"According to Gen. Torsak, a group of Indian and Thai nationals formed a call center gang to scam retirees in the United States. The group swindled money from the victims by saying the victims were involved in legal cases, posing themselves as FBI officers, or hacking the victims’ computers. Between 2020-2021, there were 72,000 reported cases with damages totaling more than 3 billion baht.

The victims varied in occupations, such as doctors, university professors, dentists, military personnel, and business owners, Gen. Torsak said. Most of them were swindled out of their hard-earned life savings."

UPDATE: Pattaya Police Holds Press Briefing into Massive Indian Scam Syndicate Bust - The Pattaya News

I get those phone calls all the time. They're easily recognizable, so I try to keep the scammers on the phone for as long as possible with questions and answers that confuse them. When I'm ready to end the call, I make an x-rated quip about their wife.

Everyone should be careful of being scammed whether in Pattaya or elsewhere. Do not give sensitive information to anyone who calls you up on the phone. Be very careful clicking links in emails unless you are 100% certain they are legitimate. 

7 hours ago, Marc in Calif said:

I get those phone calls all the time. They're easily recognizable, so I try to keep the scammers on the phone for as long as possible with questions and answers that confuse them. When I'm ready to end the call, I make an x-rated quip about their wife.

I on another hand don't involve myself in any conversation but if sense anything sinister I say ' me no speak English' and hang out.

Often they are very well prepared and rehearsed  and prolonged conversation may lead us to telling them something we may regret. 

At time I suspect scammers are internal jobs. I almost fell victim once when they called pretending they are from my internet provider. It was day or two after I really had internet problem requiring extensive exchange of information so I was not suspicious until out of blue they asked my mother maiden name, only then I realized it's scam and cut  call off immediately , did not even bother with '" me no speak English".    

On my old landline phone the scammers were ringing it non stop so I got rid of that phone, even after I had all international calls blocked on that line the Indian call centers used voip to call and the telco couldn't block those calls. Now I just use a mobile phone and I have resorted to a simple method, if I don't know the number or I am not expecting a call from a local business I don't answer it. If it's a serious call then they would or should leave a message but that never happens, the peace I get now is pure bliss. 

Although I have a landline as part of my broadband package, I don't have a phone attached to it and just use my mobile. I don't answer my mobile if I don't recognise the number unless I'm expecting a call from that area code. I find cold callers generally don't leave a message where anyone genuine will. It also allows me to check numbers without answering a call. I answer few spam calls after these simple precautions.