BANGKOK, Thailand – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society Prasert Chandraruangthong has intensified the government’s crackdown on online crime, focusing on financial fraud and mule accounts. During a recent meeting of the National Committee for the Prevention and Suppression of Technology-Related Crimes, officials reviewed enforcement measures under the Emergency Decree on Measures for the Prevention and Suppression of Technology-Related Crimes B.E. 2566 (2023). Under the law, individuals who allow their bank accounts to be used for fraudulent activities face legal prosecution, including up to three years in prison and fines of up to 300,000 baht.
The Bank of Thailand (BoT) has introduced stricter banking regulations to prevent fraud, shifting from an account-based monitoring system to a person-based approach. This means individuals found to be involved in mule account activities may have all electronic banking services suspended across multiple financial institutions. Additional security measures will also apply to new and existing bank accounts to detect and prevent suspicious transactions.
Authorities have frozen over 1.66 million mule accounts, with enforcement actions led by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), commercial banks, and the Anti-Online Scam Operation Center (AOC). Law enforcement operations throughout 2024 resulted in the arrest of 2,495 individuals linked to mule accounts, including 328 arrests in December 2024 alone.
The crackdown extends beyond banking, with authorities also targeting fraudulently registered SIM cards used in scam operations. Prasert stated that the government will continue coordinating efforts between law enforcement, financial regulators, and the telecommunications sector to combat online fraud and protect the public from cybercriminal networks. (NNT)
