FB, TikTok asked to see online scams
PUBLISHED: 21 Feb 2025 at 04: 00
To explain how to combat online frauds, the government has invited reps from Facebook and TikTok.
The chairman of the House Committee on Communications, Telecommunications, Digital Economy and Society, Siam Hathasongkorh, said yesterday the meeting was convened as the number of persons falling prey to online scams on Facebook and TikTok continues to rise.
The discussion, which included representatives from the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB ) and the Anti-Online Crime Centre ( AOC), touched on the possibility of imposing additional restrictions on internet access along the Thai-Myanmar border, where numerous scam syndicates are known to operate.
Mr. Siam noted that the meeting also discussed ways to assist patients in recovering their income from the scammers.
But, he said, the relevant legislation has yet to be amended to help property recovery. The government recently approved the second document of a new security act, but it has not yet received parliament’s approval.
Before noting that online assets, unlike physical products, can’t be easily auctioned off, he added, the fact that con syndicates frequently convert their riches into bitcoin may further complicate efforts to restore the victims ‘ assets.
When asked about the government’s plans to stop more people from getting into online scams, Mr. Siam claimed that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission ( NBTC ) and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society are working together to raise public awareness of fraud.
He urged the general public to ignore cautious calls coming from unexplained numbers, citing a recent scam in which a college student was forced to pay over 500 000 baht to scammers. The target, he said, answered a call from an unnamed amount and spent over 17 days on the phone with the scammers.
When questioned about the committee’s plan to end world entry along the Thai-Myanmar border by the end of the month, he said he would check with Mae Sot following week to see if the change will affect Thais who live along the border.
Mr. Siam stated that the council will examine the area by bringing in representatives from the NBTC, network providers, and the National Telecom.