Thai PM receives AI voice-clone phone scam attempt
Thai Prime Minister Pethprayun Shinawatra reported receiving a fraudulent phone call using AI-generated voice technology to impersonate a foreign ASEAN leader and solicit a donation. She discovered the scam through an invalid bank account and used the incident to warn the public about increasingly sophisticated telecom fraud.
What happened
Thai Prime Minister Pethprayun Shinawatra disclosed that she received a fraudulent phone call in which an AI-generated voice mimicked a foreign ASEAN leader's voice.
The caller requested she donate money, claiming Thailand was the only ASEAN country that had not donated, and provided a link for the donation.
Shinawatra detected the scam when she noticed the bank account provided did not belong to the purported country.
Reported impact
Shinawatra noted that the voice was extremely realistic and clear, and she initially did not suspect it was fraudulent because she had heard the leader's voice before.
Index analysis
Shinawatra stated that telecom fraud tactics have become increasingly advanced, smooth and subtle, making people easy to deceive.
Governance controls
Shinawatra instructed the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society to address the matter.
Thailand's Digital Economy and Social Ministry planned to issue an emergency decree requiring financial institutions and mobile operators to enhance user safety protections and compensate fraud victims.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.