Think Before You Transfer: Thai Cyber Police Officer Warns Scam Victims Won't Get Their Money Back
Thailand's Cyber Police Bureau is turning to short-form video for scam prevention. In a Facebook reel posted on 1 November 2026, Police Lieutenant Bunthrika "Som-O" Thong-in of the bureau's Strategy Division warns that tech crime hits every profession and lists five traps, from romance and fake investment schemes to online task jobs, with one rule: think before you transfer.
Thailand's Cyber Police Bureau is taking scam prevention to short-form video, with a blunt message delivered in a friendly interview format: "Think before you transfer. If you're scammed, you won't get it back."
The warning comes from Police Lieutenant Bunthrika "Som-O" Thong-in, Deputy Inspector in the Strategy Division of the Cyber Police Bureau, in a Facebook reel posted by @jktainv2 on 1 November 2026.
From Immigration to Cyber Strategy
On-screen text introduces her as "หมวดส้มโอ จากตม. มาอยู่ไซเบอร์" (Lt. Som-O, from Immigration to Cyber).
She has served seven years in the police, starting at Immigration in Yasothon province in north-eastern Thailand.
As Deputy Inspector in the Strategy Division, her work is "ออกแบบโครงสร้าง การทำงานของตำรวจไซเบอร์" (designing the structure and working methods of the cyber police), including planning for the entire bureau.
Five Warnings
Under the caption "เตือนภัย อาชญากรรมทางเทคโนโลยี" (Warning: Technology Crime), she lists the traps scammers rely on:
- "โดนทุกอาชีพ" (It hits every profession): no occupation is immune.
- "คนหล่อจะมาจีบเราได้ไง" (How would a handsome guy come and court us?): a warning against romance scams that use fake profiles and flattery.
- "คนรวย ไม่มีใครอยากแบ่งผลประโยชน์ให้โดยไม่หวังผล" (No rich person shares profits without expecting something in return): aimed at fake investment schemes promising high returns.
- "เลือกอาชีพเสริมที่จับต้องได้" (Choose a side job you can actually touch): a warning against online task and part-time job scams.
- "ไม่มีงานใด ได้ผลประโยชน์โดยที่เหงื่อไม่ออก" (No job pays without sweat): if it sounds like free money, it is a trap.
Why the Format Matters
The reel is styled as a relaxed conversation between Lt. Som-O and a senior officer, not a formal warning, and ends with a throwback to the officers filming the music video "อยากเป็นตำรวจ" (Want to Be a Police Officer).
The approach targets the same feeds scammers use to find victims.
Putting a strategy officer, rather than an investigator, on camera also reflects how fighting technology crime now depends on planning and system design as much as on arrests.
The message for families and group chats is simple: think, verify, and never transfer money because someone attractive, wealthy or claiming authority asked on a screen.