Chaiyachok Intensifies Scammer Crackdown, Freezes 1.18 Million Fake Bank Accounts

On February 6, 2026, Chaiyachok Chidchob, Minister of Digital Economy and Society (DE), revealed that the Cybercrime Prevention and Suppression Committee has implemented continuous online crime prevention measures through inter-agency cooperation. The Anti-Online Crime Center 1441 integrated data with police, financial intelligence units, and financial institutions to immediately halt suspicious transactions by quickly freezing bank accounts to prevent money transfers to other fake accounts. From November 1, 2023, to January 30, 2026, they successfully froze 1,183,326 bank accounts. The ministry also rapidly blocked 304,631 websites and social media URLs, including 259,385 online gambling sites. Additional measures include limiting SIM card ownership to 5 numbers per person, implementing strict identity verification, and blocking unverified SIM registrations. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) disabled 23,057 suspicious phone numbers with approximately 2.4 million outgoing calls in December 2025. The government has also approved measures preventing state agencies from sending emails or SMS with links, and financial institutions now require location tracking during mobile banking transactions.