Following his personal experience with a con artist, Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has directed the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) to increase its efforts in combating online fraud as well as call center frauds.
“Some messaged, while others called, even greeting me by my full name, so I just ignored them,” stated he said.
The public should listen to the DES Ministry’s warnings about these increasingly sophisticated schemes. Additionally, when they seek out the perpetrators, they are consuming a growing amount of police time.
The government of Thailand has established a hotline where victims of internet scams or mobile banking scams can report the incident and seek assistance. Within Thailand, the hotline number is 1441.
In a separate development, the DES Ministry has announced that it is moving swiftly to investigate allegations that a hacker gained access to and sold the personal information of millions of Thai residents from a government database.
Approximately 30 million Thai individuals’ personal information was allegedly for sale on RaidForums last year.
“The claim could be just an exaggeration, as that has happened in the past,” Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong of the DES remarked.
He mentioned that the matter has been delegated to the Office of the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC), the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) for co-operation.
The ministry is also exploring new methods to prevent scams from happening, he added. For example, he mentioned that mobile network operators can identify fraudulent activity by flagging SIM cards that make a large number of calls quickly.
The ministry has devised a plan to tackle internet fraud and call center frauds, according to Mr. Prasert.
In the near future, he added, the PDPC has established a monitoring center known as PDPC Eagle Eye to look for indicators of a potential data breach.
The center examined the internal processes of 3,119 public and commercial organizations from 9–20 November; 1,158 of these were determined to be insufficient. According to him, these organizations have been requested to resolve the concerns.
He also mentioned that as of Sunday, 781 of them have taken the advice to heart and made the necessary corrections. Above all else, he stressed that the PDPC has discovered three instances of unlawful sales of personally identifiable information.
Parties implicated in the three cases are facing legal punishment, but in a bid to uncover further instances of abuse and exploitation of personal information, the PDPC Eagle Eye center is stepping up its investigation of about 9,000 organizations, he added.
The government is determined to find and punish anyone responsible for the unlawful sale of people’s personal information.
“In cases where the culprits are known to be in other countries, the police will seek Interpol’s assistance,” according to him.
Mobile scams in Thailand, can take various forms. Here are some common ones:
- Sim Card Swapping: Scammers might trick you into handing over your SIM card or personal information, allowing them to take control of your number. They then use it to access your accounts or conduct fraudulent activities.
- Fake Calls and Messages: Scammers impersonate banks, government agencies, or service providers through calls or messages, asking for personal information, passwords, or financial details. They might claim you’ve won a prize or have outstanding payments to lure you into sharing sensitive information.
- Phishing: This involves fraudulent emails, messages, or websites that appear legitimate and ask for personal information, passwords, or payment details.
- Unsecure Wi-Fi Networks: Using unsecured public Wi-Fi can expose your device to hacking attempts, allowing scammers to steal personal information or install malware.
- Malicious Apps: Downloading apps from unverified sources can lead to malware installation, compromising your device’s security and accessing your personal data.
To protect yourself from mobile scams in Thailand or anywhere else:
- Be cautious with personal information: Avoid sharing sensitive details unless you’re sure of the recipient’s authenticity.
- Verify sources: Confirm the identity of callers, messages, or websites before sharing any information.
- Use secure connections: Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions or use a VPN to secure your connection.
- Update security software: Keep your device’s operating system and security software up to date.
- Use official apps: Download apps from trusted sources like Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
If you suspect any fraudulent activity, report it to the local authorities and relevant institutions immediately. Additionally, regularly monitor your bank statements and credit reports for any suspicious activities.
