Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) has advised businesses to be aware of a new trick by online scammers, urging them to update their business information through an online platform or face legal action.

DBD Director-General Oramon Sapthaveetham said today that the department has received complaints from businesses which have received phone calls, claiming to be from DBD officials, or fake letters of notification from the DBD, urging them to update their business information with the DBD via the Online Business Registration Division, which is a fictitious entity created by the scammers to fool potential victims.

The scammers claim that the updates are intended for the safety of their business information and to prevent foreigners from setting up businesses in Thailand using Thai nationals as their nominees, said Oramon, adding that several businesses have already fallen prey to the scammers, by clicking on the links they provide, and have lost money from their bank accounts.

She maintains that the DBD has no policy to contact businesses through online platforms and that there is no such thing as the Online Business Registration Division, as claimed by the scammers.