14 computer hackers arrested for spamming over 115 govt sites with gambling ads

Fourteen computer crooks were arrested yesterday after hacking into 115 government websites and spamming them with online gambling advertising banners.

The Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD), under the Royal Thai Police, discovered last month that dozens of government websites had been spammed with illegal gambling websites.

More than 50 gambling websites were spotted on 115 official websites. Most of the advertisements invited users to gamble on online slots baccarat, football betting, and illegal lottery.

Police raided the home office of the hackers on the Bang Khun Thian-Chai Thalae Road in the Samae Dam sub-district of Bangkok. The hackers admitted to the police that they illegally accessed the government website to post gambling ads.

Officers seized 12 computers and 10 mobile phones hackers used to create advertising banners and gain unauthorized access to official sites.

The TCSD reported that government websites were the target of gambling advertising because they looked credible to search engines, especially Google. Posting gambling advertisements on government sites can easily reach gambling targets, especially children and teenagers.

The TCSD made known they would investigate the 50 gambling websites and close them down and get rid of gambling in the country.

According to the Gambling Act, promoting gambling services or inviting anyone to join the gambling will result in imprisonment of up to two years, a fine of up to 20,000 baht or both.

Police last week launched a crackdown on football betting houses and gamblers following the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Over 1,000 football betting hosts and gamblers were arrested after a week of the World Cup.