Bangkok (VNA) - Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) has warned the public to prepare for four major scam trends expected to intensify in 2026, urging people to stay alert and avoid falling victim to online fraud.
Suchada Zhang Thaensap, secretary of the minister’s and spokesperson of the ministry, said the warning aligns with the government’s policy to prevent and suppress online crime under Chaichanok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, with an emphasis on raising public awareness and digital literacy to reduce losses from scammers.
The four scam methods most frequently found are fake SMS/LINE messages with links demanding payment; AI-powered deepfake calls and fake videos; bogus crypto or “digital stock” investment schemes; and fake profiles on social apps: romance scams, fake shops and fake hotels.
The ministry said the four most common scam channels were Facebook, call centres, websites, and TikTok.
The ministry urged the public to follow the “4 don’ts”: don’t click links, don’t believe, don’t rush and don’t transfer. Anyone who suspects fraud or has been scammed was advised to contact AOC 1441 or the 1111 hotline at any time, 24 hours a day, to help stop transactions and freeze accounts immediately.
Citing data from the AOC 1441 Technology Crime Prevention and Suppression Operations Centre, Suchada said most victims are working-age adults. The 20–49 age group accounted for 223,300 cases, followed by the 50–64 age group with 53,265 cases./.
