Barcelona, Spain – Pachara Naripthaphan, Advisor to the Chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), presented Thailand’s successful model for dismantling call centre crime networks at MWC25, during a high-level Ministerial Roundtable attended by leaders from Singapore, India, and Indonesia. The discussion, themed “Breaking Silos and Advancing a Whole-Government Approach,” focused on enhancing inter-agency cooperation to combat cybercrime and digital fraud.
Thailand’s Coordinated Crackdown on Call Centre Scams
Pachara underscored the growing global threat of call centre gangs, which target vulnerable populations such as the elderly and women through fraudulent financial transactions. He stressed the importance of cross-border collaboration, highlighting bureaucratic challenges, fragmented information, and a lack of unified communication as key obstacles in tackling transnational cybercrime.
The NBTC has taken a leading role in coordinating efforts between the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES), the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC), the Anti-Money Laundering Office, the Bank of Thailand, the Cyber Police Bureau, and the Central Investigation Bureau. By integrating data on criminal use of wireless networks, Thailand has significantly improved its ability to prevent and suppress digital fraud.
International Collaboration and Thai Leadership in Cybercrime Prevention
Since January 2021, Pachara has worked closely with international organisations to combat transnational call centre networks, including assisting with victim rescues in the Philippines. Using open-source intelligence (OSINT), he supported Thai law enforcement in tracking and dismantling cybercrime operations.
Mr. Pachara highlighted the significance of Thai leaders. Since Ms. Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the Prime Minister, personally addressed the call center gang issue, inter-agency collaboration has improved. This reflects both the Top Down Approach and the commitment to effective communication within and between organizations, which are both necessary.
"Given the global scale of call centre scams, I urge all nations to establish a SuperBody to lead the fight against online fraud, dismantle criminal infrastructure, and improve international information-sharing. Only through global cooperation can we effectively mitigate cybercrime," Pachara concluded.
