Scam Smart: Your guide to staying safe

“Nowadays, the only calls I get are from scammers.” So reads a common joke circulating on social media. Unfortunately, though, this quip is no longer far-fetched.

Scammers have become so pervasive that it's likely you or someone you know has fallen victim to their tactics. With the constant evolution of deceptive methods, including the terrifying use of AI to mimic voices and appearances, staying ahead of these criminals is a growing challenge.

One friend of mine narrowly escaped a scammer's trap when she received a call from someone claiming to be her best friend. Unbelievably, the voice was an exact replica.

The imposter claimed to have lost her phone and needed money urgently for an unexpected purchase.

My friend was on the verge of transferring funds when doubt crept in, giving her enough time to verify the story with her actual friend.

This close call highlights the importance of staying vigilant and knowing how to handle these increasingly sophisticated scams.

Another friend of mine, Prodparn, came up against another kind of a scam. This one knew she had a teenage son.

She received a call at around midnight. “Mom, I’ve been arrested and I’m in a police van,” the voice at the end said.

Then a scammer, purporting to be a policeman, said her son had been arrested for possession of drugs.

“If you want him freed without charges, transfer 50,000 baht to this account,” the fake officer said, giving her the bank account details.

Prodpard had only just woken up but stayed calm. Her son was sleeping in the room so she played along with the scammer.

She said she’d transfer the money. A few minutes later, the “police” called back and she told him that her husband wouldn’t allow her to make a transfer and wanted to go see her son where he was arrested. The scammer then hung up.

Stay Calm and Collected

Scammers, also known as Call Center Gangs, operate around the clock, making them a constant threat.

You might receive the first and last scam call of your day from them.

The common type of scammers introduce themselves as officials: policemen, tax collectors, bank officials, Revenue Department officials, credit card executives, marketing executives from Tik Tok and many others.

The scammers come with different scripts and tactics that eventually lead to a common goal - getting a victim to transfer money or important information.

It could be a scam in one call, or a call to obtain personal information to steal your money from bank accounts in the next. This type is similar to phishing email frauds.

To prevent becoming prey to the scammers, always bear in mind that there is no transaction so urgent that you can’t spare a few minutes checking it out. The golden rule - for all scam types - is to remind yourself not to panic.

If the person at the other end says he or she is calling from a police station, a bank, a telecom provider or even the tax office, just remind yourself how hard it is to talk to a real human when you call any of them.

In short, no organization has the number of staff to bombard you with phone calls.

AI-assisted scammers

The same rule applies when you receive a phone call from a close friend or a family member: there’s no need to rush into action.

More importantly, it is very easy to verify whether the caller is genuine or someone using AI to imitate the voice.

Ask a private question.

This writer’s close friend says the question should be simple like “how’s your son doing?” because I don’t have a son.

Another idea from my friend is that she would ask her son/daughter about a pickup point when they were little.

How do the scammers “steal” your voice? You may not be aware that your voice may be present on social media, on short video clips or a work video or even karaoke applications.

Nonsense scam calls are sometimes aimed at collecting your voice too.

Whichever, you have to be aware that AI-impersonating voices are here, as are AI-generated images - similar to deep fakes.

So be prepared to handle the situation well. Some common secrets between you and friends or family are something you would find handy when being attacked by a scammer.

Implementing two-factor authentication is crucial for enhancing online security.

Additionally, creating strong, unique passwords for each account and regularly updating them can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to scams or hacking attempts.

Consider using a password manager to securely store and generate complex passwords.

Risky Online Shopping

Another group of scammers patrol social media to hunt for prey.

Old-method scams are those selling what they don’t have, using photos from the Internet or other sources. Once they collect money, they flee.

Live shopping on Facebook is dangerous too. When one makes a purchase, it appears in the comment box.

A scammer (or more than one) often builds a fake page with a name similar to the real one, and sends a message to the buyer with the same copy of confirmation of purchase with an account (of the same bank as the real Facebook user but with a different name).

After the scammers have obtained enough money, they delete the page.

Another increasing type of scam is a fake channel - mostly on Facebook.

Here, scanners steal the personality of influencers or popular individuals and then advertise very special prices of coveted products such as IT equipment or brand name items.

They boost their posts to attract more attention - aiming to capture the victims who are less aware of the fake identities.

Sometimes they ask you to fill a form to get your personal data too.

An easy way to find out if it is real is to google the price of real products via other platforms such as Lazada or Shopee.

Alternatively, you can check out the Facebook page, the real ones usually have hundreds of thousands if not millions of followers with a clear date of when the page was established.

If the page is fake, it usually has just a few thousand followers and the page has usually been set up not so long ago with a few fake posts.

Do not expect Meta - the owner of Facebook - to protect you from any fraud.

They even ask you to report spam or scam nowadays, as users these days are more likely to see scams than real posts because the scammers invest a lot in advertising such posts.

What If You Fall Victim?

Don’t let any scammer go unreported even though you know that the chances of getting your money back are very slim. Making a report means you prevent a number of scams in the future.

At Prawet Police Station, a female officer says she gets at least 30 cases a day. That is only one district in Bangkok, so imagine the total number across Thailand!

The total economic loss caused by scams is unimaginable.

Thailand’s Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) reported seized substantial cash and assets from “Call Center Gangs” of 6 billion baht in cash and 4 billion baht worth of properties.

If you are scammed, call your bank immediately. The hotlines of each bank though which to report scams are at the end of this article.

Once you call the centre, you’ll get a reference number for your case which you will use for a report.

The victim has two choices - to report online or to file a case directly at your district police station.

Either case, you need to collect all the evidence - every single piece such as transaction records, conversation with a scammer or the adverts.

With the AI-assisted voice impersonation and images, it is a wonder how evidence can be collected other than through transaction slips.

“I don’t think you can do anything but always file your case with a transaction slip,” said a female police officer.

As the situation continues to get worse, one has to be extra careful when transferring money to a third person.

Slower means wiser, it seems. Perhaps the best way is to avoid transfers at all cost.

I came across some very wise words on X (Twitter): “Since the coming of age of AI, I don't believe anything on social media or on the phone unless I see it with my own eyes.”

We would all do well to do the same.

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Bank Hotlines to Report Scams

Bangkok Bank 1333

Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives 02-555-0555 press *3

CIMB Thai 02-626-7777 press 00

Government Housing Bank 02-645-9000 press 33

Government Saving Bank 1115 press 6

Kasikorn Bank 02-888-8888 press 001

Kiatnakin Bank 02-165-5555 press 6

Krungthai Bank 02-111-1111 press 108

Krungsri Bank 1572 press 5

Land and House Bank 02-359-0000 press 8

Siam Commercial Bank 02-777-7575

Thai Credit Bank 02-697-5454

Tisco 02-633-6000 press 7

TTB Bank 1428 press 03

UOB & Citi Bank 02-344-9555

AMLO is open for victims of Call Center Gangs to file a petition. Submit a complaint on https://khumkrongsit.amlo.go.th, call 02-219-3600 or 1710 for more information or visit https://www.thaigov.go.th/news/contents/details/85419 for further details.