Young mother jailed due to ID theft scam sparks cybersecurity overhaul

[webfact]

A mother tricked into providing her national ID card information which was subsequently used for fraudulent activities, finds herself and her six month old baby behind bars. The case has prompted an urgent call to action from authorities and the public alike, as the hunt for the criminal syndicate intensifies.

 

A plea for assistance was lodged today, January 26, with the Technology Crime Suppression Division at the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road. Ekaphob Luangprasert, an advisor to the Minister of the Interior and founder of the Sai Mai Must Survive Facebook page, brought the plight of the young mother, known simply as Film, into the spotlight. She had fallen prey to a scam that used her personal information to set up fraudulent bank accounts, leading to legal action against her.

 

Police Major General Chatchapanthakarn Klaikluen expressed his directive for investigators and data analysts to coordinate with Thonglor Police Station. The aim is to gather evidence from Film’s phone to track down the owner of the Facebook page that exploited her information. The Cyber Police assured the public of their advanced tools and techniques in hunting down the culprits, though they requested patience for the meticulous process.

 

The ease and convenience of online banking, while beneficial to many, has exposed vulnerabilities that criminals are quick to exploit. The public is encouraged to open bank accounts in person to mitigate the risk of fraud. The Bank of Thailand and relevant agencies are being consulted to address these security loopholes. Additionally, the public is warned to be vigilant when registering for applications, especially when disclosing sensitive information like national ID numbers, which are highly susceptible to misuse by fraudsters.

 

by Nattapong Westwood

PHOTO: via vietnam plus

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2024-01-27

 

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[Pique Dard]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

A mother tricked into providing her national ID card information which was subsequently used for fraudulent activities, finds herself and her six month old baby behind bars.

..what i see in the photo is at least four officers wearing badges that attest to their rank, but no trace of the criminal.

[OneMoreFarang]

I hope many Thais will see this story and will learn from it that identity theft is a big issue.

It seems too many don't care about data privacy and too many use their phones without any awareness of any risks.

 

[NE1]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Additionally, the public is warned to be vigilant when registering for applications, especially when disclosing sensitive information like national ID numbers, which are highly susceptible to misuse by fraudsters.

What can one expect when you have to show or present a copy your I.D. or passport for just about anything here.

[ChaiyaTH]

Allowing someone to open a bank account, is the responsibility of the holder. She should have thought twice, normally it does not matter if you are a victim, you are still liable too.

[ChaiyaTH]

Just now, NE1 said:

What can one expect when you have to show or present a copy your I.D. or passport for just about anything here.

Oh please, did you even read the article at all? It says documents, ending with a S, aside from it saying it opened a bank account. Obviously that is much more than a copy ID.

[jacko45k]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The public is encouraged to open bank accounts in person to mitigate the risk of fraud

And hopefully. the banks themselves will have the same rule!

[zhounan]

I feel a little bit afraid every time I'm asked to give my passport to an office lady/gentleman. There is too shallow use of personal data and documents in Thailand.

[fondue zoo]

1 hour ago, Pique Dard said:

..what i see in the photo is at least four officers wearing badges that attest to their rank, but no trace of the criminal.

 

They remind me of the military in Starship Troopers.

Also guys, you're a cybersexy unit, the Marine haircut surely isn't a requirement.

 

He is saying, none of us here really understand cybersecurity but we're about to fk you up when it comes to applying for anything now, 2 appointments, double the amount of documents, a second party to verify who are and we need a photo of them and a written statement, they could be dodgy too,  ummm, screw it, a map too.  .. probably.

 

 

Sorry I'm in a mood this morning.

 

 

 

 

[NE1]

2 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Oh please, did you even read the article at all?

No.... 

[mikebell]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

to coordinate with Thonglor Police Station.

Wasn't it this lot who were guilty of targetting farangs for pee tests on the sidewalk?

[hotchilli]

6 hours ago, Pique Dard said:

..what i see in the photo is at least four officers wearing badges that attest to their rank, but no trace of the criminal.

Seems the innocent party is behind bars and the guilty are still on the loose.

[still kicking]

18 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I hope many Thais will see this story and will learn from it that identity theft is a big issue.

It seems too many don't care about data privacy and too many use their phones without any awareness of any risks.

 

Yes, don't mention TikTok.

[jacko45k]

19 hours ago, mikebell said:

Wasn't it this lot who were guilty of targetting farangs for pee tests on the sidewalk?

Only if they could not get away with claiming you had thrown down a cigarette butt and had to pay a fine!

[brianthainess]

On 1/27/2024 at 6:12 AM, webfact said:

The Cyber Police assured the public of their advanced tools and techniques in hunting down the culprits, though they requested patience for the meticulous process.

Requested Patience, tell that to the young mother And Child behind bars, if she had committed murder she would be on bail TIT. Do you not need to sign your name to open an account? or can you open an account solely with an ID number and personal info What about Photo ID? sounds like the banks are not being vigilant. 

[n00dle]

On 1/27/2024 at 10:03 AM, mikebell said:

Wasn't it this lot who were guilty of targetting farangs for pee tests on the sidewalk?

they have a little more than that to answer for.  

[n00dle]

3 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

Requested Patience, tell that to the young mother And Child behind bars, if she had committed murder she would be on bail TIT. Do you not need to sign your name to open an account? or can you open an account solely with an ID number. sounds like the banks are not being vigilant. 

do you make stuff like this up just so you have something to say?

Bail is a privilege people pay for.

This has nothing to do with murder or fraud -- it's not the type crime that would justify her bail, it is whether or not she can afford the cost of the bond.

   

[Gaccha]

The absurd escalation in the number of companies requiring your passport from around 5 years ago was bound to end up with this situation. When even the BTS requires a passport on file just to get a card, you know it has gone too far.

 

More than 5 years ago, almost nobody had a copy of my passport in any data repository. Now they treat it with the respect given to a cinema ticket.

 

The Thai government at that moment should and could have slammed the door on these requirements. It was so obvious even at the time it was happening that it had gone too far.

 

Putting aside the behaviour of companies, how many times have the Thai Immigration Police accidentally leaked all our data? There were at least two cases during COVID. 

[georgegeorgia]

2 hours ago, n00dle said:

do you make stuff like this up just so you have something to say?

Bail is a privilege people pay for.

This has nothing to do with murder or fraud -- it's not the type crime that would justify her bail, it is whether or not she can afford the cost of the bond.

   

Noodle you Sir are right again !

 

I have put all your posts on notification, my phone buzzes when you post , I'm learning from you mate ,thankyou for your wisdom.🙏

[john donson]

immigration, how many times did you discover private info of someone else, on the back used to print a form you had to fill in ?