Scam surge grips Thailand as police warn contacts keep rising nationwide. Losses hit ฿115.3bn in 2025 after widespread fraud attempts. About 173m scam calls and texts were recorded, while daily losses are estimated at around ฿70m as networks expand operations.
Despite publicity from Cambodia suggesting the country, long seen as a centre of scam activity, is dismantling illegal networks, Thai police on Wednesday warned the problem is again surging across the kingdom. Despite a drop at the start of the year, police estimate Thai people are now losing about ฿70 million a day to fraudsters. Police urge the public to become more aware of the threat.
The Royal Thai Police on Wednesday warned that the scam menace targeting Thai telephone numbers is still rising. However, officers said awareness and knowledge remain central to the response. The warning followed fresh national data on scam activity.
Meanwhile, investigators confirmed continued growth in scam contacts. As a result, authorities are monitoring the situation more closely. Police said the scale of outreach has expanded across the country.
In addition, reports increasingly involve both locals and expatriates living in Thailand. Consequently, law enforcement agencies say the issue now affects multiple sectors of the population.
Police warn scam contacts still rising nationwide as reports increase among both locals and expats
The warning came after major financial losses recorded during 2025. Thai punters lost about ฿115.3 billion to scammers over the year. The figure was reported in a national assessment by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance.
Meanwhile, the report described the situation as a widespread scam crisis. According to the findings, about 72% of Thai adults encountered scam attempts. In addition, roughly 60% reported that they were scammed. Therefore, a large share of the population faced direct financial threats. Authorities say these numbers reflect extensive exposure to fraud campaigns.
Investigators say the losses came from several major scam categories. Investment scams ranked as the primary threat nationwide. Meanwhile, shopping scams also appeared frequently in reports. Employment opportunity scams remained another common pattern.
As a result, victims encountered a range of approaches during the year. Officials say the financial impact remains severe for households. However, recovery rates remain limited in many cases. Only about 29% of victims recovered any of the lost funds. Consequently, most financial losses were not returned to victims.
Huge losses and widespread victimisation reveal scale of scams hitting Thai households with multiple frauds
Police say scammers continue to rely heavily on direct communication channels. Phone calls remain a dominant method for contacting victims. About 68% of scam encounters involved calls. Meanwhile, roughly 56% involved SMS messages.
Therefore, telecommunications networks remain central to scam operations. Investigators also report frequent contact through social media platforms. Reports show that Facebook recorded many scam encounters during the year. As a result, victims often receive messages across several platforms.
Authorities say it remains unclear why Thailand has become such a prime target. However, many scam operations are located outside the country. Investigations repeatedly point to activity linked to Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
These areas continue to appear in police monitoring reports. Meanwhile, cross-border investigations remain ongoing. Officials say several factors may influence targeting patterns. Police note the trusting nature often associated with Thai citizens. In addition, a sizeable proportion of the population holds financial reserves. Consequently, scammers may see Thai targets as financially attractive.
Cross border operations and heavy use of calls and messages drive Thailand’s growing exposure to scams
At the same time, Thailand faces rising household debt levels. Authorities say this financial contrast appears frequently in economic reports.
Police also highlight cultural attitudes toward authority. Older nationals in particular often show respect toward officials and institutions. As a result, scammers frequently impersonate authority figures. This tactic appears repeatedly in scam calls reported to police. Fraud callers often claim to represent officials, agencies or institutions. Consequently, victims may respond quickly to requests made during calls.
Meanwhile, the scam industry itself has faced growing enforcement pressure. Police conducted field operations late last year. Operations continued into the early months of this year. As a result, several networks experienced disruption.
One development involved scrutiny linked to Prince Holdings in Cambodia. Investigations exposed a Chinese-linked conglomerate connected to scam activity. Authorities said the network was significantly weakened after investigations intensified.
Enforcement pressure grows as police operations and investigations disrupt major scam networks
The leader of the network, Chen Zhi, was extradited to China in January. Officials reported he was transferred in chains during the process. Authorities said he may face execution under Chinese law for crimes linked to the network. Meanwhile, the case drew attention to cross-border scam structures. Investigators say the case illustrated how networks operate across several countries.
At the same time, Cambodia began actions targeting scam centres. Authorities there closed several locations linked to fraud operations. In addition, some foreign workers were sent home from these centres. These steps followed increasing scrutiny of scam activities in the region. However, sceptics question the depth of the crackdown.
Critics of the administration led by Hun Sen and his son, Prime Minister Hun Manet, doubt the industry has been dismantled. They suspect the moves may reduce international pressure. Some observers say the steps could help avoid further United States law enforcement scrutiny.
