Chinese Actor Saved from Scam Center in Myanmar

Wang Xing, a Chinese actor better known as Xingxing, has narrowly escaped a future in a fraud factory after falling for an insidious scam. The man returned with a shaven head and provided insight into how dangerous such scams can be, even to celebrities.

Xingxing Was Forced into a Call Center

Xingxing who is best-known for starring in a number of Chinese dramas, thought he had simply scored another job when he successfully auditioned for a role advertised via messaging platform WeChat. However, once he arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport at the Thai town of Mae Sot, he was greeted by thugs instead of television producers.

Xingxing was quickly shoved into a car and driven across the nearby border to Myanmar. There, he was put in a facility where he had his head forcefully shaven. The actor was told that he could not leave the building, which hosted at least 50 other shaven workers of different nationalities.

The actor believes that this was one of the scam call centers in Myanmar, which is notorious for its lawless areas, scam centers and illegal casinos.

The Actor Managed to Escape

Luckily, Xingxing’s loved ones quickly noticed that he was missing and initiated a search. Tracking data showed him disappearing around the Myanmar border.

While it is unclear how exactly Xingxing managed to escape, he was found by Myanmar authorities on January 7, three days after he was reported missing. The actor was subsequently sent to Thailand for questioning.

The actor was certain that the facility he had been sent to was a scam call center that targeted people in China. Authorities believe that this center was located in Myawaddy, a town near the border with Thailand, which houses many criminal gambling dens.

The town is under the jurisdiction of the Border Guard Force, a militia that is loyal to the ruling junta but has a certain degree of autonomy in the region. The political instability in Myanmar has largely facilitated human trafficking and organized crime as a whole.

Xingxing Wants to Visit Thailand in the Future

In the meantime, Xingxing appeared almost unfazed by the human trafficking and even said that he would be interested in visiting Thailand for real sometime.

The Thai authorities, on the other hand, rejected the notion that the actor was saved so quickly just because of his celebrity status. Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra also addressed the matter and promised that he will do what he can to make Thailand uphold its ethos to be a destination that is safe for tourists.