A 20-year-old woman and several others became victims of a call center gang that drugged them unconscious, abducted them across the border, forced them to scan their faces to use accounts, and when no longer useful, abandoned them back in Thailand.
On 30 Jan 2026 GMT+7, reporters reported that the transnational call center gangs continue their unchecked rampage. Recently, they have escalated their methods, using the tactic of "drugging victims to sleep" before abducting them across the border into Cambodia. There, victims are forced to scan their faces to open illegal accounts. When these accounts become unusable or "dead accounts," the victims are brought back and abandoned mercilessly on the Thai side, causing widespread fear especially among youths near school breaks.
Reporters spoke with Bird, a representative of the Coordination Center for Assistance to Thais Abroad, who shared details of the latest case involving 20-year-old Khwanchinee from Sa Kaeo province. She was victimized by the call center gang after being lured by a "friend of a friend" with a job offer, claiming it was warehouse work in Watthana Nakhon district, Sa Kaeo.
Bird explained that Khwanchinee's family had contacted the center for help after she went missing. Initial inquiries revealed she had prior experience with online work and had traveled abroad before the recent border tensions. The criminals exploited this vulnerability by gaining her trust through familiarity. On the day of the incident, the perpetrators had her open a hotel room to wait and arranged to meet at a bus station before taking her by vehicle, claiming they were taking her to start work. Once inside, they gave her a drink, after which she lost consciousness. She recalls nothing more until she regained awareness on the Cambodian side.
Bird continued that upon regaining consciousness, Khwanchinee found herself across the border in Cambodia, forced to scan her face for use in a mule account operation and other illegal activities. She reported that while drugged, she retained some awareness, hearing voices but was too weak to resist or help herself. The greatest concern was that as a 20-year-old woman with attractive looks, she feared being sold or abused. Fortunately, medical examinations confirmed she had not been sexually assaulted.
After being forced to scan her face and once the account became unusable, Khwanchinee and four other victims were abandoned back in Thailand without any care. When the rescue team found her, she was extremely frightened, crying continuously and unwilling to speak until Bird provided his and her family's names and details. This built trust, and she then recounted the entire ordeal.
Reporters also spoke with On, 24, and Fight, 26, from Phayao province, who were deceived along with Khwanchinee. Both revealed they were forced to scan their faces more than eight times and met Khwanchinee in Cambodia, where she was in a severely distressed state, crying and appearing mentally unstable. They could only comfort each other to maintain their mental well-being.
Bird added that the gang uses multiple smuggling routes along the border, including forested areas, longan orchards, and natural paths, employing zigzag driving tactics to avoid CCTV detection. This leaves victims unaware of the exact point where they are taken out of or into the country.
Regarding legal action, coordination has been made with Aranyaprathet and Khok Sung police stations (the original complaint sites), as well as local hospitals to conduct physical and psychological examinations of the victims. Khok Sung police will take the lead in investigating and pursuing prosecution against the gang according to the law.
Bird warned youths and parents that the period near school breaks is extremely dangerous. Part-time jobs, border work, offers of transport, accommodation, bank accounts, and laptops are all signs of scams. He urged people not to fall for such schemes. Currently, plans are underway to launch awareness campaigns in secondary schools to educate children and youths on these increasingly sophisticated and brutal call center scams.