticated and catch unsuspecting people.

Is that AI?

It's hard to tell, as you've been posting something approaching gibberish for about 25 years.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

Scams and boiler rooms tend to be more sophisticated and catch unsuspecting people.

You mean they target dense, naive folk like your typical Aussie?

Not at all, the point I’m making is that they are getting smart and pitches are more polished, they target everyone and anyone. Smart or dumb.

Originally Posted by DrWilly

the point I’m making is that they are getting smart and pitches are more polished

Half of them were Bogans sounding like Barry Humphries proclaiming to be on Wall Street

Yeah yeah yeah, alright. I just think a bit more emphasis needed. Once your gran or elderly father gets scammed you might agree. The narrative that only greedy, dumb arse holes get scammed works in the scammers favour.