Foreign minister says scam networks a ‘multidimensional’ threat to global community
Online fraud is no longer merely a financial crime but a complex web of human trafficking and rights abuses that no country can tackle alone, Thailand has told a global summit.
Speaking at the Global Fraud Summit in Vienna on Tuesday, organised by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Interpol, Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow highlighted the escalating scale and severity of cyber-enabled scams.
He said Southeast Asia alone suffers losses exceeding $40 billion (1.3 trillion baht) annually, reflecting the growing sophistication of criminal networks operating across borders.
Mr Sihasak said online fraud has evolved beyond money laundering into a broader ecosystem of exploitation. Victims are frequently deceived, trafficked and forced into criminal operations, forming what he described as a modern form of slavery.
“The challenge is multidimensional,” he said, pointing to links between fraud, human trafficking and serious human rights violations.
Thailand sits on the frontline of the crisis, both as a transit point for criminal networks and a refuge for victims. Authorities have assisted more than 13,200 trafficking victims from 40 countries who escaped scam centres in neighbouring states.
The minister said the digital nature of the crime complicates enforcement, as cyber activities transcend national jurisdictions and outpace existing legal frameworks. Weak governance in cyberspace and differing national laws create gaps that criminals exploit.
“No country can resolve this problem alone,” he warned, calling for stronger international coordination.
Mr Sihasak said effective responses must cover prevention, victim protection, law enforcement and cross-border cooperation.
While existing mechanisms under the UNODC, Interpol and regional groupings such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are in place, he urged greater unity and practical collaboration.
He cited recent joint operations involving Thailand, the United States and Asean partners that led to the closure of 150,000 suspicious accounts and the arrest of several key suspects as evidence of what coordinated action can achieve.
Thailand is keen on combating all forms of fraud, including enhancing anti-money laundering measures, deploying AI to detect suspicious transactions, and strengthening international information-sharing, the minister said.
Failure to act decisively would allow online fraud to evolve into a broader security threat, driven by rapidly advancing technologies such as AI, he warned.
“The issue is no longer just financial loss,” he noted. “It is about human dignity, security and the rule of law in an increasingly borderless world.”
Source: Bangkok Post
