South Korean police dismantled a syndicate based in Pattaya, accused of running online scams that defrauded victims of millions through fake schemes.
The group allegedly scammed nearly 900 victims out of 21 billion Korean won (US$15 million or 478 million baht).
South Korean police confirmed yesterday, September 22, that 25 suspects from the group, known as the Longge Company, have been arrested. Twenty-one are now in custody in South Korea, while nine others, including the alleged ringleader, who used the alias Jaryong, are detained in Thailand awaiting extradition.
Officers said the group’s operations stretched far beyond basic voice phishing. Members allegedly orchestrated fraudulent investment schemes, online romance scams and a so-called “no-show scam.” In that scheme, fraudsters posed as celebrities, hospitals or large corporations, placing bulk orders with small businesses before coercing them into buying overpriced goods from a fake supplier. Victims were told to pay upfront only for the group to vanish afterwards.
“We will continue to track these fraud crimes, at home and abroad, without compromise.”
The South Korean police urged citizens to remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated online scams.
Investigators noted that the syndicate’s name, Longge, is derived from Chinese words meaning “dragon” and “elder brother,” reflecting the leader’s chosen alias. The “ryong” in Jaryong also translates to “dragon” in Korean.
The crackdown followed a joint Thai-Korean operation in June, when Thai police raided a resort in Pattaya and arrested 20 suspects. South Korean investigators travelled to Thailand three times to collect evidence, which helped identify senior figures in the network, including Jaryong, reported The Korea Herald.
A second raid later uncovered another Pattaya office used by the syndicate, further strengthening the case against the group. Police said the bust highlights growing international cooperation to tackle cross-border scams that prey on vulnerable victims.
The arrests are part of a wider campaign against online fraud, which has surged in recent years in both South Korea and Thailand. With billions lost to phishing rings and digital scams, police warned that criminal networks are adapting quickly and targeting new victims with increasingly elaborate tactics.
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