Police have warned online game players to be wary of fraudulent schemes that aim to rob them of their money and online identity.
The warning was issued by Pol Gen Suwat Jongyodsuk, the national police chief, said Royal Thai Police (RTP) deputy spokesman Pol Col Siriwat Deepor.
Pol Col Siriwat said the RTP has embarked on a campaign to alert the public of new forms of technological crimes targeting online game players.
Police have nabbed many fraudsters but many others continue to prey on unsuspecting players.
Online game scammers have caused damage to victims and even harmed them physically or reputationally, Pol Col Siriwat said.
In many cases, scammers would contact fellow game players -- who are mostly young -- and offer to top up money to extend their online playing time, or send them items in the game in exchange for their nude pictures.
Some victims complained of wiring money to scammers to buy items but never receiving anything.
The scammers claimed they could top up money for players at a discount but players must disclose their gaming account identity and passwords. The practice has led to identity theft.
Some also approached online players pretending to represent a major gaming company offering rewards. They would then phish personal information from their victims.
Pol Col Siriwat said some victims were lured to meet other gamers for sex or gambling.
Parents should keep a close eye on their children's online activities, he said.