MP urges central bank governor to resign over call centre scams

[webfact]

People’s Party list MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn launched a blistering attack on the governor of the Bank of Thailand, urging him to resign if he can’t protect the public from the alarming rise in call centre scams.

 

He slammed the central bank for reaching a “lowest point,” with scammers boldly impersonating officials to trick unsuspecting Thais into transferring their cash.

 

Wiroj accused Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput of doing little more than posting warnings on Facebook, as countless victims fall prey to these scams. He called for urgent measures to delay money transfers, highlighting that many victims realise they’ve been conned almost immediately but are powerless to reverse real-time transactions.

 

“A simple delay in transfers based on the amount sent could save many from financial ruin.”

Wiroj insisted that this wouldn’t interfere with regular banking. He also demanded that commercial banks be held accountable for protecting their customers’ accounts, pointing out that in countries plagued by such scams, banks often evade responsibility, leaving victims without compensation.

 

Kitti Kosavisutte, head of the Thailand Banking Sector Computer Emergency Response Team, admitted that while delaying money transfers is technically possible, it might only scratch the surface of the issue and could frustrate honest customers.

Cyber Crime Prevention

 

Police are working on amending the Royal Decree on Cyber Crime Prevention to bolster protections against cyber fraud, particularly focusing on mule accounts and data leaks. Public and private sectors are considering a 12-hour delay on suspicious transactions, aiming to catch fraudsters while their victims are asleep, said Kitti.

 

“This delay could help flag suspicious accounts and thwart fraudulent activities.”

 

However, it would target only accounts flagged for fraud rather than impacting all transactions.

 

In a bid to ensure full accountability, discussions are underway to involve banks, telecom operators, and consumers in compensating scam victims. The Bank of Thailand is collaborating with various regulatory agencies to guarantee that victims receive 100% compensation, while carefully assessing banks’ responsibilities in these situations.

 

Daranee Saeju, the central bank’s assistant governor for payment systems policy, warned that banks must tighten their security against data theft and fraud.

 

“If they fail to protect their systems, they might be forced to fully compensate victims.”

 

Mule accounts

 

While the central bank has not commented on Wiroj’s suggestions, it is working with various sectors to tackle cybercrime, especially concerning mule accounts, through a robust data-sharing framework.

 

Since last year’s implementation of the Royal Decree, efforts to verify deposit accounts have intensified, categorising accounts based on risk: black, grey, and brown. Black accounts are closely monitored and swiftly shut down, while grey accounts are managed through a new Central Fraud Register system. Brown accounts are verified internally by individual banks.

 

To further safeguard consumers, the central bank is pushing for a money-lock system and enhanced security features, including facial recognition for high-value transactions, expected to roll out by the fourth quarter of this year. So far, 15,000 depositors linked to mule accounts have been identified.

 

Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Jantararuangthong has vowed to maintain a strong focus on online fraud prevention and a sustainable digital economy. The Anti Online Scam Operation Center reported a sharp decline in daily financial losses due to online crime, having suspended over a million mule accounts and shut down 138,660 illegal URLs since October 2023—a staggering eleven-fold increase from the previous year.

 

With scams rampant in Thailand, affecting hundreds of thousands annually and causing financial damage of around 70 billion baht from March 2022 to July 2024, it’s clear that urgent action is needed. The Global Anti-Scam Alliance Report 2024 revealed that only 55% of Thais feel confident in identifying scams, while a staggering 89% encounter them at least once a month.

 

by Bob Scott
Picture courtesy of Pindrop

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2024-09-19
 

 

[Will B Good]

 

 

Is this the the governor who has consistently resisted demands from politicians for the bank rate to be cut ????

 

CyberCRIME.....the clue is in the word.....crime and criminality are the domain of the law makers and RTP.......not the banks.

 

 

 

 

Edited 16 hours ago by Will B Good

[Gottfrid]

Mr. Wiroj has lost it.

[Tropicalevo]

And the strings are being pulled by the government to get rid of the BOT governor as he will not bow to the government's demands for lower interest rates.

The government needs lower rates because it keeps on borrowing money.

Stay strong Governor Sethaput.

As WBG says, it is the job of the police to stop crime.

 

What's next - sue the car manufacturers for making cars easy to steal?

[Will B Good]

Just now, Gottfrid said:

Mr. Wiroj has lost it.

 

 

I wonder if one of his backhanders got delayed during a transfer and this has upset him?

[Gottfrid]

9 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

 

 

I wonder if one of his backhanders got delayed during a transfer and this has upset him?

Yeah, who the heck knows. Today anybody can be an MP.

Edited 15 hours ago by Gottfrid

[ikke1959]

The Government is responsible for it they have the Computer Crime division and they are unable to make it safe for the people of Thaiiland....

[hotchilli]

The banks make transactions on what appears to be legit requests from customers.

If gullible people request to transfer funds then that's what happens.

It's not the banks fault if later those gullible people find out they were scammed.

Before you hit send makes sure what you're doing.

[digger70]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

He slammed the central bank for reaching a “lowest point,” with scammers boldly impersonating officials to trick unsuspecting Thais into transferring their cash.

The Banks are responsible to keep their costumers account Safe from Hackers.

The Banks should Not be Responsible for people who are scammed into  transferring their cash.

