Thai police arrested an alleged Indian call centre gang who scammed an American woman out of cash worth 50,000 USD.

The fraudsters allegedly posed as a Microsoft service team and pretended to help the elderly woman log into her e-mail account on January 10. They had her install a remote access software on her computer to trick her that 50,000 USD had been mistakenly refunded to her bank account.

The woman then wired the money to a corporate bank account in Thailand - only to learn she had been duped after the gangsters left her a mocking message.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation learned that the receiving account was based in Thailand. They coordinated with the Thai Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau to investigate the case.

Authorities said the scam operation was run by Indian nationals who recruited Thais through a loan shark scheme. The suspects would obtain the Thai accomplices' personal documents to register companies and open mule accounts.

The illegal funds were then converted into gold bars, which were collected by the Indians from a gold shop in Bangkok.

Investigations found that the gang was based in Ayutthaya province.

Police obtained a search warrant and raided a house in the Sena District on June 20. They arrested Indian suspects Aswani and Araya and seized gadgets and ATM cards linked to the operation.

Three Thais, identified as Charn, Pranom, and Sroi, were also detained for allowing the scammers to use their bank accounts. Charn was listed as the director of Palmetto Limited Partnership while Pranom and Sroi were directors of Tint Realty Limited Partnership.

Officials were still searching for two Indian men, Kritsana and Aswani, wanted for collaborating in transnational organised crime, defrauding by impersonating others, importing distorted computer data into a computer system causing damage to the general public, and money laundering. An Interpol Red Notice was sought against them.

Cyber Police Chief Lieutenant General Trairong Phiwpaen said in a December 2 press conference that the stolen money had been returned to the American woman.

He said: 'The US government agencies and the representatives of the victim expressed their gratitude to the commanding officers and the Cyber ​​Police investigation team who worked together on this operation, which is considered a success in jointly suppressing transnational crimes.'