BANGKOK — Thai cyber police have arrested a 35-year-old Chinese national, identified as Mr. Ma, in connection with a complex credit card fraud scheme that exploited Google Pay to make unauthorized purchases at Bangkok shopping malls.
The arrest followed a tip-off from the legal department of a major Thai bank, which flagged suspicious credit card activity. The scheme involved hackers sending phishing SMS messages with malicious links. When victims clicked the links and entered their credit card details and OTP codes, the data was captured and transmitted to hackers via Telegram channels.
Mr. Ma and his associates allegedly used the stolen card information to shop at local department stores, then resold the goods for cash. The proceeds were converted into USDT cryptocurrency and shared among the fraud network.
On July 8, 2025, officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) arrested Mr. Ma at a hotel in Huai Khwang District, Bangkok, acting on an arrest warrant issued on July 4. Charges include impersonation fraud, unauthorized use and possession of electronic cards, illegal computer access, and fraudulent data input.
Seized at the scene were two EDC terminals, two card readers, three smartphones, 17 foreign ATM cards, 11 blank PVC cards, and a laptop.
Mr. Ma has denied all charges during interrogation. He has been remanded to the TCSD’s 3rd Bureau as police expand the investigation to locate additional suspects connected to the international fraud ring.
