Royal Thai Police issue warning on scams and online threats

The Royal Thai Police issued a warning on various scams and online threats to raise public awareness, adding that people should be cautious about what is posted online as cyber bullying and spreading fake news can result in criminal charges.

People are asked to cooperate and report any illegal acts to the Thai Royal Police Hotline by calling 1599, according to the National Police Office.

1. Cyber Bullying – Sending, uploading, or spreading unpleasant, harmful, misleading, or nasty content about someone else is considered cyberbullying. Sharing intimate or private information about another individual can cause embarrassment or humiliation, but some forms of cyberbullying are illegal. Police advise caution before publishing since violating the Criminal Code, Section 328, can result in a fine of 200,000 baht or a two-year prison sentence.

2. Unlawful access to computer data (Hacking) – Hacking is a form of fraudulent activity where people are tricked into clicking links that guarantees them rewards or gift vouchers, lottery links, asking for bank information and other personal information. Hackers can acquire credit card details or passwords. Some can claim to be your friend or a call agent center asking for you to provide them with OTP code or Authentication code. Police warn people to not give these codes to anyone or press on links from unreliable sources to avoid the consequences from being hacked. They also stresses on the importance of setting strong passwords.

3. Online shopping scam: A common scam that targets internet shoppers is not receiving what you paid for. When a fraudster sells a goods, he or she will either provide a damaged or low-quality item, or nothing at all. They may also pose as a salesperson in order to obtain your credit card or bank account information. Scams like this can be found on legitimate internet classified pages as well. Checking the merchant’s history on Google before making a purchase can help you avoid being a victim of online fraud. You can find out if they have ever committed fraud by searching their name, bank account number, or store name on Google.

4. Dating and romance scams : Scammers create fake profiles on legitimate dating websites. They create these profiles in order to form a relationship with you in order to obtain your money and personal information. The scammer will build a strong rapport with you before asking for money to help with the costs of a sickness, injury, travel, or a family emergency. They seek to exploit your emotions by making you feel sympathy for them. The scammers may spend months and months to establish a rapport. People should avoid transferring money or investing in programs to which scammers send links, according to the police.

5. Loan scam: When a victim is persuaded to pay an advance charge for a loan, it is referred to as a loan scam. In most cases, a person will respond to an advertisement for a quick loan and have their application approved regardless of their credit history. They are informed that they must pay an upfront fee to cover loan insurance prior to receiving the loan. Once this fee is paid, the victim does not hear from the company again and the loan is never received.

6. Fake News: People can spread fake news to social media on bad intentions to create controversies, hatred or panic among people. Its therefore crucial to verify that the information is from a reliable source before passing it on. You can also check information from Thailand Anti-Fake News Center.

SOURCE: PoliceTV