Thai Prime Minister Nearly Duped by Scam Caller Posing as World Leader

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra discovered the scam when the caller attempted to pressure her into transferring money to a foreign bank account.

BANGKOK — Scam calls can strike anyone, even the prime minister of Thailand.

Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra revealed this week that she almost fell victim to a scam call from someone pretending to be another world leader, though she did not specify the identity of the impersonated figure.

“I could clearly hear the voice of the country leader,” Paetongtarn said on Wednesday, adding that she suspected the caller may have used artificial intelligence to mimic the other leader’s voice.

The scam began with a voice message in which the caller inquired about Paetongtarn’s well-being and expressed interest in future collaboration. She responded with a brief message saying she was doing fine, and the caller mentioned they would reach out again.

Later, the person tried to call, but fortunately, it was 11 p.m. and Paetongtarn had already fallen asleep. She noticed the missed call in the morning and responded to arrange a follow-up conversation. However, this time the voice message took a disturbing turn, with the caller requesting a donation. They claimed that Thailand was the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that had not yet contributed.

Then, Paetongtarn received a text urging her to transfer money to a foreign bank account. At that point, she realized it was a scam.

While Paetongtarn did not disclose when the incident occurred, the scam is a reflection of the growing issue of online and telecom fraud in Southeast Asia, particularly in border areas between Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.

The region has become a hub for a variety of online criminal activities, including “pig-butchering scams,” where trafficked individuals are coerced into luring others into fake investment schemes or fraudulent romantic relationships. These scams, which can result in people losing their life savings, affect victims worldwide, with U.S. citizens alone losing an estimated $3.5 billion in 2023, according to the United States Institute of Peace.

This type of fraud has raised serious concerns, especially with the prevalence of human trafficking into online criminal operations. Earlier this month, a Chinese actor, Wang Xing, who had gone missing near the Thai-Myanmar border, was found and returned to Thailand. Wang, 22, had been trafficked under the false pretense of attending a casting call, only to be trained for scamming operations targeting other Chinese nationals.

At the ASEAN digital ministers’ meeting in Bangkok on Thursday, Paetongtarn stressed the importance of addressing online scams and called for regional cooperation to combat the issue. She emphasized the need for action to protect Thailand’s tourism industry, which is heavily reliant on foreign visitors, particularly from China.

In a recent development, Thai and Chinese police have jointly arrested 12 individuals linked to scams that led to the disappearance of Chinese nationals. This collaboration highlights the growing international response to the region's rising criminal activities.

With online scams becoming a widespread concern, Paetongtarn’s experience serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching impact of such criminal schemes, even on global leaders.