BANGKOK, Thailand – The Anti-Online Scam Operation Center (AOC), established on November 1st of last year, by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), marked its first year with a reported 44% reduction in online scam cases and damages.
The AOC Hotline 1441 operates as a one-stop service, coordinating with banks to freeze accounts and halt electronic transactions for seven days under the Royal Decree on Cybercrime Prevention and Suppression. Victims are also directed to nearby police stations to file complaints.
The AOC collaborates with the Bank of Thailand and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to combat mule accounts and control excessive SIM card usage. Accounts linked to detected mule activity are frozen, and individuals with more than six SIM cards must justify their usage. These measures aim to significantly limit the spread of online scams, even if complete elimination remains a challenge.
Efforts to return confiscated funds to victims have been strengthened through partnerships with the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), the central bank, commercial banks, and telecom providers. Plans for Phase 2 of the Cybercrime Decree include faster account freezes and more efficient fund return processes to ensure victim support.
The AOC is also enhancing public awareness by sharing scam patterns with provincial economic offices under the MDES. These offices work with provincial governors to educate citizens about local scam threats, further bolstering preventive efforts at the grassroots level.
Looking ahead, the AOC is prioritizing regional and international collaboration, particularly within ASEAN and with developed nations, to advance cybercrime prevention. It remains committed to improving its capabilities and fostering partnerships to safeguard citizens from the growing threat of online scams. (NNT)
