Thai Business Department warns against online scammers
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.
According to Oramon, the DBD has been inundated with complaints from businesses targeted by fraudulent phone calls or bogus letters purporting to be from DBD officials. These scammers, she explained, are duping businesses into updating their information via a fictitious entity named the Online Business Registration Division, concocted solely to deceive potential victims.
“The scammers weave a tale of updating business details for security reasons, allegedly to thwart foreigners from exploiting Thai nationals as business fronts.”
Shockingly, numerous businesses have already fallen victim to this ruse, succumbing to the scammers’ bait and inadvertently draining their bank accounts.
Dismissing the claims outright, Oramon affirmed that the DBD has no protocol for contacting businesses through online platforms, reported Thai PBS World.
Furthermore, she asserted that the supposed Online Business Registration Division touted by the scammers simply does not exist.
In related news, Thai authorities swooped on a sophisticated online scam that left victims reeling with losses exceeding 800 million baht. The online scam was orchestrated by a criminal syndicate, reportedly handling funds upwards of 5 billion baht, and targeted unsuspecting individuals through the guise of lucrative investments in Thai and foreign stocks, drawing them into financial ruin.
Following complaints from over 50 victims, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) orchestrated a special operation that culminated in dramatic raids at opulent condominiums nestled in the heart of Bangkok.
In other news, since its establishment on November 1 last year, the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC 1441) has waged a battle against cyber fraud, culminating in the freezing of 39,918 bank accounts, revealed Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong. Prasert disclosed that this drastic action was prompted by a deluge of 307,515 complaints received by AOC as of January’s conclusion.
