Thailand is taking a significant step in combating fraud and boosting cyber resilience, with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DE) collaborating with key agencies to launch the “DE-fence platform.” This initiative is designed to protect the public from the growing threat of call centre gangs and fraudulent SMS messages that deceive people and cause significant financial harm.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Mr Prasert Jantarawongthong, revealed that the DE Ministry, together with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), the Royal Thai Police, telecommunications service providers and other relevant agencies, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the development of this platform. The platform aims to help prevent call centre gangs from reaching the public through deceptive calls and messages.
Recent statistics from the Royal Thai Police highlight the scale of the issue. Between October 1, 2023 and March 31, 2025, over 519,000 online complaints were received, resulting in damages of more than 50.7 billion baht (US$ 1.5 billion). Call centre gangs, leveraging modern technology, continue to evolve their fraudulent methods, with scams via phone calls and SMS posing an increasing challenge.
To address this, a meeting held on November 18, 2024, between the Ministry of Digital Economy, NBTC, Royal Thai Police, National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) and other relevant parties approved the implementation of the “DE-fence platform”.
This platform will serve as a comprehensive solution to protect citizens from fraudulent calls and messages. It will provide a notification system to alert the public about scam attempts, help screen incoming calls and SMS and allow verification of phone numbers from trusted organisations like the police and financial institutions.
The DE-fence platform categorises incoming calls and messages into three groups: Blacklist (fraudulent numbers for automatic blocking), Greylist (suspicious numbers, including international calls or those flagged by the public, with risk alerts) and Whitelist (verified government agency numbers, ensuring safe interaction with trusted sources like emergency services and financial institutions).
This initiative also includes measures to ensure the security of SMS services. Service providers will be required to register SMS messages and their links, ensuring that the links are verified before being sent out. This step is crucial in preventing criminals from using fake links to deceive people.
The initiative will require the cooperation of multiple sectors, including financial institutions, mobile operators, the NBTC and the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO). The DE-fence platform is part of a broader strategy to address technology crimes, particularly fraud committed by call centre gangs that exploit personal information and assets.
The platform will also integrate databases from telecommunications providers, the police, the NBTC, AMLO and the AOC 1441 hotline. This integration will allow real-time notifications, enabling users to verify suspicious calls or SMS messages. Additionally, the platform will include a user identity verification system to report fraudulent activities directly to the authorities.
In its first phase, the DE-fence platform will focus on phone numbers and SMS messages, particularly those from government agencies that criminals often impersonate. In subsequent phases, the platform will expand its coverage to include more agencies and companies, enhancing its protection and alert systems.
The DE-fence platform is currently undergoing security testing to ensure it can handle a large number of users, with an estimated 1 million active users. The BETA version of the platform will be available to the public on May 1, 2025.
When downloaded and installed, it will provide an accessible tool for citizens to protect themselves from fraudulent calls and messages. This initiative is expected to play a crucial role in reducing the financial and emotional toll of technology crimes, helping to safeguard Thailand’s digital landscape.
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