TikTok has partnered with government and civil society organisations to launch a digital literacy campaign to educate the public about online scams and fraud through short videos on the popular platform.
The campaign aims to raise awareness by presenting creative solutions and easy-to-understand content accessible to people of all ages, said Chanida Klyphun, head of public policy at TikTok Thailand.
The campaign has the supporting hashtag #คนไทยรู้ทัน (#ThaisAware).
TikTok believes that digital literacy is crucial in building defence mechanisms against online threats, said Ms Chanida.
According to reports by the High-Tech Crime Division at the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau, an average of 700 scam and fraud complaints are filed daily, with 40% involving e-commerce crimes.
The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) said it received 19,960 complaints about online illegal activities during the first half of this year.
The top complaints involved online shopping scams (43.4%), followed by illegal websites (31.3%) and other illegal activities (25.3%), including investment scams, online job frauds, and violations of personal data protection.
Ms Chanida said cyberattacks compromise critical data, facilitating easy manipulation by cybercriminals.
TikTok’s creators can play a crucial role in crafting engaging and easy-to-understand content for the campaign, thereby enhancing awareness of various online threats, she said.
Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong, who attended the launch announcement on Friday, said the collaboration would focus on creating educational content based on the expertise of each participating organisation.
Also attending the launch were representatives from the Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB), the Bank of Thailand, the police Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Cofact Project, and the Thailand Consumers Council (TCC).
Government agencies, said Mr Prasert, would provide knowledge about law enforcement and measures to prevent and respond to online fraud, while civil society organisations will offer insights into consumer rights and protection.
He said the ministry emphasises the principles of the “4 Don’ts”: don’t click, don’t believe, don’t rush, and don’t transfer (money).
The ministry is also ready to assist victims in filing complaints and freezing perpetrators’ accounts through the Anti-Online Crime Operation Center (AOC 1441), which operates around the clock.
The CIB plays a significant role in investigating and prosecuting online professional fraud and Ponzi scheme cases.
Mr Prasert said the central bank and the SEC emphasise the importance of checking the legitimacy of credit providers by verifying facts with their originating institutions.
The public has also been warned to avoid clicking links from suspicious SMS messages.
The Cofact Project underscores the necessity of thorough fact-checking as malicious actors can easily access and deceive the public with false information and deceptive schemes.
The OCPB aims to ensure consumers have safe and reliable online shopping experiences. It is committed to monitoring and advocating for consumers’ rights.
Consumers are advised that if they receive products that do not meet standards, they can lodge complaints via the OCPB hotline 1166 or through its website.
