OSCE and Thailand mark 25 years of partnership with focus on combatting online scams

The OSCE and the Kingdom of Thailand marked the 25th anniversary of their partnership with a special workshop and a meeting of the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group, held in Vienna on 30 May and 2 June 2025. Hosted as part of Malta’s Chairpersonship of the OSCE Asian Partners for Co-operation Group, the two events brought together senior government officials, cybercrime and trafficking experts, law enforcement authorities and private sector representatives to address the growing global threat of online scams.

OSCE participating States and Asian Partners gathered to share experiences and best practices in detecting, investigating, and disrupting digital fraud, as well as identifying the victims of trafficking involved in online scams operations.

“With its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE is uniquely positioned to help develop co-ordinated, human-centred responses to this growing challenge,” said Ambassador Natasha Meli Daudey of Malta.

Discussions addressed the complexity of the scam ecosystem, from blockchain-enabled money laundering to the exploitative methods used by criminal groups. Thailand presented its national strategy, which includes AI-based detection tools, a centralized Anti-Online Scam Operation Center (AOC), and multi-agency co-ordination.

“Our national experience demonstrates that robust inter-agency co-ordination and strong international partnerships are crucial in dismantling these sophisticated criminal networks,” noted Professor Wisit Wisitsora-at, Permanent Secretary at Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society.

Thai Ambassador Pattarat Hongtong further shared details on the work of the ASEAN Working Group on Anti-Online Scam, which Thailand initiated in February 2024, as a platform for information sharing, capacity building, and co-ordinated enforcement at the regional level.

Participants also examined ways to bridge policy gaps, enhancing digital and financial literacy to prevent victimization, and promoting public-private partnerships that engage digital platforms and financial actors—including the cryptocurrency sector. Experts called for harmonized regulatory frameworks to mitigate virtual assets risks, enhanced cross-border police and judicial collaboration, and capacity building for criminal justice practitioners.

With online scams resulting in over $1 trillion in reported global losses in 2023 alone, participants reaffirmed their commitment to collaborative, forward-looking responses that prioritize prevention, victim protection, and international co-operation to tackle an increasingly sophisticated form of transnational crime with high human and financial costs.