Agencies vow partnership to fight scams
State agencies have pledged to tighten inspections on companies that pose fraud risk, aiming to prevent incidents such as the fake Japanese tour scams.
According to Deputy Commerce Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong, the way to tackle and prevent problems is cooperation and closer partnerships among related state agencies.
“Information connectivity is desperately needed to trace down the companies information, nature of their business, corporate name changes, and the shortlist of companies suspected of cheating people, particularly in businesses that draw relatively high complaints such as direct selling and tourism,” he said. Mr Sontirat said direct selling has blossomed because of the economic slowdown.
In a move to prevent future tour scams, the Commerce Ministry through the Business Development Department yesterday met 13 related state agencies, including the National Police Office, the Tourism Department, the Provincial Administration Department, the Department of Special Investigation, and the Office of the Consumer Protection Board, and the Lands Department to discuss preventive and protective measures against all types of unscrupulous businesses which tend to cheat or run Ponzi schemes.
According to Mr Sontirat, it is difficult to inspect such companies, as the inspection processes involve many state units.
Banjongjitt Angsusingh, director-general of the Business Development Department, said inter-agency information linkage will allow people to re-examine the companies’ information.
Over 1,500 Thai tourists were left stranded at Suvarnabhumi airport last Tuesday night after they bought scam tours to Japan from direct sales company WealthEver.