BANGKOK: In a bid to combat call scams, the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry has announced that any telephone number with more than 100 calls per day will be suspended.
DES Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong said on Tuesday (Dec 12) that in the past month alone, some 80,000 people had filed complaints about scams with the Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC 1441).
To address this issue, Prasert said he would focus on phone numbers making an unusually high volume of calls daily.
From Saturday to Monday this week, more than 12,500 phone numbers crossed the 100-call threshold, leading to their immediate suspension.
Another concern the minister highlighted was that more than 12,500 phone numbers are illegally registered. He urged the owners of these numbers to voluntarily report themselves to AOC 1441 to avoid suspension.
Prasert also raised awareness about scammers using foreigners’ IDs to register for SIM cards, and exploiting them for phone scams.
Recent arrests in Chumphon province led to the confiscation of more than 10,000 such SIM cards.
The minister pledged to intensify efforts, collaborating with relevant organisations, including the office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission and cellular service providers. - The Nation/ANN
