The Royal Thai Police have just established an International Anti-Fraud Command Center (IAC), in coordination with Japan, India and many other countries, to dismantle online fraud rings based in Cambodia. This is an unprecedented campaign, taking place in the context of online fraud spreading globally.
Bangkok Post reported that since the beginning of August, Thailand has launched a 3-month investigation plan, in coordination with 10 countries and international organizations such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as well as Interpol.
Japan and India are the first partners to join the plug-in model - a 24/7 coordination system to share real-time data, freeze accounts and trace phone numbers, e-wallets, and even cryptocurrency wallets used by criminals.
According to Thai Police General Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, in just 1 month after the center was put into operation, the number of arrests of "mule" account holders and financial freezes increased by 40%.
After Japan and India, China and Vietnam are also expected to soon join this campaign. All countries are victims of fraud rings in Cambodia. The earlier we coordinate, the easier it is to hit their black hearts" - Mr. Thatchai emphasized.
In particular, the Poipet area (Cambodia), close to the border with Thailand, is considered the "throne" of many criminal organizations impersonating call centers. When bordercasinoes closed due to the conflict, many workers here switched to working for fraud gangs.
According to the Royal Thai Police, a key factor in blocking illegal transactions is the victim's reporting speed. "The earlier the victim is scammed, the greater the chance of getting a refund" - General Thatchai affirmed.
With an international coordination system, police can quickly collect financial data, track down IP addresses, suspend phone numbers or network signals related to suspects. This helps freeze money in the account before it is scattered.
Although the number of scams targeting Thai victims decreased slightly in August, authorities warned that gangs have begun to operate strongly again. The International Anti-Fraud Command Center will continue to implement strong and drastic measures to create clear results, in order to regain the people's trust.
It is expected that the countries participating in the alliance will have a field trip to Poipet - a hot spot for cross-border fraud - in the coming time.
