Mule accounts responsible for 100 billion baht damages, police say

The Royal Thai Police (RTP) are working with relevant agencies to tackle more than 200,000 bank accounts that have been used by scammers and online criminals, causing damages to the Thai public of about 100 billion baht since 2022.

The RTP on Monday held a meeting with relevant agencies, including the Bank of Thailand, to discuss measures to tackle mule accounts, or bank accounts opened by individuals that are being used by others either to collect or transfer illegally gained funds to evade inspection by authorities.

Pol Gen Thatchai Pitaneelaboot, national police inspector general, who chaired the meeting, said mule accounts are a serious threat to the economy, as these criminal gangs have been using Thailand’s infrastructure to rob its citizens.

Police have found that most of these accounts were opened by individuals of working age, said Thatchai, who is director of Thailand's Action Taskforce for Information Technology Crime Suppression (TACTICS).

Some have been tricked into opening mule accounts in exchange for some form of benefits, without realising the legal repercussions, he said.

Owners of these mule accounts could face arrest, he said, adding that this would likely affect the economy, as several thousand workers could be prosecuted.

Thatchai urged the banking sector to increase screening measures to prevent the opening of mule accounts, potentially tackling the problem at its root cause.

Meanwhile, security units will continue patrolling the border and cutting off communication channels used by these criminal gangs, he said.

Believed to be based in neighbouring countries, these gangs have been siphoning off user data and money in the form of cryptocurrency from Thailand, he added.

Pol Lt Gen Trirong Phiewphan, chief of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, stated that coordination with neighbouring countries has been ongoing since the beginning of 2024. Thai police have travelled to meet with law enforcement in neighbouring countries to address this issue. Discussions are underway to initiate joint operations.

"We want all neighbouring countries in the region to join hands in tackling this issue. Scam centres do not only deceive Thais but also people from other nations. Cooperation is crucial. Recently, Chinese representatives discussed enhancing collaboration among countries in the Mekong region. Thailand, as an observer, proposed including the suppression of scam centres and call centres in regional discussions to ensure sincere and effective cooperation," he said.

Trirong emphasized the need for regional and international collaboration, noting that such crimes involve multiple offenders and affect victims in many countries.

He also clarified that Thailand is merely a transit point, not a hub for transnational crime as some have suggested. Thailand has prepared proactive and defensive measures to address these issues. National Police Chief Pol Gen Kitrat Panpetch has instructed that screening processes at immigration checkpoints be tightened, particularly for high-risk foreign individuals. Cyber police, immigration authorities, and Special Branch officers will coordinate to identify foreign nationals potentially involved in call centre scams or at risk of becoming victims.

Regarding Chinese nationals entering Thailand under the visa-free program, Trirong stated they would also be subject to screening procedures. Close coordination among immigration authorities, cyber police, and local administrative bodies is essential. Border areas will require collaboration between the military and local law enforcement to share information and deny entry to suspicious individuals.

Natural border crossings will also be monitored with increased intensity through cooperation among the military, local authorities, and border patrol police. Although sealing the borders entirely is unrealistic, efforts will be maximized to strengthen controls. Screening measures will also apply to victims of scams.

Additionally, the "Thailand Tourist Police" application has been introduced for tourists. Its features include an SOS button and GPS location-sharing to provide prompt assistance from local tourist police.

For the general public, the "Cyber Check" application helps screen for potential scams by verifying unknown phone numbers.

"We are confident that within six months, we will see concrete results in addressing transnational crimes, dismantling call centre gangs, and assisting victims. This includes prevention, suppression, raising public awareness, and collaborating with relevant agencies and neighbouring countries' police forces," Trirong concluded.