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The Royal Thai Police (RTP) has made substantial progress in a seven-month operation against online fraud, resulting in the arrest of over 14,000 individuals involved in call center scams, investment fraud, and illegal online gambling operations.
Authorities have successfully frozen 4.5 billion baht in assets linked to criminal activities. According to an NNT report, discussions with the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) are ongoing to allocate these funds back to scam victims.
Thailand has ramped up its efforts to combat cybercrime with the introduction of a new Royal Decree allowing the shutdown of suspicious bank and phone accounts. Key points of this campaign include:
Campaign Name: Launched by National Police Chief General Damrongsak Kittiprapas, the initiative is called “Together against Cyber Threats.”
Objective: The primary goal is to protect the public by raising awareness about cyber threats, encouraging online users to be skeptical and cautious in their online activities.
Statistics:
Thailand faces around 800 cybercrimes daily, leading to significant financial losses.
Between March 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, there were 287,122 cybercrime cases, with losses nearing ฿40 billion.
Offshore Threats: Many scams originate from outside Thailand, with foreign-controlled scammer gangs targeting Thai users from countries like Cambodia.
UNICEF Collaboration: To promote online safety, UNICEF and the Thai government launched the #CautionFirst campaign, urging children and adolescents to think twice before sharing personal information online.
Additionally, the Royal Decree on Measures for Protection and Suppression of Technology Crimes B.E. 2566 (2023), effective since March 2023, enlists the help of banks and service providers to combat cybercrime and scams.