Thai NBTC to investigate 40,000 numbers linked to SMS and phone scams

The Thai National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is poised to probe 40,000 numbers, suspected to be instrumental in SMS and phone scams, to apprehend the main culprits.

A meeting was recently held by an NBTC subcommittee to discuss the data collected on these alleged scam phone numbers. Key representatives from law enforcement agencies, the central bank and mobile phone networks were all in attendance.

The Chairman of the Cyber Crime Legal Integration Subcommittee, Police General Natthorn Prohsuntorn, indicated that the collection of data on this matter began following the enactment of the Royal Decree on Cyber Crime Prevention and Suppression on March 17. This decree empowers potential scam victims or individuals who believe their online security has been compromised, to instruct banks to freeze their accounts without the prerequisite of a police report.

Since the introduction of the decree, the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau has been alerted to 41,398 phone numbers suspected of illicit activities, according to Pol. Gen. Natthorn. A total of 11,219 of these numbers were reported via the thaipoliceonline.com website and the same number again through the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC) 1441 hotline. Furthermore, 30,179 of these numbers were identified as having links to mule bank accounts, reported Bangkok Post.

On September 21, the NBTC approved a draft announcement regarding SIM-holder identity verification. This will necessitate holders who have registered with more than five SIM cards to undergo identity verification. This process is slated to commence in December.

According to the law, those implicated in providing or promoting the sale of SIM cards without adequate owner identification could be subject to a jail term of between two to five years, fines between 200,000 and 500,000 baht, or a combination of both punishments.

In related news, a viral video posted by TikTok user @champ_z9, showing a real-life confrontation between a police officer and a telephone scammer, racked up more than 7.7 million views. The video captures an unusual event where the policeman is contacted by the scammer who pretends to be a fellow officer from Mae Charim Police Station. Read more about this story HERE.