Pattaya, Thailand – Pattaya police are facing an unprecedented wave of harassment from debt collectors, rerouted via loan apps, disrupting vital emergency services.
Kredit-Apps leiten Anrufe an die Polizeinummer
The Pattaya Police Station has been inundated with calls from creditors who have allegedly used loan applications to reroute collection attempts directly to the police’s direct phone lines. Over a three-day period, the station recorded more than 200 disruptive calls. Police Chief Anek Sarathongyu has ordered an investigation into the matter and has already blocked several numbers due to the severe interference with the dispatch center’s operations.
Funkzentrale läuft heiß: Zahlen aus drei Tagen
Evidence suggests that debtors may have set up call forwarding features within credit apps, causing calls from debt collection agencies to be redirected to the police’s mobile numbers. Operators at the dispatch center have repeatedly encountered individuals demanding money, who refused to believe they were speaking with law enforcement and subsequently insulted the staff. In just three days, over 200 calls were received, with one morning alone seeing more than ten such disruptive calls. One dispatcher reported that during an 8-hour shift, two officers had to manage nearly 20 traffic accidents and approximately 30 other incidents, including dealing with intoxicated individuals or those with mental health issues, in addition to handling the influx of nuisance calls.
Polizeichef besucht Funkzentrale und ordnet Maßnahmen an
Police Chief Anek Sarathongyu visited the dispatch center to offer support to his staff and discuss immediate countermeasures. The disruptive phone numbers have been logged and initially blocked. All related cases have been forwarded to the investigative department for a thorough technical review. The chief emphasized the need to address this issue urgently to ensure emergency response capabilities are not compromised.
Wer steckt dahinter? Hinweise auf Herkunft der Anrufer
Authorities stated that the callers included both Thai nationals and individuals with accents described as similar to Cambodian. The station utilizes additional mobile numbers for direct citizen contact, alongside the primary emergency number 191. It is precisely these direct lines that have been deliberately misused. The police are investigating the origin of these calls, which appear to be a coordinated effort to obstruct police work by exploiting communication channels.
Ermittlungen laufen, Sperren und mögliche Schritte
As an immediate consequence, the police have blocked the offending numbers and tasked the investigative department with a technical examination to identify the perpetrators. Legal action against those responsible has been announced. Police Chief Anek Sarathongyu appealed to the public not to misuse police numbers for harassment, stating, “We urge the public not to block police numbers for harassment, so as not to endanger emergency care.” The investigation is ongoing, with authorities determining the next steps in prosecuting those found to be behind the widespread disruption.