DES minister agrees banks should share losses from hacked accounts
Opposition MP’s proposal that banks share the financial losses incurred when clients’ accounts are hacked gets backing from the government
Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong expressed support for an opposition MP’s proposal that commercial banks share the damages when their clients’ accounts are hacked.
Prasert, who also doubles as deputy PM, said on Wednesday that he backed People’s Party MP Wiroj Lakkhanaadisorn, who proposed during the House debate that commercial banks be forced by the central bank to share the damages when funds are stolen from their clients’ accounts by call-centre gangs.
He said he will raise the proposal for deliberation at a meeting of the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC) this week.
The DES set up the AOC last year as a one-stop service point to tackle rampant online scams. The AOC is based at the National Telecom Plc’s headquarters on Chaeng Wattana Road.
Wiroj said at the debate that since the AOC failed to stop the rampant online scams, the NT should also be held responsible and share the damages that banks' clients bear.
Prasert added that the proposal had to be deliberated upon for suitable measures to be meted out.
As for Wiroj’s proposal that a system be put in place to delay or make it tougher for scammers to siphon money from their victims’ accounts, Prasert said the AOC was working closely with the Bank of Thailand to improve preventive measures.
He said the central bank has screened the measures already in place to guard the accounts of commercial banks’ clients.
