Online Scammers Steal Over B177 Million in One Week in Thailand

Online scammers continue to inflict significant financial losses across Thailand, with victims losing over 177 million baht in a single week between July 19 and July 25. According to the Anti Cyber-Scam Centre, the total financial losses amounted to 177.3 million baht during this period, despite a slight decrease of approximately 22 million baht from the previous week. Fraudulent sales and services remain the most prevalent and costly form of cybercrime, accounting for 77.5% of all reported cases. Authorities recorded 4,429 complaints in this category, highlighting the increasing risks for consumers who increasingly rely on online platforms for their daily purchases. The total losses from these scams exceeded 48 million baht. Bangkok reported the highest financial losses, with 84 cases resulting in damages exceeding 8.35 million baht. Nonthaburi ranked second with losses of over 4.12 million baht from 18 cases, while Khon Kaen followed with 16 cases and losses of 335,035 baht. Analysis from the centre indicates that women are more likely to fall victim to cybercrime than men. The 21-30 age group was identified as the most vulnerable to online shopping fraud and impersonation scams, whereas individuals aged 31-40 were most frequently targeted in employment-related fraud. Joint operations involving police, financial institutions, and the Anti Cyber-Scam Centre led to the arrest of five suspected scammers during the week, including two Thai nationals, one Chinese national, and two South Koreans. Authorities also successfully intervened to prevent 22 victims from transferring money to suspected criminal accounts, averting potential losses of over 1.16 million baht. One particularly striking case involved a woman who went missing after receiving threatening calls from scammers posing as police officers. She was convinced she was being investigated for holding a mule bank account and was instructed not to speak with anyone else while on a video call. She transferred 49,900 baht, and her father later sent an additional 650,000 baht out of fear. Police intervened before total losses approached 700,000 baht. In a separate incident, officers assisted a 68-year-old woman in Nonthaburi who had been persuaded to invest in an online scheme. Police explained the fraud and encouraged her to stop transfers, but the case still resulted in losses exceeding 500,000 baht. Officials are reiterating warnings that genuine law enforcement agencies and anti-money laundering authorities do not contact individuals by phone to accuse them of crimes, demand money transfers, or conduct investigations via video calls. The public is urged to immediately end such conversations and contact the national anti-scam hotline at 1441.