Scammers in 2024 have predominantly used romance scams, friend impostor schemes, fraudulent links sent via short messages, and false accusation calls to exploit victims, a deputy spokesman for the Royal Thai Police Office revealed on Sunday.
Between March 1 and November 30 this year, victims filed 739,000 cybercrime complaints through www.thaipoliceonline.go.th, reporting losses totaling 77 billion baht—an average of 77 million baht daily, according to Pol Maj Gen Siriwat Deepor.
The four most common scams include:
- Romance Scams: Fraudsters create fake social media accounts to develop online relationships with victims, claiming to have sent valuable parcels held at customs due to unpaid taxes. Victims are persuaded to pay the duties with promises of reimbursement. Scammers may also convince victims to invest in fraudulent schemes.
- Friend Impostor Scams: Scammers pose as friends or relatives, calling victims and asking them to guess who is speaking. Once the victim is deceived, the fraudster requests money under the pretense of needing urgent help.
- Fraudulent Links in Text Messages: Victims receive messages containing links promoting fake lucky-draw prizes, discounts, or parcel retrievals. Clicking these links often leads to personal data theft or unauthorized access to bank accounts.
- Government Official Impersonation: Fraudsters call victims claiming to be officials and accuse them of involvement in illegal activities. They then demand a money transfer for verification or persuade victims to install malicious applications.
Pol Maj Gen Siriwat urged the public to stay vigilant and monitor loved ones for signs of falling victim to such scams. Anyone suspecting they’ve been targeted should file complaints through www.thaipoliceonline.go.th or contact the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB) hotline at 1441, available 24/7.
