Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Anti-Online Scam Operation Center (AOC) has warned the public to stay alert to online fraud during the Songkran holiday, saying criminals are refining their tactics to make scams harder to detect and hoping to exploit the long break to cause widespread damage.
As reported by the local English-language news site The Nation, the AOC 1441 hotline said Songkran is a high-risk period because people tend to travel more and spend more, making them easier targets for online criminals.
It identified four major scam tactics now spreading widely, which involve fake accommodation and travel ticket bookings, hacked social media accounts being used to ask for money, fake links offering cash giveaways or discounts, and fake pages selling festival-related products.
The AOC advised consumers to buy only from sellers with a clear identity, genuine reviews and safer payment methods such as cash on delivery or channels that offer buyer protection.
Meanwhile, the Thai Ministry of Digital Economy and Society has also urged the public to follow what it calls the “four don’ts”: do not click links from unknown sources, do not believe offers that seem too good to be true, do not rush to transfer money, and do not transfer any money until the other party’s identity has been clearly verified./.
Thai tourism authority prepares 11ᵗʰ water festival to boost Songkran tourism
The festival will take place across the six provinces of Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Phuket, Udon Thani, and Khon Kaen, linking major riverside cultural sites in all regions.
