Fraudulent calls and messages surge by 18% in Thailand in 2023

Whoscall, the caller identification application, reported that fraudulent calls and messages plagued Thailand’s communication channels in 2023, with Thai citizens receiving an alarming 79 million dishonest messages and calls. This figure presents a notable 18% rise from the 66.7 million deceptive calls and messages recorded in 2022.

The 2023 statistics were broken down into 20.8 million dubious calls and 58.3 million untrustworthy messages, which respectively marked a 22% and 17% increase from the previous year. The latter figure, 58.3 million messages, placed Thailand at the top of the list of Asian countries most affected by fraudulent SMSs.

The report detailed that these high-risk messages often contained malicious links and malware. Interestingly, while Thailand experienced a rise in these deceptive communications, Asia as a whole saw a reduction. The continent recorded 347.3 million fraudulent calls and messages in 2023, showing a 14% decrease from 2022’s 405.3 million.

This decrease marks the second consecutive year that the overall figure has fallen. However, Thailand bucked the trend, registering the highest average number of fraudulent SMSs received per individual in Asia, with each Thai citizen receiving approximately 20.3 deceitful messages.

Thitinan Suttinarapun, Gogolook’s marketing director for Southeast Asia, the company that operates Whoscall, noted that the data demonstrates that Thai people are more susceptible to the risks associated with these deceptive calls and messages than other Asians, reported Bangkok Post.

Thitinan reported that fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, often pretending to represent reputable shipping companies or government agencies. She urged Thai citizens to exercise caution and only trust information from reliable sources. To assist in avoiding these scams, Thitinan recommended the use of applications like Whoscall, which are equipped with features designed to identify and prevent fraudulent calls and messages.

In related news, the Department of Business Development (DBD) in Thailand issued a warning to businesses, uncovering a new ploy by online scammers that could leave unsuspecting victims in legal jeopardy.

DBD Director-General Oramon Sapthaveetham sounded the alarm today, urging businesses to stay vigilant or face the consequences.