Draft Bill approved to Fight Online Scammers

Thai cabinet approved a draft bill on 29th January to amend the Technology Crime Prevention and Suppression Act, with the intent to provide better protection for smartphone users and to hold banks and mobile phone service providers more accountable to their customers who fall prey to online scammers and call centers.

The amendment is necessary, because the financial damage caused by scammers and call centers is estimated at between 60 and 70 million baht per day, claimed, spokesman for the Prime minister’s Office.

He said that the existing law is flawed, because it does not give sufficient authority to officials to deal with “mule” accounts or to order banks to refund their customers who are cheated by call centers.