Meta Unlocks ‘Mystery Mansion of Scams’ to Frontline Thailand’s Anti-Fraud Tech Offensive

 

 

Immersive weekend experience combines public education with AI-powered enforcement that removed 7.3m fraudulent posts in six months.

 

 

 

Meta has launched an ambitious anti-fraud initiative in Thailand, unveiling an immersive public experience that combines education with aggressive enforcement measures which have resulted in the removal of millions of pieces of scam-related content across its platforms.

 

The tech giant's latest effort, "The Mystery Mansion of Scams", opens to the public this weekend as a free interactive experience running from 23-25 January at the Maen Sri Waterworks Building.

 

The initiative represents a groundbreaking collaboration with six major Thai public-sector organisations: the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA), the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).

 

 

The immersive experience invites visitors to unravel the cautionary tale of a young woman through a suspenseful investigation, guided by a black cat narrator and clues from a ghostly figure.

 

As participants explore the mansion from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM daily, they will encounter various forms of online scams embedded within the storyline, including romance scams, investment fraud, impersonation, and other deceptive schemes.
 

 

 

 

"Scams are a growing threat across the internet, impacting everything from dating apps and online gaming to cryptocurrency platforms and text messaging," said Yingyos Leechaianan, Head of Public Policy at Facebook Thailand. "At Meta, we deploy a multilayered approach to combat these sophisticated criminals—leveraging automated technical defences, disrupting scam networks, collaborating with industry and law enforcement partners, and empowering people with education to spot and prevent scams."

 

 

 

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt welcomed the initiative, stating: "Online fraud is an issue that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has long prioritised, as it is a close-to-home threat affecting the safety of people in today's digital society. Meta's collaboration in driving awareness through an accessible and creative initiative like this helps expand public understanding of online threats in a tangible way."

 

The campaign builds upon Meta's "Is This Legit?" social initiative, which was rolled out across 17 Asia-Pacific markets from July to December last year.

 

The regional on-platform campaign reached 382 million unique users and generated more than 2 billion impressions on Facebook and Instagram, with over 343,000 users engaging with the interactive game for a total of more than 2.74 million minutes of gameplay.

 

In Thailand specifically, the campaign reached over 31 million people and generated more than 130 million impressions.

 

More than 23,700 Thai users engaged with the game, spending nearly 190,000 minutes learning about different scam types—demonstrating significant public appetite for scam-awareness education.

 

 

 

 

The Mystery Mansion experience offers visitors the opportunity to collect stamps through a "Scam Survival Passport" to receive exclusive gifts after completing their investigation.

 

The venue also features partner exhibitions showcasing collaborative anti-scam efforts, including AIS's simulation of real scammer operational tools alongside video-based learning resources from the SEC, NBTC, and ETDA.

 

An on-site interactive "Is This Legit?" game and food and beverage trucks round out the weekend's activities.

 

 

 

 

Enforcement at Scale

Behind the public-facing campaign lies a sophisticated enforcement operation.

 

During the first half of 2025 alone, Meta removed more than 7.3 million pieces of fraudulent content from Facebook in Thailand, with 99% detected and eliminated proactively before users reported them.

 

Instagram saw the removal of over 15,000 pieces of similar content, with 76% caught through automated detection systems.

 

The company's enforcement efforts extended beyond content removal.

 

Meta banned more than 66,000 Facebook accounts and 24,000 Instagram accounts, with 65% of Facebook accounts and 86% of Instagram accounts removed proactively.

 

Additionally, over 18,000 Marketplace listings were removed, alongside 380,000 advertisements that violated the platform's fraud and scam policies.

 

Meta also banned more than 3,000 ad accounts, all removed proactively before being reported.

 

Globally, Meta removed more than 157 million ads that violated its fraud policies in 2024, with over 90% eliminated proactively.

 

The company has also identified that approximately 20% of reported scams originate from compromised accounts, prompting enhanced security measures that have resulted in a 48% reduction in auto-detected account compromises on Facebook and 41% on Instagram during the second quarter of 2025.

 

Yupaporn Sirikitpanichkul, assistant permanent secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, emphasised the importance of cross-sector collaboration: "Today, people are facing increasingly sophisticated online scams and digital threats, placing everyday internet users at an inevitably higher level of risk. Enhancing digital safety requires strong collaboration amongst the public sector, private sector, and online user communities."

 

 

 

 

Joint Disruption Operations

A significant milestone came through Meta's partnership with the Royal Thai Police's Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (ACSC) and global law enforcement partners.

 

The collaboration, known as "Joint Disruption Week", targeted transnational online crime networks operating across Southeast Asia from Bangkok.

 

The operation yielded substantial results, including the removal of more than 59,000 fake and high-risk pages linked to money laundering and illegal job recruitment schemes.

 

The partnership also facilitated the development of joint detection systems capable of blocking more than 4,000 scam advertisements daily, whilst identifying six key suspects connected to transnational scam networks.

 

Achinee Patmasukon, assistant secretary-general and head of the Complaints Centre at the SEC, highlighted the regulator's proactive approach: "The SEC takes a proactive approach to protecting investors and the public from fraudulent investment solicitations. We also integrate collaboration across both public and private sectors to develop preventive mechanisms, enhance scam literacy, and foster a safe and trustworthy online environment in a sustainable manner."

 

The multi-agency collaboration reflects the Thai government's comprehensive approach to tackling online fraud, bringing together expertise from financial regulation, telecommunications oversight, digital economy policy, law enforcement, and municipal governance.

 

As fraudsters continue to adapt their tactics across romance scams, online shopping fraud, and investment schemes, Meta Thailand has committed to maintaining close collaboration with government agencies to strengthen enforcement, educate the public, and raise awareness about online safety.

 

The company and its partners plan to expand such cooperation throughout 2026.

 

The Mystery Mansion of Scams represents a shift from conventional scam-awareness education to hands-on experiences that actively engage participants, aiming to strengthen digital awareness and resilience amongst the wider public.