DSI raided to inspect companies giving loans via applications

DSI raided to inspect companies giving loans via applications

       During the pandemic of Corona-2019 Virus (Covid-19) the DSI has monitored the trouble and adverse effects to people from money loaning via over 30 applications. Recently, clues to crime were reported through the DSI application named “Rootan”, namely giving loans via applications by deducting money for operating expenses, charging fees for concealing the demand of interest at a rate higher than the rate specified by law (at 750-2,500 percentages per year) and pursuing to collect debts by accessing personal information in mobile phones of borrowers, threatening and stigmatizing borrowers which not only effected the economic system, peace and order but also caused wide damage to the public.

       On Wednesday, January 13, 2021 the Director-General Pol.Lt.Col. Korrawat Panpaphakorn and his deputy Pol.Lt.Col. Supat Thamthanarug assigned the Director of the Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime Pol.Lt.Col. Wichai Suwanprasert, the Cyber Investigation Center and the Surveillance and Intelligence Center of the DSI to raid for searching 2 work places in Bangkok. The search team seized evidence comprising several computer equipment and arrested a 35-year-old Chinese national Mr. Bin Luy, the alleged offender for the offence of jointly being members of a secret society, jointly input into a computer system false computer data, and jointly lending money or concealing loan money by demanding interest at a rate higher than the rate specified by law. The inspection found the target of search linked to the advertisement asking the public to put in information via various applications by filling in their personal information and enabling the applications to access their personal information via Facebook, Line, mobile phones or even phone numbers in mobile phone contacts. For the pattern of loaning money via various applications, the borrower will not receive full amount of loans because the money loaning application deducted money for the cost of expenses. For example, if a borrower borrows 4,000 baht, he/she will receive only 2,600 baht and must repay a loan in full amount of 4,000 baht with interest within 14 days. If the borrower did not pay back the loan, he/she has to pay a fine at the rate specified by the said application. For example, for the loan of 4,000 baht, if the borrower delays repaying the loan, he/she has to pay a fine about 400 – 600 baht a day. The loaner will demand payment from a person closed to the borrower as appeared in the name list that the application retrieved from his/her mobile phone. Besides, the borrower’s photo is stigmatized. Moreover, the borrowers and his close contact are threatened and terrorized causing defamation. Some borrowers were fired.

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       The Director-General Pol.Lt.Col. Korrawat Panpaphakorn revealed the investigation found that there is an involvement of foreigners as the capitalists behind the loans. Applications were created by naming them as replicas of well-known companies, such as True Cash, Cash 2 you, for creating reliability. The names of the said application, more than 30 applications, were changed when officials strictly monitor. For example, Mee-Riean, Hai-Ku-Ther, Yeum-Ngoen-Duan, Ku-Ngai, Cash 24 h, Big Money Cash Loan, etc. From the preliminary inspection, since the end of year 2019 it was found 15 related bank accounts with over 1,500 million baht circulating funds. On the same day (January 13 2021,) the special case inquiry official team seized 157 related bank accounts for extending investigations to its networks and masterminds.

       The Director-General also revealed that the search and arrest operation during the pandemic of the Covid-19 Virus, the DSI complied with the Universal Precautions Standard subject to the guideline as consulted with the Department of Disease Control, the Ministry of Public Health. The DSI would like to thank you the Director-General of the Department of Disease Control for suggestions and for assigning officials to join the operations. The Director-General also warned the public to not open bank accounts for criminals because they might be legally prosecuted. If the public see the commission of crime related to technology, please inform the clues via the application “Rootan” of the Cyber Investigation Center, the Bureau of Technology and Cyber Crime of the DSI.

Dated January 14, 2021