Thailand welcomes the announcement of measures by the US Department of the Treasury against a scam network based in Southeast Asia.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the US announcement aligns with Thailand’s priority of working with Washington and other partners in combating transnational crime, particularly threats from scam centers that have affected people both within and outside the region, including Americans.
The ministry’s press statement on September 13 said that, as part of a longstanding security partnership, Thailand and the US have long been working closely in law enforcement cooperation.
“Online scams are a matter of security concern that relate to other serious transnational crimes, including forced labor, human trafficking, and money laundering,” the statement added.
“Thailand reaffirms its determination to eradicate online scams and scam centers, and will further strengthen our cooperation with the US and other partners in addressing this urgent matter of serious crime,” according to the press release.
Last week, the US Treasury launched a dual move against online scams. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 19 individuals and entities linked to scam centers in Myanmar’s Shwe Kokko and Cambodia.
They were engaged in defrauding victims and using forced labor. These sanctions freeze US assets and ban Americans from doing business with them.
The measures marked Washington’s strongest action yet against Southeast Asian scam compounds, which have cost Americans over US$10 billion in 2024 alone.
At the same time, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an advisory on financially motivated sextortion, highlighting a surge in schemes targeting teenagers, often involving AI-generated deepfakes.
Banks and financial institutions were given red-flag indicators and reporting guidelines to detect and disrupt such activity, according to the US Treasury.
