“As the crime trend for 2025 focuses heavily on cybercrime and call centre scams, the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is prioritising the study of online scammers’ tricks and behaviours to prepare for the constantly evolving nature of tricks.
CIB Commissioner Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop Bhuridej recently spoke with the Bangkok Post, revealing the state of cybercrime over the past year.
He said that 279,861 petitions regarding cybercrimes were filed with the Thai Police Online (TPO) platform between Jan 1 and Sept 30, resulting in damages of at least 28.01 billion baht.
Most of the petitions — 123,865 in total — concerned service scams, while investment scams caused the highest financial losses of 10.229 billion baht.
The CIB also found that the majority of victims were working-age individuals (25–45 years old) due to their higher purchasing power, followed by elderly people (55 years and older) due to their limited digital knowledge.
According to Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop, cybercrimes will remain the primary criminal trend next year.
As the public becomes more aware of how to avoid certain scams, fraudsters are shifting their focus from call centre scams to those causing even more widespread damage, such as investment scams.
Scammers use psychological tactics to deceive victims into unwittingly participating in their schemes. The CIB’s research reveals that their primary strategies include promising exceptionally high profits and creating a reliable image.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop explained that building a trustworthy image can be achieved in many ways, such as flaunting luxury lifestyles online, hosting seminars, or displaying awards. It may also involve celebrity endorsements and fabricated reputations.
“CIB studies show that scam gangs promise unrealistic profits while presenting substantial credentials to enhance their reliability,” he said.
The CIB commissioner noted that digital literacy and victims’ emotional states — particularly greed and fear — play significant roles in scams. Scammers exploit these factors through psychological tricks, such as imposing time constraints to pressure victims into quick decisions.
“These elements are deeply concerning, as they contribute to the future trends in cybercrime,” he said.
Public awareness is key
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said the CIB has long cooperated with related sectors to continue its public relations efforts on crime avoidance.
The CIB is working on raising awareness of scams through online platforms, such as Facebook, Line, and TikTok, using real cases and victims as references for easier explanations.
He said that the effort expanded to seminars in schools and communities, with topics surrounding necessary protection from scams, such as checking for the origin of each telephone call or website credibility and setting up safety features in mobile banking applications.
Moreover, the CIB has collaborated with Chinese authorities on raids and the rescue of human trafficking victims involved in call centre scam networks.
This cooperation extends to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with a joint operation targeting the “911 S5” malware network in May being a highlight of this year.
“We have also partnered with AIS to provide a scam-call alert service via *1185# and worked with the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) to establish cyber patrol task forces. Additionally, we launched a community network called Cyber Police Volunteers to help report cybercrimes,” he said.
Despite these efforts, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop acknowledged the challenges of tackling scam networks based overseas.
“We are aware that online scams are a significant social issue, with perpetrators possessing the resources and expertise to carry out their crimes. Many of these networks operate internationally, making it difficult for the CIB to take immediate action,” he said.
To combat cybercrime and effectively “amputate” those networks, Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said that the CIB has implemented four strategies to clap back at the scam networks.
One is cyber forensics implementation, such as data analysis from the TPO for crime trends. It also included the scammers’ online investigation, to which police are required to follow financial transactions, such as bank accounts and cryptocurrency, using analytic technology as a main tool, such as IP addresses and the scammers’ communication system.
CIB officers are on a mission to develop their technology skills, from learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to study scammer behaviour to programme development and system analysis.
The CIB works proactively with mobile providers on SIM card suspension and SIM box searching. It also works with social media platforms to help block unsuitable content before applying suitable laws and measures for each case, said Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop.
“We prioritised blocking suspects’ access to tools and equipment [to prevent the crime], such as sim cards, internet systems, and even mule bank accounts,” the chief added.
Pol Lt Gen Jirabhop said that despite the police’s best efforts, the public is still encouraged to avoid falling for scams.
The public should not trust any offers that are too good to be true, he said, adding that they should double-check for further information if any investment has unrealistic profits and offers.
They should avoid transferring money to strangers and clicking on unfamiliar URLs from mobile messages at all costs. Police also suggested alternating passwords across platforms and opting for two-factor authentication for more online safety.
If you suspect fraudulent activity, contact the police and your bank immediately to suspend the affected accounts,” he said. “As scammers rely on psychological tactics to provoke immediate responses, we urge people to remain cautious and seek expert advice when in doubt,” he said.”
source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/2931402/police-to-tackle-rising-cybercrime
