Proposal to set up a six-nation task force to combat online fraud

According to a reporter in Bangkok, Thailand recently proposed the establishment of a six-nation task force to jointly crack down on online fraud in the region, while urging countries to agree to share data in real time as well as coordinate crackdowns in neighboring countries.

The proposal was made by Lieutenant General Jirapop Phuridej, Assistant Director General of the National Police and Director of the Anti-Online Fraud Center (ACSC), at the ministerial-level conference on joint efforts to combat cybercrime and telecommunications fraud among China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China on November 14.

According to the proposal, the international task force with the participation of the above six countries will have the authority to conduct on-the-spot suppression operations against thescam gangvia the call center. This force will also be responsible for responding to critical intelligence within 24 hours, operating under transparent processes and with shared accountability for results. All activities will be regularly reported to the relevant countries.

At the conference, the Thai representative also presented three core measures for joint enforcement activities to combat online fraud networks.

The first is to establish a real-time data exchange system and create a shared central database of mule accounts, phone numbers and IP addresses related to criminal activities with automatic alerts, allowing all countries to block, freeze and investigate simultaneously.

The second is to deploy law enforcement officers to key overseas operations centers to immediately join the direct cooperation team and allow operations and information to be conducted on the same day.

Third is to implement joint telecommunications controls, including tightening SIM card registration through identity verification systems (such as facial recognition), limiting SIM ownership per individual, and monitoring suspicious SIM usage. If widespread fraud is detected, countries will consider coordinating to cut off the network until the investigation is completed.