The Central Investigation Bureau ( CIB ) is placing a high priority on the study of online scammers ‘ tricks and behaviors in order to prepare for the constantly evolving nature of tricks, given that the crime trend for 2025 focuses heavily on cybercrime and call center scams.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej, the CIB Commissioner, just spoke with the Bangkok Post to discuss the state of crime in the last year.
He claimed that between Jan 1 and Sept 30 there were 279, 861 cybercrimes petitions submitted to the Thai Police Online ( TPO ) platform, which resulted in damages totaling at least 28.01 billion baht.
Most of the petitions– 123, 865 in overall– involved company scams, while purchase scams caused the highest economic losses of 10.229 billion baht.
The CIB also found that the majority of victims were working-age individuals ( 25–45 years old ) due to their higher purchasing power, followed by elderly people ( 55 years and older ) due to their limited digital knowledge.
Threats will continue to be the main legal craze next year, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.
Swindlers are shifting their focus from call center schemes to those that cause even more extensive harm, such as purchase schemes, as the government becomes more aware of how to prevent particular scams.
Scammers employ mental tricks to trick victims into unintentionally engaging in their schemes. According to the CIB’s research, their main goals are to make promises that will bring in astronomical gains and to establish a trustworthy brand.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop emphasized that establishing a reputable image can be achieved in a variety of ways, including by promoting luxurious lifestyles online, holding seminars, or displaying honours. Additionally, it might require fake identities and celebrity endorsements.
According to him, “CIB studies show that con gangs promise unattainable profits while presenting strong credentials to increase their reliability.”
The CIB director noted that patients ‘ emotional states, especially greed and fear, play significant roles in schemes. Scammers exploit these elements by using emotional ploys, such as putting stress on victims to make quick decisions.
” These parts are deeply concerning, as they contribute to the potential changes in cybercrime”, he said.
Public recognition is essential.
The CIB has long worked with related businesses to advance its public relations efforts to prevent violence, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.
The CIB is working on raising awareness of frauds through online channels, such as Facebook, Line, and TikTok, using genuine cases and patients as recommendations for easier explanations.
He claimed that the project expanded to seminars held in schools and communities, with topics addressing issues like setting up protection features in mobile bank applications and checking for the legitimacy of each call or website, as well as security concerns.
Additionally, the CIB has collaborated with Taiwanese authorities on searches and the evacuation of victims of call center scams.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ), whose joint operation targeting the “911 S5” malware network in May, is a highlight of the year, is also a beneficiary of this cooperation.
” We have also worked with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB ) to establish cyber patrol task forces and partnered with AIS to offer a scam-call alert service via *1185#. Also, we launched a area system called Cyber Police Volunteers to help report attacks”, he said.
Despite these attempts, Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop acknowledged the difficulties of battling foreign-based fraud sites.
” We are aware that virtual scams are a major societal problem, with offenders possessing the resources and expertise to carry out their acts,” said the organization. Many of these systems operate worldwide, making it difficult for the CIB to take immediate action”, he said.
The CIB has used four tactics to “amputate” the scam sites in order to fight crime and properly “amputate” them, according to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.
One is digital forensics application, such as data research from the TPO for offense trends. It also included the scammers ‘ website analysis, to which authorities are required to pursue financial transactions, such as bank accounts and bitcoin, using empirical technology as a key tool, such as IP addresses and the scammers ‘ communication system.
CIB officers are tasked with honing their technical abilities, from learning how to use artificial intelligence ( AI ) and machine learning to study scammer behavior to developing and analysing program.
The CIB actively collaborates with mobile providers to search SIM cards and search SIM boxes. According to Pol Lt. Gen. Jirabhop, it also collaborates with social media platforms to help block inappropriate content before enforcing appropriate laws and procedures for each situation.
” We prioritised blocking suspects ‘ access to tools and equipment]to prevent the crime], such as sim cards, internet systems, and even mule bank accounts”, the chief added.
Despite the police’s best efforts, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said that the public is still encouraged to stay away from scams despite their best efforts.
The public should not be fooled by any offers that appear to be too good to be true, he said, and they should check the information themselves if any investments have unfavorable results and offers.
They should always steer clear of sending money to strangers and refrain from visiting unfamiliar URLs on mobile messages. Additionally, police suggested switching between passwords across platforms and choosing two-factor authentication for greater online safety.
If you suspect fraudulent activity, contact the police and your bank immediately to suspend the affected accounts, “he said”. We advise people to be cautious and seek out expert advice whenever in doubt because scammers rely on psychological strategies to elicit immediate responses, “he said.