Restaurants are cautioned by the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) about scammers who pose as customers and want refunds through meal delivery apps.
Scammers are taking advantage of Thailand’s widespread use of food delivery apps, according to CCIB spokesman Pol. Col. Krishna Pattanacharoen.
These con artists pose as customers and trick unwary restaurants into giving them refunds by stating they didn’t get the appropriate order.
Pol. Col. Krishna claimed that the quantity of internet complaints the CCIB gets indicates that this particular fraud is becoming increasingly common. Statistics show that between March 1st, 2022, and June 5th, 2023, 9,768 instances of these fraudulent operations were reported, making up 3.58% of all reported cases of online crime and resulting in losses of 351 million baht.
Pol. Col. Krishna claims that anyone responsible for this kind of scam might face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both. They also break the Computer Crimes Act, which carries a maximum punishment of 100,000 Baht and a maximum sentence of five years in prison, or both. Police Colonel Krishna advises restaurant owners to exercise vigilance whenever a suspicious person requests a refund, especially online and for small sums.
