Global partnership against online scams launched at Bangkok conference
Representatives from 58 countries gathered in Bangkok to launch a global partnership against online scams, as officials warned that fraud has become an industrial-scale transnational crime causing billions of dollars in losses across East and Southeast Asia.
- A global partnership to combat online scams was launched in Bangkok during a UN-backed conference involving 58 countries.
- Officials warned online fraud has become industrial-scale transnational crime linked to trafficking and money laundering.
- The conference is expected to adopt a Bangkok Joint Statement to guide coordinated international action.
BANGKOK, THAILAND: A global cooperation initiative to combat online scams was formally launched in Bangkok as representatives from 58 countries gathered for a landmark conference addressing the rapidly expanding threat of transnational cyber-enabled crime.
The initiative was unveiled during the International Conference on the Global Partnership against Online Scams (IC-GPOS), co-hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The two-day conference, held on 17–18 December 2025, brought together 338 participants from 58 countries.
Attendees included senior officials from Rwanda, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, India and China, highlighting the broad international concern over the issue.
China’s delegation was led by Liu Zhongyi, assistant minister at the Ministry of Public Security, reflecting high-level engagement from major regional stakeholders affected by large-scale online fraud networks.
Opening the conference, Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said rapid technological advances had transformed global connectivity but had also enabled criminals to operate across borders faster than laws and enforcement mechanisms could respond.
He warned that online scams had evolved into industrial-scale criminal enterprises, exploiting legal loopholes, weak rule of law and ineffective enforcement in some jurisdictions.
Citing UNODC research published in 2023, Mr Sihasak said online fraud causes annual losses of between US$8 billion and US$37 billion in East and Southeast Asia, underlining the economic scale of the threat.
Thailand alone, he said, suffered estimated losses of US$3.16 billion over the past three years, illustrating how deeply the crime has affected individuals, businesses and financial systems.
Mr Sihasak added that online scams are closely linked to human trafficking, forced labour, money laundering and other forms of transnational organised crime, posing serious threats to human rights, public security and sustainable development.
Although many scam operations are concentrated in Southeast Asia, victims trafficked for forced criminality originate from around the world, reflecting the global nature of the networks behind such crimes.
He said Thailand has assisted in the repatriation of more than 10,000 people from over 40 countries who were rescued from scam centres in neighbouring states this year.
“This reality makes one point very clear: no country can solve this problem alone,” Mr Sihasak said, stressing the need for strong political will, effective law enforcement and a whole-of-society approach.
He emphasised that governments, the private sector and civil society must work together to disrupt scam operations, protect victims and prevent future exploitation.
While international cooperation remains essential, Mr Sihasak said Thailand has taken domestic action, including the confiscation of about US$300 million in assets linked to online fraud in recent months.
He also noted that Thailand was among 72 countries that signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime in Hanoi earlier this year, signalling commitment to multilateral legal frameworks.
Mr Sihasak said the conference aims to serve as a platform for countries to establish a global partnership against online scams, with the adoption of a Bangkok Joint Statement expected as a key outcome.
He acknowledged that Cambodia did not attend the conference but stressed that the initiative does not target any specific country and requires cooperation from all states affected by online fraud.
UNODC regional representative Delphine Schantz said online scams have become a major income stream for organised crime, with estimated annual losses of nearly US$40 billion in East and Southeast Asia.
She warned that fraud schemes are among the fastest-growing sectors of organised crime worldwide, driven by low risk, high profit and rapid technological adaptation.
Ms Schantz said sustained international collaboration is essential to deliver effective responses at national, regional and global levels, particularly as criminal networks continue to diversify.
“Let us use this opportunity not only to strengthen the global partnership against online scams, but to define clear, actionable steps towards more effective responses,” she said.
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