Meanwhile, scam activity affecting Thailand continues to rise. New figures show the country has become the most targeted market in Asia. At the same time, some other Asian regions have reported a slowdown.
Regional crackdown questions remain as Thailand becomes Asia’s most targeted market for scam contacts
Authorities say the difference highlights the scale of targeting within Thailand. According to new data, Thailand recorded about 173 million scam contacts last year. These included both phone calls and SMS messages. Consequently, investigators describe massive outreach campaigns targeting phones nationwide.
Of the total, about 39 million were scam phone calls. Meanwhile, roughly 134 million were scam text messages. Both figures increased compared with the previous year. Earlier data recorded around 38 million calls and 130 million messages.
Therefore, scam outreach continued to expand despite enforcement actions. Police say repeated crackdowns have attempted to disrupt networks. However, organised groups continue adapting their operations.
Earlier this year, authorities observed a temporary decline in scam activity. This decline occurred during heightened enforcement along the Thai-Cambodian border. At first, officials reported fewer scam contacts reaching Thai phones. However, the slowdown lasted less than two months. Soon after, scam networks resumed their campaigns. They shifted operations and reorganised outreach systems. Consequently, activity levels increased again across multiple channels.
Scams expand with millions of calls and messages despite crackdowns and brief slowdown
Police now describe many operations as large-scale scam factories. These centres operate with structured roles and fixed schedules. Typically, staff members handle different parts of the operation. Some teams manage outbound phone calls. Meanwhile, others run SMS campaigns or manage financial transfers. As a result, scam centres function like organised workplaces. Authorities say this structure allows continuous outreach.
Automated calling systems are widely used in these operations. Meanwhile, large SMS campaigns reach devices across the country. Investigators say the technology allows millions of contacts to be sent rapidly.
Text message scams have also become harder to detect. Many messages now mix standard words with emojis. Others include unusual characters or altered text patterns. Consequently, messages can bypass telecom filtering systems.
Organised scam factories use automation, mass messaging and shifting operations to reach victims
Telecom operators rely on filters to identify suspicious messages. However, modified formats often avoid detection. As a result, scam texts reach phones more easily.
Authorities say widespread data leaks worsen the situation. In many cases, leaked databases contain detailed personal information. Phone numbers may appear alongside real names. Some records also include email addresses and passwords.
Therefore, scammers can move beyond random contact lists. Instead, they launch targeted campaigns using real data. As a result, messages appear personal and convincing. Police also warn that scammers now operate across several platforms. These include phone calls, SMS messaging and social media networks. Consequently, victims often receive repeated contact attempts.
Fraud operations also rely on psychological pressure. Tactics exploit fear, urgency or trust during conversations. Victims may be urged to act quickly or transfer funds. Authorities say this pattern appears frequently in complaints.
Data leaks and targeted messaging make scam contacts harder to detect and more convincing for victims
Meanwhile, financial losses continue accumulating nationwide. Police estimate losses linked to scams at about 70 million baht per day.
Investigators say enforcement continues through financial tracking systems. Thousands of mule bank accounts connected to scam operations have been frozen. These accounts were identified through reporting tools.
Authorities rely on the national cybercrime database for investigations. Reports from the public feed directly into the system. Consequently, investigators can trace links between accounts and networks.
Officials continue encouraging the public to report suspicious calls or messages. Reports can be submitted through official police channels. In addition, online reporting platforms remain active nationwide. Mobile users can also activate protective measures. Dialling *138#1 blocks incoming calls from foreign numbers. Telecom providers confirm the feature is widely available.
Police freeze mule accounts and urge reporting as daily scam losses across Thailand continue rising
Meanwhile, telecom operators continue monitoring suspicious traffic patterns. They track unusual call volumes and location signals linked to scam activity. When irregular behaviour appears, numbers can be restricted or banned.
Consequently, some operations face disruption earlier. Authorities also point to links between scam operations and human trafficking. Investigations show some individuals were forced to work in scam centres. These cases remain under investigation.
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Police continue to repeat a simple rule for the public. Do not believe. Do not rush. And, most importantly, do not transfer money. The latest findings were presented in Bangkok during an annual report event. The data was released by the caller identification service Whoscall. Representatives from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission attended alongside police officials. Authorities say monitoring and enforcement will continue as scam activity and threats evolve.
The danger of the scammer or fraud networks is that no one believes they can be fooled until after they have been targeted and fallen for an exploit targeting them. They are both sophisticated, convincing and hard to comprehend once a victim falls for the first step.
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