Investment Fraud Losses in Thailand Now Exceed Online Shopping Scams

Financial losses from investment fraud now exceed losses from online shopping scams in Thailand. This shift is driven by fraudulent schemes disseminated via Line, TikTok, and Facebook, where scammers impersonate public figures and regulators to deploy fake investment platforms that simulate real-time trading and profits. To address this systemic risk, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has intensified law enforcement enforcement actions. In the first three months of the year, reported incidents of investment fraud rose more than 71% year-on-year to 3,473. Requests for investor consultation jumped 391% to 3,194 cases. The SEC blocked 279 fraudulent accounts, with takedowns occurring between 7 minutes and 48 hours. The regulator filed five criminal cases involving 37 offenders, imposed civil penalties in three cases involving six offenders, and reached settlement agreements in four cases involving 18 offenders. The number of suspended mule accounts rose from 47,692 at the end of 2025 to 53,715 by February 2026.