Crime Scam Complaints Surge Again as Call Centres Change Tactics

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Picture courtesy of Thai Rath

 

Complaints about call centre and online scams in Thailand are on the rise once more, nearly reaching the levels seen in December 2024. This uptick follows a dip to the lowest recorded level in February 2025, says the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

 

The resurgence is linked to poor coordination in apprehending fraudsters, according to NBTC commissioner Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn.

 

Pol Gen Nathathorn highlighted the constant evolution of scams, with call centre gangs adapting strategies and exploiting tools like low-Earth-orbit satellites. In response, the NBTC is urging telecom operators to follow additional measures complementing the cybercrime emergency decree effective April 13.

 

The decree is designed to curb the surge witnessed between 2023 and 2024 before a mid-2024 decline due to stringent state agency efforts.

 

Despite arrests mostly targeting those involved with mule accounts, the masterminds remain elusive. As these offenders thrive on borderless networks, Thailand's appeal as a lucrative market persists.

 

The NBTC stresses the importance of persistent prevention strategies in collaboration with various agencies to combat these scams.

 

New drafted regulations from the NBTC mandate telecoms to flag and suspend services to suspicious numbers promptly upon notification. Operators must verify new registrations within the first week to ensure accuracy.

 

Measures also prohibit unauthorised SIM boxes from the telecom network, restricting foreigners to three SIM card registrations per provider and requiring passport verification.

 

Moreover, tourist SIM cards are capped at 60 days unless users re-register to extend. These future regulations await board approval, aiming to bolster cybercrime prevention amid this unsettling scam resurgence.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Bangkok Post 2025-06-17

 

 

[Gottfrid]

No, they were allowed to change tactics as the holes in the law gave them such permission.