#Onlinefraud

Thailand’s digital marketplace is booming, but a sharp rise in online complaints is revealing how quickly convenience can turn into risk. In the first eight months of this year, the official consumer-protection agency reports more than 27,000 online complaints filed by Thai shoppers. The increase, roughly one-fifth higher than the same period last year, highlights a serious challenge as households increasingly buy goods and services online, often from unfamiliar sellers and cross-border platforms. The numbers place e-commerce scams and the operation of illegal websites squarely at the top of fraud concerns, signaling both opportunity and danger in a fast-growing online economy.

A concerning escalation in sophisticated fraud schemes specifically targeting university students has emerged globally, with scammers leveraging fake employment opportunities, housing arrangements, and educational offers to exploit young people’s financial resources and personal information. This alarming trend, documented through comprehensive research revealing that nearly half of surveyed youth face high susceptibility to financial fraud, serves as an urgent warning for Thai university students as academic terms commence and internship application seasons approach, particularly as similar deceptive practices are increasingly appearing throughout Southeast Asian educational communities.

A new wave of fraudulent schemes is targeting university students, with scammers relying on fake job offers, housing scams, and too-good-to-be-true opportunities to trick their victims, according to a recent investigative report from the United States. The trend, which has left nearly half of surveyed youth susceptible to financial loss, serves as a wake-up call for Thai university students preparing for term start and internship application season, as such scams are showing up globally, including Southeast Asia (WXYZ).

A growing wave of digital fraud is targeting university students worldwide, with scammers posing as employers, housing agents, and scholarship providers to exploit young people’s finances and personal data. Research shows nearly half of surveyed youths feel highly vulnerable to financial fraud, a warning that Thai universities cannot ignore as term beginnings and internship seasons arrive across Southeast Asia.

For Thai youth, the rise of campus-focused scams comes as digital platforms become central to study, social life, and part-time work. Data indicates students aged 18-24 face the highest risk of fraud, with typical losses surpassing 5,500 baht per incident. In Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and other major education hubs, incidents are increasingly reported in which criminals pretend to be professors seeking research assistants, housing agents advertising desirable rentals, or HR managers offering lucrative internships. These schemes often unfold through familiar channels such as email, social media, and professional networks.

A growing number of individuals worldwide are falling prey to online “relationships” defined not by emotional support or companionship, but by a steady financial outflow—often in just one direction. Recent international reports reveal a dramatic rise in romance scams, echoing the concerns of agony columns like “Dear Abby,” where readers describe partnerships that only seem to involve sending money, not receiving genuine affection. Behind the stories are stark statistics and sophisticated scam operations that have made digital platforms a hotbed for financial exploitation under the guise of love.

A growing global phenomenon sees people drawn into online “relationships” that drain money rather than provide affection. New analyses show a sharp increase in romance scams, where scammers exploit loneliness and trust to extract funds. The pattern is now a pressing public concern that requires practical awareness and action.

For Thailand, where internet and smartphone use continues to rise and dating apps grow in popularity across generations, the risk is highly relevant. Generosity and hospitality are core Thai values, but criminals exploit these traits through manipulation, empathy, and fake emergencies. The question, “Is it still a relationship if only one person sends money?” reflects a real, evolving threat that Thai communities must confront.