The cabinet approved a draft bill today 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 centres.
The amendment is necessary, because the financial damage caused by scammers and call centres is estimated at between 60 and 70 million baht per day, claimed Jirayu Huangsap, 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 centres.
Amendments include:
• Banks will be required to provide information about “mule” accounts to the Anti-Money Laundering Office for examination, to speed up the refunding process for victims.
• Mobile phone service providers will have to revoke SIM cards which are connected with call centres or online scammers.
• Increased penalties for administrators of platforms and banks which allow scammers to open “mule” accounts.
• Increased penalties for individuals or entities who disclose other people’s personal data without their consent.
• Increased penalties for banks, phone service providers and social media responsible for causing damage to victims.
Jirayu said that, if necessary, the draft bill can be promulgated as an executive decree, without the need to seek parliamentary approval.
It is expected that the decree will come into force in February.
