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Thai PM Almost Duped by Scam Caller Impersonating World Leader

Thai PM Almost Duped by Scam Caller Impersonating World Leader

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra disclosed this week that she was nearly tricked by a scam caller posing as another world leader, although she did not reveal the identity of the impersonated leader.

“I could hear clearly from the voice that it was the voice of the country leader,” she stated on Wednesday, suggesting that the caller might have used AI technology to mimic the other leader’s voice.

The interaction began with a voice message inquiring about her well-being and expressing eagerness to collaborate. After responding that she was fine, Paetongtarn saw another missed call later that night. She explained, “Fortunately, it was 11 p.m., and I fell asleep and did not pick up.”

The caller later left another voice message requesting a donation, stating that Thailand was the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that had not contributed. When she received a subsequent text instructing her to transfer money to a foreign bank account, she realized it was a scam. “I knew this was not real,” she confirmed.

Southeast Asia has become a hotspot for telecom and online fraud, particularly in border towns that connect Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, which is currently facing civil unrest. The United Nations has reported that hundreds of thousands have been trafficked into illicit online criminal operations across the region.

These victims often come from Southeast Asia, South Asia, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and even as far away as Africa and Latin America. They are coerced into participating in “pig-butchering scams,” which manipulate individuals through psychological tactics and false promises of investment or romantic relationships, ultimately defrauding them of substantial sums, including life savings.

The Southeast Asian scamming industry is estimated to have cost Americans about $3.5 billion in 2023, according to the United States Institute of Peace, a nonprofit organization.

In a related case, a Chinese actor named Wang Xing, who had gone missing near the Thai-Myanmar border, was recently found and returned to Thailand. Authorities believe Wang, 22, was lured under the pretense of attending a casting call, only to be trained to scam other Chinese nationals.

Wang’s case garnered significant attention on Chinese social media, prompting calls for stronger action against such fraud operations.

During the ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting in Bangkok, Paetongtarn highlighted the serious threat posed by online scams and emphasized the need for regional cooperation to combat them. She underscored the importance of addressing these issues to protect Thailand’s vital tourism industry, which relies heavily on visitors from China.

Chinese authorities announced on Friday that they, alongside Thai police, had arrested 12 domestic and foreign suspects linked to scams that led to the disappearance of Chinese nationals.

Credit: NBC

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