Meta Partners Thai Agencies to Launch Immersive Anti-Scam Event

Pictures courtesy of Daily News

Meta Thailand, in partnership with six Thai state agencies and private-sector organisations, has launched an immersive public awareness event aimed at tackling the growing threat of online scams, as authorities intensify efforts to disrupt digital fraud networks and protect the public.

The interactive exhibition, titled “The Mystery Mansion of Scams: คฤหาสน์หลอน เปิดโปงโลกสแกม”, opened on 23 January at the old Maen Sri Waterworks building in Pom Prap Sattru Phai district, Bangkok, and is free to the public until 25 January. The initiative brings together Meta (Facebook), the Metropolitan Police Bureau, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE), the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and AIS.

The event is designed to raise awareness of common online fraud tactics, including romance scams, fake investment schemes and identity impersonation, through immersive storytelling, interactive investigations and hands-on learning activities. Organisers said the format aims to help users recognise warning signs and reduce their risk of falling victim to increasingly sophisticated cybercrime.

The launch follows an escalation in online fraud cases in Thailand and across the Asia-Pacific region, with scammers exploiting social media platforms, messaging services, dating apps, online games and cryptocurrency platforms. Authorities have warned that losses from digital fraud continue to rise, driven by organised transnational networks and the misuse of mule bank accounts and SIM cards.

Meta said the Bangkok exhibition builds on its regional “Is This Legit?” campaign, which ran across 17 Asia-Pacific countries between July and December 2025. The campaign involved 48 partner organisations, including regulators, law enforcement agencies, digital associations and civil society groups, to promote online safety education at scale.

According to Meta, campaign content reached more than 382 million unique users across its platforms, generated over two billion impressions on Facebook and Instagram, and attracted more than 343,000 participants to interactive online games, accounting for a combined engagement time of 2.74 million minutes. In Thailand, the campaign was supported by six government agencies.

At the opening ceremony, Meta Thailand Head of Public Policy Yingyos Leechainan said online scams are becoming more widespread and complex, affecting a wide range of digital platforms and communication channels. He said Meta applies multiple layers of defence, including automated technical systems, disruption of scammer networks, collaboration with industry partners and law enforcement, and user education to improve digital literacy and awareness.

Meta reported that in 2024 it removed more than 157 million advertisements that violated its fraud and scam policies, with 90% taken down before being reported by users. In the second quarter of 2025, the automatic detection rate of hacked accounts fell by 48% on Facebook and 41% on Instagram.

In Thailand during the first half of 2025, Meta said it removed more than 7.3 million pieces of content on Facebook and over 15,000 on Instagram, suspended more than 66,000 Facebook accounts and 24,000 Instagram accounts, banned over 18,000 Marketplace listings, removed more than 380,000 scam-related advertisements, and disabled more than 3,000 advertising accounts.

Meta has also worked with the Royal Thai Police through the Anti-Online Scam Centre (ACSC) and international partners under an operation known as “Joint Disruption Week”. The operation led to the removal of more than 59,000 fake or high-risk pages, the blocking of more than 4,000 scam advertisements per day, and the identification of six key suspects linked to transnational crime networks.

Senior officials from participating agencies highlighted the importance of coordinated action. Digital Economy and Society Assistant Permanent Secretary Yupaporn said the increasing complexity of online scams makes cross-sector collaboration essential, adding that public awareness is a critical component of long-term digital resilience.

SEC Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Complaint Centre Achinee said the regulator focuses on proactive investor protection, consultation before financial transfers, and awareness-building to prevent fraudulent investment schemes. She said the SEC’s Preventive Anti-Scam for All strategy centres on three principles: consultation, communication and collaboration.

NBTC representatives reiterated that the regulator has introduced 10 measures to combat technology-related crime, including mandatory SIM registration and biometric identity verification to curb the use of mule SIM cards. AIS said its systems can detect suspicious or mule-linked accounts and alert users, while also urging the public to report suspected SIM box installations used by scam call centres.

Police officials warned that opening mule bank accounts, whether intentionally or unknowingly, carries severe criminal penalties under multiple laws. They said mule account holders are often the first individuals targeted by arrest warrants once investigations begin.

Daily News reported the exhibition features simulated scammer tools, educational videos from partner agencies, interactive games from the “Is This Legit?” campaign, and a “Scam Survival Passport” activity that allows visitors to collect stamps and receive souvenirs. Organisers said the format is intended to make complex digital threats easier to understand for the general public.

Key Takeaways

• Meta and six Thai agencies launched a free immersive anti-scam exhibition in Bangkok from 23–25 January.

• The initiative builds on a regional Asia-Pacific campaign that reached hundreds of millions of users and focused on scam awareness.

• Authorities emphasised cooperation, public education and enforcement against mule accounts and SIM misuse.

Adapted by ASEAN Now from Dailynews 2026-01-24