Scam Calls & SMSes Hit Record High in Thailand

Thailand experienced a sharp rise in scam calls and text messages in 2024, more than doublling to a record 168 million cases from a year prior, according to anti-scam tech firm Whoscall.

Before authorities intensified their crackdown on cyber fraud across Southeast Asia, scammers frequently posed as sellers of fake products, representatives of Thai businesses, loan providers, or debt collectors.

More recently, fraudsters have impersonated delivery services and government agencies, according to Gogolook Thailand, a subsidiary of Taipei-listed Gogolook Co Ltd.

Whoscall detected nearly 130 million fraudulent text messages and 38 million scam calls in 2024—marking a 112% surge from the 79.2 million recorded in 2023.

Manwoo Joo, chief executive officer at Gogolook Thailand, said in a statement on Monday:

"The substantial increase is attributed to the progressively intricate scam ecosystem, fueled by the adoption of advancements in generative AI technology via phone, SMS and malicious links.”

Scam Crime Ups Antics as Government Ramps Up Crackdown

The surge in scam attempts underscores the scale of Southeast Asia’s cyber fraud industry, with operations based in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

These billion-dollar enterprises, largely controlled by Chinese fugitives who fled their home country in 2020 amidst a domestic crackdown, exploit thousands of trafficked workers.

A report from the United Nations Human Rights Office reveals that hundreds of thousands across the region are being forcibly held by criminal syndicates and coerced into illegal activities, including romance-investment scams, crypto fraud, and illicit gambling.

In Thailand alone, authorities estimate that citizens lose between 60 million and 70 million baht (RM7.87 million–RM9.19 million) daily to such schemes, with total losses reaching 42 billion baht (RM5.15 billion) between October 2023 and November 2024.

In response, the Thai government has launched a public awareness campaign, set up a victim hotline, and intensified its crackdown on transnational crime.

To protect its citizens, Thailand has taken aggressive measures against cyber fraud hubs in neighboring countries, holding banks, mobile operators, social media platforms, and online lenders accountable for fraud on their networks.

Authorities have also cut off electricity, internet access, and fuel supplies to areas in Myanmar suspected of housing scam operations.

Last week, Thailand collaborated with China and Myanmar’s junta to repatriate hundreds of Chinese nationals from scam centers in a Myanmar border town.

Talks between the three nations will continue at the ministerial level, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa confirmed on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Thai and Cambodian police raided an online scam center in northwestern Cambodia, rescuing 215 foreign nationals.

China’s foreign ministry stated that Beijing is working closely with Thailand, Myanmar, and other countries to prevent cross-border crime and combat online gambling and telecom fraud.