Online fraud declines as Thais embraces digital safety measures
Chaiwuti Thanakamanusorn is confident that online crime measures are effective, as statistics of online scams show a decline. The public is also increasingly aware and cautious, preventing themselves from becoming victims of online fraud.
Chaiwuti, the Thai Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), is urging the public to adopt measures to protect themselves from becoming victims of organized cybercriminal gangs.
These offenders, who persistently resort to various deceptive methods to trick people into transferring funds out of their accounts, constantly devise new and more effective ploys to pull off their online fraud. A prime example of this involves sending potential victims a link which, when clicked on, enables the fraudsters to gain access to and withdraw funds from their accounts.
These deceptive practices pose a significant fraud risk to the general public who might inadvertently click on a harmful link online, unaware that it is not a legitimate site.
Chaiwuti also stated that despite the fact the Royal Decree on the Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Technological Crime is now in force, cybercrime cases persist. Fortunately, these measures not only help protect the victims of online fraud but also facilitate stopping money transfers and tracking down the proceeds of these crimes much more efficiently.
Even though online crime continues to be prevalent, other related agencies such as the National Police Office and the banks have tightened up and intensified their management systems in a bid to suppress and eradicate these fraudulent activities more effectively.
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society is also working in collaboration with society’s network volunteers, civilian sectors, and people’s organisation councils. Collectively, they are enhancing public awareness and emphasizing the need for people to stay vigilant, enabling them to prevent themselves from falling victim to these crimes, much like adopting preventive measures against Covid-19 by wearing masks. Both this collaboration and self-protection should gradually reduce the incidence of such crimes, reports Sanook.
