Thailand’s Cyber Crime Police have reported the arrest of a well-known Singaporean hacker, identified by the alias “Desorden GhostR.” He allegedly infiltrated the systems of over 70 major companies in Thailand and abroad, stealing sensitive information and selling it on the dark web.
The suspect, identified as Mr. Chia, a 39-year-old Singaporean, has been linked to hacking cases in multiple countries. Authorities say he is wanted internationally for his cybercrimes.
Acting on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court, officers from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) searched a house in the Gusto Grand housing estate on Ramkhamhaeng 159 Road in Bangkok’s Saphan Soong district, where the suspect had been staying.
During the raid, police discovered gold jewellery and high-end luxury items valued at approximately 10 million baht.
The CCIB began their investigation after a Thai company filed a complaint. The company reported receiving a threatening message via the “X” platform from a group called “Omid16BGroup.” The message demanded an undisclosed sum, warning that failure to pay would result in the public release of customer data.
Pol Col Panuphat Kittiphan of the CCIB explained that Singaporean authorities supported identifying the suspect. The hacking methods matched those of “Desorden GhostR,” who has stolen data from multiple companies worldwide and sold it on the dark web.
According to Panuphat, the hacker admitted to hacking into the systems of over 50 companies in various countries and about 20 firms in Thailand, including the Black Canyon coffee chain.
The hacker allegedly claimed he acted alone and avoided targeting government agencies to prevent public harm.
A group of OPPO and Realme smartphone users filed complaints with the Consumer Protection Crime Suppression Division in a separate case. They accused the companies of violating their privacy by pre-installing the “Fineasy” loan app on their devices without consent.
The complainants submitted evidence, hoping it could lead to legal action. They claimed that around 10 individuals had taken out loans totalling 15 million baht through the app and are now burdened with steep interest rates.
Pattarakorn Teepbunyarat of the Thailand Consumers Council revealed that 192 phone users have filed similar complaints. He stated that legal charges under the Lending Act, Consumer Protection Act, and Personal Data Protection Act will be pursued against OPPO and Realme.
Pattarakorn also mentioned that some borrowers discovered that the accounts they transferred repayments to were “mule” accounts used for fraud.
