Police have cautioned online game players to become wary of fraudulent strategies that aim to rob them of their cash and online identification.
The warning was released by Pol Style Suwat Jongyodsuk, the national police key, said Royal Thailänder Police (RTP) mouthpiece spokesman Pol Col Siriwat Deepor.
Pol Col Siriwat said the RTP has embarked on a strategy to alert the general public of new forms of technological crimes targeting video game players.
Police have nabbed many fraudsters but many others continue to prey on unsuspecting players.
Online game scammers have caused harm to victims and even harmed them physically or reputationally, Pol Col Siriwat said.
In many cases, scammers would contact fellow game players — who are mostly young — and offer to top up money to extend their online playing time, or send them items in the game in exchange for their nude pictures.
Some victims complained of wiring money to scammers to buy items but never receiving anything.
The scammers claimed they could top up money for players at a discount but players must disclose their gaming account identity and passwords. The practice has led to identity theft.
Some also approached online players pretending to represent a major gaming company offering rewards. They would then phish personal information from their victims.
Pol Col Siriwat said some victims were lured to meet other gamers for sex or gambling.
Parents should keep a close eye on their children’s online activities, he said.