Whoscares? Scam alert app is here to call out the cons in Thailand

[snoop1130]

 

Gogolook, the brains behind the wildly popular Whoscall app, have unleashed a game-changer: Scam Alert, and it’s rocking the scene thanks to a team-up with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

 

A whopping 11 heavy-hitter organisations are on board this powerhouse initiative, including telecom giants, police forces, top banks, the National Cyber Security Agency, the Central Investigation Bureau, and the Thailand Consumer Council.

 

NBTC’s top dog, Dr Sarana Boonbaichaiyapruck, is buzzing about the mission to crank up scam awareness among Thais.

 

“Cybercrime has become a significant threat affecting not only consumers, but also state agencies and businesses.”

 

In a major push to crack down on cyber crooks, the NBTC has teamed up with law enforcement and private firms to fortify Thailand’s telecom sector. This collaboration has led to standardised safety guidelines aimed at guarding against cybercrime.

 

Introducing Scam Alert, the new brainchild of Gogolook and the NBTC, poised to make Thailand’s digital landscape safer through knowledge-sharing and united efforts between public and private sectors.

 

 

 

 

Gogolook Thailand’s chief honcho, Manwoo Joo, sounded the alarm on the escalating scourge of scams that hit hundreds of thousands of Thais every year. From March 2022 to July 2024, these fraudulent activities have racked up a staggering 70 billion baht in damages!

 

According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) Report 2024, confidence is shaky, with just 55% of Thais feeling capable of spotting scams, while a massive 89% frequently encounter them. Tricksters are upping their game with slick schemes involving unsolicited calls, spam messages, and phoney news articles and websites.

 

In the first half of this year alone, Whoscall intercepted nearly 19 million scam calls. Joo unveiled that Scam Alert is crafted to be the ultimate public resource, delivering real-time updates from law enforcers and free educational content from private partners, available in both free and premium app versions, reported Bangkok Post.

 

Whoscall users who enable notifications will get immediate alerts on menacing scam threats like authority impersonation, ransomware, hefty financial cons, phishing attacks, and identity theft. The Scam Education Content feature pools vital info to raise scam awareness and educate on various frauds plaguing different sectors, said Joo.

 

“Scam prevention begins with access to timely information from verified sources. Through the Whoscall app, users can be protected from online threats via Scam Alert and take advantage of available features in both free and premium versions for enhanced protection.”

 

By Bob Scott

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-09-18
 

 

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

According to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) Report 2024, confidence is shaky, with just 55% of Thais feeling capable of spotting scams,

Put it down to education... use you common sense not another App

[thailand49]

problem here is they put out alerts and scammer  take no notice as if they never heard the alert.

Enforcement is what works, example recently they put out an alert on obtaining driver licence yet FB is overrun Ads With these scams.

Alert!  Job done back to sleep!

 

 

[thailand49]

pproblem here is they put out alerts and scammer  take no notice as if they never heard the alert.

Enforcement is what works, example recently they put out an alert on obtaining driver licence yet FB is overrun Ads With these scams.

 

 

[wwest5829]

If we cite a scammer, can they turn around and take us to court for deaf mining their good name? Asking for an imaginary friend.

[richard_smith237]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Put it down to education... use you common sense not another App

 

Its not about just avoiding the scam - its about avoiding the irritant of being called by a scammer in the first place. 

 

Sometimes these scammers call at 8am when I want a lie-in...  or they call at 7pm when I've having dinner etc - they're irritants, so anything to block their call in the first place is a good thing.

 

I tried to block their pre-fix... usually +697 - but that really doesn't work. 

 

The other option is to keep my phone on silent, then I miss the calls I do want to answer. 

Ignore the calls I don't recognise is also not an option, as I get work related calls from unknown numbers. 

 

These scammers are a real pain in the backside - so anything to filter out known or reported scammer numbers is a good thing.

 

-------

 

I've just downloaded the app and see how it works, but note I had already used it in the past (but don't remember) obviously it didn't work very well and recall that it filtered numbers and made the answering process glitchy so I deleted the app.... I see how it works again this time.

[Nickcage49]

What a great idea! If they can pull this off, it could be a real game-changer.

 

I hope this goes well.

 

Thais are particularly susceptible to scams due to the country's ignorance. But it can happen to anyone, even me, and I consider myself pretty aware.

[Nickcage49]

And just remember, if it seems too good to be true then it probably is.

[ChipButty]

Few weeks ago I was getting bombarded with calls, I was answering some to see what they were about, answer it speaking Thai sometimes and the just cut the call, 

I had a look on google to see if any apps, do they work I ask my self, I downloaded one, "Truecaller" so far so good only a couple of calls have got though since, For now Im just using the free version, lets see how it goes,

[john donson]

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