BANGKOK, Thailand – Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra revealed that she was nearly deceived by an advanced call center scam, January 15. The scammers impersonated a foreign national leader, sending a voice clip claiming she had yet to make a donation. The Prime Minister, who has encountered scams multiple times before, even during the era of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, issued a public warning and pledged to address this issue as a top policy priority.
While presiding over the opening of a seminar on the national budget for the fiscal year 2026, Prime Minister Paetongtarn spoke about her government’s social and quality-of-life policies, including combating drug problems and online crimes with swift and effective measures. She shared her recent encounter with an advanced scam, stating, “Even I, as Prime Minister, was targeted by a call center scam. This was not an ordinary scam but an advanced one. They impersonated a foreign leader and claimed I had not donated to a cause. They even sent a voice clip using the actual voice of that leader.”
The Prime Minister described the scam, which began with a voice clip greeting her, “Good Morning, Prime Minister of Thailand,” and engaging her in conversation before claiming she had yet to donate. A link to make a donation was sent, which turned out to be for a foreign account. “I nearly believed them because the voice was very convincing,” she admitted.
In a subsequent interview, the Prime Minister expressed her shock at how sophisticated the scam was. She noted that it used artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic the voice of a well-known foreign leader, making it highly convincing. “Normally, call center scams use strange numbers and are easy to spot. But this time, the AI-generated voice sounded exactly like the foreign leader, someone I’ve heard many times before.”
She also recounted how the scammers first sent a voice clip, followed by a late-night call, and later messaged again in the morning, urging her to donate to a cause. They eventually provided a foreign bank account number, at which point she realized it was a scam.
The Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society with investigating the matter, as the scam involved foreign apps rather than local ones like Line. She also revealed that the scammers likely targeted her after contacting someone connected to her.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered scams. Even during the time of former Prime Minister Thaksin, I faced similar attempts, such as fake claims about him distributing money. I want to reassure everyone that I do not accept donations or financial dealings with anyone. I urge the public to remain vigilant and not fall for such deceptions,” she emphasized.
The Prime Minister concluded by calling for heightened efforts to combat online fraud and protect citizens from increasingly sophisticated scams. (TNA)
