BANGKOK: Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (pic) on Wednesday (Jan 15) warned the public against falling for AI-powered scams after she personally escaped a con artist impersonating an Asean leader.
Speaking at a policy meeting for the fiscal 2026 budget, the premier said she was targeted by a call centre gang using artificial intelligence to mimic the voice of a neighbouring country’s leader. The scammer attempted to solicit a donation on behalf of their “country”.
Paetongtarn said the scammer initially sent her a voice clip through a chat application, which was not Line. The message introduced the supposed leader, who expressed interest in cooperating with her on international matters. Paetongtarn said she responded via text messages, and the con artist wrote back saying he would contact her later.
The scammer then called her at 11pm via the same app, but she said: “Fortunately I was in bed and didn’t answer the call.”
The following morning, she said, she discovered the missed call and sent an apology, asking the scammer to call her back at a specific time.
The scammer then sent her another voice clip asking for a donation, falsely claiming that Thailand was the only Asean nation yet to contribute to the cause.
“This voice message made me realise that I was being deceived. The bank account number provided did not belong to the neighbouring country either,” Paetongtarn said.
She later instructed Digital Economy and Society Minister Prasert Chantararuangthong, who doubles as deputy PM, to conduct an investigation. Paetongtarn said she suspects the scammers got her contact from someone close to her who had fallen victim to the gang.
She said everyone should remain vigilant against such AI-driven scams, particularly voice clips that sound convincing.
While she refrained from informing the neighbouring country’s leader, she issued a public warning to prevent others from being tricked.
“I want to remind everyone to be cautious when receiving voice messages or calls, even if they seem authentic,” she said. - The Nation/ANN
