Telecommunications regulator examining mobile-phone numbers in latest effort to foil online scammers
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) is working with the Anti-Money Laundering Commission (AMLO), mobile network operators, and commercial banks to block the access of any phone numbers to mobile banking accounts unless they belong to the same persons, NBTC commissioner Nathathorn Prousoontorn said.
He said that to screen out “mule accounts” used in online scams preying on smartphone users, the NBTC will make sure that the connected phone SIM cards and mobile banking accounts are registered to the correct people.
According to Nathathorn, the AMLO and banks will provide the NBTC and network operators with information of mule bank accounts to check against the databases on SIM card registrants.
Nathathorn, who heads the NBTC’s subcommittee on law enforcement on technology-related cases, said the government had instructed his agency to examine about 106 million mobile banking accounts linked to mobile-phone numbers.
The commissioner said his panel would meet with relevant agencies next Tuesday (May 21) to discuss measures and methods in detail.
He said the NBTC would start its examination on May 27 and expect to complete the task within 120 days. If any inconsistencies are found, the NBTC will inform the AMLO and commercial banks to notify the owners of mobile banking accounts linked to SIM cards that are registered to different persons.
