Defamation charges filed against those who exposed the billion-dollar scam network in Thailand and Cambodia

Reporters found connections between an alleged scammer and money launderer and Thai government officials
Drone footage of an alleged scamming compound in Cambodia with high perimeter walls, security cameras, and security guards.
Drone footage of an alleged scamming compound in Cambodia with high perimeter walls, security cameras, and security guards. Photo from Amnesty International. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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This story by Mong Palatino originally appeared on Global Voices on 15 October 2025

Defamation charges were filed against an opposition Member of Parliament (MP) in Thailand and an investigative media outlet for linking a businessman to an alleged transnational scam network involving politicians and influential individuals from Cambodia and Thailand.

The news outlet Whale Hunting, known for its anti-corruption reports, published a series of reports in late September exposing the alleged role of South African businessman Benjamin Mauerberger in a USD 1.5 billion money laundering network tied to Cambodian scam centers. The reports also examined Mauerberger’s connections to high-profile political and business circles in Thailand.

Opposition MP Rangsiman Rome cited these reports in a Parliamentary session and accused “Ben Smith” (an alleged alias of Mauerberger) of being a scammer, call center operator, and grey capitalist.

He warned that Thailand “faces serious threats from transnational scammer networks using opaque funds — financial flows that are not outright illegal but move through complex channels to evade oversight, conceal beneficiaries, or gain influence.” He added that Thailand could become a “money printing machine” for grey capital.

In a press conference, he called for urgent action to stop the criminal operation:

If we don’t act now, we’ll wake up to find the country run by crooks in suits. These people are not just cybercriminals hiding behind screens. They are connected, funded, and protected. Mr. Benjamin is one example. There are many more like him — and they don’t act alone. Every day that we delay, more people become victims. And behind each scam is a system of corruption and complicity.

Mauerberger has denied the allegations against him and dismissed the exposé as “fiction created with the sole intention of destroying me and my family.” In a statement, he said he has filed a defamation suit against Tom Wright, the co-founder of Whale Hunting.

I have initiated legal proceedings against Mr. Tom Wright and all parties complicit in this campaign. They must now answer for their actions before a court of law, where the truth will prevail. Mr. Wright will no longer be able to manipulate a one-sided media platform as he does now; he will be compelled to explain his conduct before the judiciary, where his methods will be laid bare.

Mauerberger has also filed a similar complaint against MP Rangsiman Rome. Mauerberger’s lawyer is the legal adviser of Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Thammanat Prompao, who has also threatened to file charges against Wright and other journalists who reported the allegations. Thammanat was not named in the Whale Hunting reports, but Thai journalists identified him in photos of Mauerberger having dinner meetings with Thai officials.

Thammanat issued a strongly worded statement against his accusers.

Don’t come playing games with me — your mouth is brave, but your legs will shake. I have filed over 100 defamation cases already, with 270 more being prepared in Phayao province. Anyone spreading these lies will face legal consequences.

He also has a warning to journalists:

You are amplifying fake news, and you will face trouble. Save yourself first. Dare to fight me, you must be ready to have dinner in Phayao [court]. Don't come asking for my apology and withdrawal of the lawsuit. I won't accept it.

Rangsiman Rome questioned the motive for filing defamation charges: “Is this really about damage to reputation, or is it an attempt to silence criticism and protect something bigger?”


In a post on X, Wright underscored the seriousness of the issue.

This isn't just a political spat. We revealed a photo showing the Deputy PM with Benjamin Mauerberger, a South African fugitive whose network allegedly launders money from scam centers that cost American victims billions a year—retirees losing life savings, people scammed into financial ruin. The stakes are real.

In a post published on Whale Hunting, Bradley Hope described Thammanat’s actions as “darkly comedic,” since a sitting government minister is suggesting “he’ll use the international fugitive alert system designed to catch terrorists and murderers to go after people who dare to ask inconvenient questions.” The writer noted the “absurdity of invoking Interpol Red Notices as if they’re parking tickets he can hand out to annoying journalists.”

Shawn Crispin of the Committee to Protect Journalists has called out Thammanat for weaponizing the law against the media.

Threatening to weaponize defamation laws or Interpol systems is outrageous. DPM Thammanat should investigate the allegations raised in Wright’s reporting, not shoot the messenger.

Mauerberger has reportedly left Thailand but has already initiated complaints against Rangsiman and Wright.

(NS)

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