If the gullible  people get Scammed to transfer their money that is Not the banks fault.

[John Drake]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

Wiroj accused Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput of doing little more than posting warnings on Facebook, as countless victims fall prey to these scams. He called for urgent measures to delay money transfers, highlighting that many victims realise they’ve been conned almost immediately but are powerless to reverse real-time transactions.

 

Good and precise criticism. The Thai bank governor doesn't want to do anything. His policy is sit, wait, and watch the house burn down.

[tomacht8]

25 minutes ago, digger70 said:

The Banks are responsible to keep their costumers account Safe from Hackers.

The Banks should Not be Responsible for people who are scammed into  transferring their cash.

If the gullible  people get Scammed to transfer their money that is Not the banks fault.

I don't see it that way. Example: Someone buys a watch on a Facebook page. The buyer verifies the seller's identity and receives a photo of the buyer's ID. The name on the ID corresponds to the name of the account holder. The buyer transfers his money. After a while the buyer realizes that he has been cheated. He files a police report about fraud. The buyer informs the sellers bank about the fraud and also sends the police report requesting that the transfer be reversed. And what does the bank do then? Nothing. Because the banks are simply not obliged to take action in such cases. And the seller continues his scams using the same account.

Banks in particular have the opportunity to check accounts for scam activity. Especially if there are multiple reports against a scammer account.

Edited 11 hours ago by tomacht8

[jippytum]

The MP should look closer to home  when seeking someone to blame for their lack of diligence in preventing corruption. 

[AlwaysThere]

8 minutes ago, jippytum said:

The MP should look closer to home  when seeking someone to blame for their lack of diligence in preventing corruption. 

 

What you write does not make any sense to me. Can you elaborate?

[jippytum]

21 minutes ago, AlwaysThere said:

 

What you write does not make any sense to me. Can you elaborate?

 

[jippytum]

21 minutes ago, AlwaysThere said:

 

What you write does not make any sense to me. Can you elaborate?

 

21 minutes ago, AlwaysThere said:

 

What you write does not make any sense to me. Can you elaborate?

Major goverment officials and high ranking members of the Royal Thai police have been implicated in call centre scams and illegal phone centre gambling operations.

Why single out the govern. or of the bank of Thailand who has resisted  pressure from Thaksin and his daughter to alter the bank rate

The governor  retires next September and will  be replaced by one of Thaksin's cronies

[digger70]

34 minutes ago, tomacht8 said:

I don't see it that way. Example: Someone buys a watch on a Facebook page. The buyer verifies the seller's identity and receives a photo of the buyer's ID. The name on the ID corresponds to the name of the account holder. The buyer transfers his money. After a while the buyer realizes that he has been cheated. He files a police report about fraud. The buyer informs the sellers bank about the fraud and also sends the police report requesting that the transfer be reversed. And what does the bank do then? Nothing. Because the banks are simply not obliged to take action in such cases. And the seller continues his scams using the same account.

Banks in particular have the opportunity to check accounts for scam activity. Especially if there are multiple reports against a scammer account.

First of all one never should buy from FB , Tik tok  , It's still the peoples fault they are Gullible, Same as with Loan Sharks, that's a Giant Scam and that cost people Everything that they have and more.

Not much get done about the Thousands of Small Sharks.

the Buyers  Bank doesn't know if  they  pay a scammer or a Legit Person  they only can know if the Buyer or the police informs the buyers Bank but saying that the Banks could help if they wanted but that's too much trouble for most of them.

[AlwaysThere]

4 minutes ago, jippytum said:

 

Major goverment officials and high ranking members of the Royal Thai police have been implicated in call centre scams and illegal phone centre gambling operations.

Why single out the govern. or of the bank of Thailand who has resisted  pressure from Thaksin and his daughter to alter the bank rate

The governor  retires next September and will  be replaced by one of Thaksin's cronies

 

Single out? Are you suggesting that the MP is one of Thaksin's cronies? Does not look that way to me.

Could it be that he is working on another solution to the problem? Do you think he will be more successful tackling the "call centre scams and illegal phone centre gambling operations"?

[Purdey]

The BOT Governor has nothing to do with catching criminals. The commercial banks and credit card companies must work with the police. They also need to improve their security but their job is not to run in the streets catching criminals.

Scams work by tricking people, so education might help.

[tomacht8]

9 minutes ago, digger70 said:

First of all one never should buy from FB , Tik tok  , It's still the peoples fault they are Gullible, Same as with Loan Sharks, that's a Giant Scam and that cost people Everything that they have and more.

Not much get done about the Thousands of Small Sharks.

the Buyers  Bank doesn't know if  they  pay a scammer or a Legit Person  they only can know if the Buyer or the police informs the buyers Bank but saying that the Banks could help if they wanted but that's too much trouble for most of them.

Exactly. That is more work for them.

Thailand needs a central police data center where all reported scam activities are recorded nationwide. If a lot of reports are received for a specific scam account, the bank should at least freeze the account and the information about the account holder should be released so that at least civil lawsuits can be brought.

[john donson]

educate your people... make some tear jearking ads for public tv

[BangkokReady]

1 minute ago, john donson said:

educate your people... make some tear jearking ads for public tv

 

But that means publicly admitting that Thai people are capable of being dishonest and bad to other Thais.