BANGKOK, Thailand – The Royal Thai Police have ordered an urgent review of frozen “mule accounts” and directed that innocent citizens mistakenly affected should have access restored within 12 hours. The move follows growing complaints from bank customers whose accounts were suspended after being linked to cybercrime networks.
Royal Thai Police Chief Pol Gen Kittiratt Phanphet chaired a nationwide meeting yesterday (Sept 16) with cybercrime divisions, provincial commanders, and partner agencies, outlining new procedures to speed up account verification and unfreezing.
Authorities explained that accounts fall into two groups: those subject to formal court-ordered freezes, which will remain locked, and those of innocent citizens, where only the suspicious transfer amount will be suspended. Victims can now file complaints at local police stations or contact the Anti-Online Scam Operation Center (AOC) hotline 1441, with emergency hotlines 191 and 1599 expanded to handle additional reports.
Under the revised system, complainants provide basic details such as name, ID number, and account information, which police forward to the Police Cyber Taskforce and AOC for fast-tracked handling. The process is expected to reduce unfreezing time from several days to half a day. Additional investigators may be assigned to manage the rising case volume.
Strict penalties remain for those complicit in mule account schemes. Individuals who rent or open accounts for criminals face up to three years in prison or fines of up to 300,000 baht, while brokers and advertisers face two to five years in prison or fines between 200,000 and 500,000 baht. Police urged the public to stay alert, avoid fraudulent schemes, and report suspicious activity promptly. (NNT)
