KHON KAEN - Giant signs warning people against online scammers and advising how to avoid them were hung on the outside wall of Khon Kaen police station on Wednesday, as police said more than 2,000 victims had already filed complaints there this year.
Signs up to 3 metres tall carried warnings and advice such as “Do not believe", "Do not be rushed", "Do not transfer", "Do not click on links’’.
“Victims of online fraud, phone 1441,’’ said another sign.
Pol Col Yotsawat Kaewsuebthanyanit, superintendent of Muang police, said the placards were put up because complaints about online fraud were flooding in.
Last year, there were more than 5,000 victims of online scams, he said. Already this year more than 2,000 victims had filed complaints with Khon Kaen police. Many were taken in by new tricks being used by scam gangs to steal their money.
“Muang police station is warning residents by putting up signs in front of our office building," Pol Col Yotsawat said. "We are also making public the trickery employed by the fraudsters, who often claim to be law enforcement officials or to be from the private sector, to threaten and deceive people.".
He urged people to take extra caution, to not be rushed into transfering money to someone they do not know, and not to click on links to suspicious apps.
Signs warning people about online scammers, at Muang police station in Khon Kaen (Photo: Chakrapan Natanri)
A woman files a complaint at Muang police station in Khon Kaen on Wednesday. (Photo: Chakrapan Natanri)