At the session "Bangkok Blueprint for Fraud-Resilient Financial Services" during the 2026 IMF-World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Bangkok on 14 October, the IMF, the World Bank Group, and the Bank of Thailand launched a new policy framework to tackle cyber-enabled fraud and scams through coordinated national and international action.

Panelists stressed that digital financial fraud is no longer only a consumer protection or law enforcement issue. It is a systemic risk affecting financial stability, development, and inclusion. Digital finance has expanded access and cut costs, especially for low-income households and small businesses, but widespread fraud can erode public trust and undo those gains.

In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ekniti Nitithanprapas described the Bangkok Blueprint as a practical policy framework for fighting digital financial fraud through international cooperation, adaptable to each country's circumstances. 

He underlined that digital fraud is a global economic challenge, as criminals exploit gaps in enforcement and coordination across borders, and  called on countries to put the Blueprint into action and to extend information-sharing beyond their own borders, in order to build a safer, more inclusive, and more resilient financial system. The Bangkok Blueprint consists of three major principles: 1) A whole-of-ecosystem approach, 2) stronger international cooperation, and 3) practical implementation tailored to different countries.

The document "Bangkok Blueprint in Action" includes:

• Thailand's "Connect the Dots" initiative: integrates information across agencies to identify fraud patterns earlier and improve responses;

• Call to action: implement the Blueprint and build cross-border information-sharing and coordination.

Governor of the Bank of Thailand Vitai Ratanakorn explained that digital finance has made financial services more accessible, efficient, and affordable, but has also created interconnected risks involving fraud, cybersecurity, and operational resilience. He pointed to Thailand's results as proof that coordinated action works: financial fraud losses fell from more than 43 billion baht in 2024 to 32 billion baht in 2025, although losses still exceeded 9 billion baht in the first half of 2026. 

He introduced the Safe and Inclusive Digital Finance (SIDF) agenda, which seeks to ensure that digital financial innovation advances alongside security, trust, and inclusion, and stressed that effective implementation requires sustained cooperation among regulators, financial institutions, the private sector, and international organizations.

• The Blueprint's structure: 12 key considerations across five pillars, covering legal foundations, fraud prevention and response, risk management, domestic and cross-border cooperation, and consumer protection.

• Disrupting illicit flows: Thailand is targeting mule accounts, large cash withdrawals, gold transactions, foreign exchange, and digital assets, particularly USDT.

• Implementation: requires sustained cooperation across regulators, financial institutions, the private sector, and international organizations.

● Five key messages from the discussion:

 1. Think ecosystem and cross-border. Banks, telecoms, tech platforms, regulators, and law enforcement must share information in a timely way.

2.  Build prevention in from the start. Fraud mitigation should be embedded in product design, backed by fast response and victim assistance.

3.  Use AI wisely. It can power smarter scams, but also detect unusual transactions, identify mule accounts, and trace illicit funds.

 4. Learn from real experience. Thailand's coordination mechanisms and Rwanda's real-time monitoring show what works. Experiences from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand are in the companion paper "Bangkok Blueprint in Action."

 5. Deliver measurable results. The IMF, World Bank Group, and FSB will support implementation, with progress judged by lower fraud losses, faster detection, better fund recovery, and sustained public trust.

The bottom line: fighting fraud together is the key to keeping digital finance safe, inclusive, and trusted.