State enterprise courier Thailand Post is working with the Royal Thai Police to make the public aware of internet and phone scams, with leaflets to be distributed with advice on how to combat fraud.
The move is part of efforts to counter online scams, including perpetrators who disguise themselves as Thailand Post staff to lure people into providing personal information, including credit card numbers, and deceive victims into wiring money.
Dhanant Subhadrabandhu, chief executive of Thailand Post, said the first batch of 1.5 million leaflets will be distributed to households across the country. Another 500,000 pamphlets will be delivered to police stations nationwide.
He said statistics showed tech-related crimes have continued to rise, with 600-700 cases of cybercrime recorded every day. Scammers are increasingly using more sophisticated tactics to deceive people.
To combat this, Thailand Post prepared material to alert the public, said Mr Dhanant. They will be distributed through both online and offline channels.
"The company has been encouraging public awareness of the tricks used by scammers, who use Thailand Post's name and branding to trick people out of their money," he said. "Some victims, for example, have been deceived into providing personal information, including credit card numbers, or asked to transfer cash to pay for an undelivered package or redemption of points for prizes."
It is important to publicise these issues so that people know about online threats and how to avoid becoming a victim, said Mr Dhanant. The "Cyber-vaccines" leaflet campaign was part of Thailand Post's efforts to create immunity against high-tech crimes, he said.
"We have a clear target of building awareness among the Thai population about various types of scams," said Mr Dhanant.
He said the Royal Thai Police has compiled a list of the most common scams, criminal conspiracies and modus operandi of cybercriminals, alongside protective measures and ways to identify wrongdoing.
People can learn about 18 scams via the leaflet campaign, said Mr Dhanant.
National police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said scammers have developed their tactics to deceive people, despite the best efforts of police to clamp down on them with a series of arrests.
This fraudulent activity has caused financial losses among the public and affected the national economy, he said.
"Police cannot solve the problem alone. There must be united efforts between various parties to prevent such crimes," said Pol Gen Damrongsak.
