Warning: Call Center Scams Resurge Ahead of 2026 Election with Tips for Smart Response

Call center scam gangs have resumed aggressive operations after the 2026 election, revealing their methods to frighten victims and how to respond wisely.

Call center and scammer problems are among the key issues the public wants the new government to urgently address. On 8 February 2026, the election day, reports surfaced that some people received calls from call center gangs using various scam methods including:

"They impersonate AIS legal officers, claim that someone used our ID card to open a new phone number, and repeatedly question us to confuse us while threatening that this is illegal."

Besides these threats, some people receive calls from call center gangs using other scams such as investment fraud, AI-generated fake voices or faces of acquaintances to deceive victims.

How to handle call center scams

1. Stay calm when answering calls, especially when confronted with threats from callers claiming to be officials from private or government agencies. Always remember, "They will never call customers or citizens from a private number directly."
2. Report call center scam numbers to private agencies for investigation and resolution. For those impersonating AIS officers, report the numbers and scam SMS to 1185. For other cases, reports can be made through the AOC 1441 online reporting system.
3. Report suspicious numbers suspected to be call center or scammer gangs via the Who’s Call app to warn others.

According to the latest data compiled from the Royal Thai Police (Police Cyber Operations Center) and online reports via AOC 1441, the number of "call center gang" cases before and after the election is as follows:

Statistics on call center scams before the election (January - 7 February 2026)

Before the election, the call center scam situation was "stable but intense," with notable figures as follows:

• Daily new cases: The Royal Thai Police (Police Cyber Operations Center) reported over 1,000 new online crime cases daily in January 2026, with call center scams accounting for approximately 10-12% of all cases.
• Damage value: Cybercrime damages averaged 50-70 million baht per day in early 2026.
• Criminal tactics: Emphasis on AI deepfake (face/voice forgery) and sending SMS with links pretending to be government agencies to trick victims into payment or installing money-stealing apps, exploiting the public’s focus on political news for infiltration.

Statistics on call center scams after the election (8 February 2026 - present)

According to assessment by Police General Thatchai Pitanilabutr, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, on 2 February 2026 and post-election reports:

• Incident reports: Reports after 8 February "have not significantly decreased" and tend to rise in "consultations and tip-offs," as combating scammers has been a key campaign promise of all political parties, encouraging the public to report more through 1441.
• Relocation: Latest data shows call center gangs moving bases from the Cambodian border (Poipet-Chong Chom) deeper inland or crossing into Myanmar and Laos to evade strict election period monitoring.

Proportion of call center scam victims by age group (data accumulated until February 2026)

• Age 20-49: Remains the group with the highest number of reports (about 223,300 cases).
• Age 50-64: Reports of "investment fraud" and "call center threats" have increased.

Therefore, the public should remain calm when receiving calls from unfamiliar numbers and always remember that "government and private agencies do not have policies to call citizens to request personal information or to install applications via links." If in doubt, hang up immediately or contact the AOC 1441 hotline to verify and promptly suspend fraudulent accounts.