https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/rss/325107/feed en https://assets-v2.i-scmp.com/production/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong police have raised concerns over Apple’s refusal to activate an additional security protocol to prevent fraud despite repeated calls, as the force received more than 110 reports of unauthorised credit card transactions following the pre-order launch of the company’s latest model. The force said on Saturday that residents began reporting suspicious credit card purchases of the foldable iPhone Duo after online pre-orders started on Friday at 8pm. The largest transaction involved... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371245/police-receive-over-100-reports-about-credit-card-charges-iphone-duo-pre-orders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371245/police-receive-over-100-reports-about-credit-card-charges-iphone-duo-pre-orders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Oct 2026 07:31:50 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Authorities in Thailand have uncovered an audacious scheme involving hundreds of metres of internet cable sent over the Thai border to keep a suspected Myanmar scam compound online, after finding two ramshackle village homes using enough daily bandwidth to power an entire village. Officers raided the homes in Nong Lu, a Thai border village in Kanchanaburi province, which is the gateway to the Three Pagodas Pass in Myanmar – now a notorious hub for cyber scammers. Many scam centre leaders have... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371148/thai-raid-foils-cross-border-cable-ruse-powering-myanmar-scam-centre?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3371148/thai-raid-foils-cross-border-cable-ruse-powering-myanmar-scam-centre?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Oct 2026 08:31:20 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong police have arrested six people allegedly tied to a nine-year scam run by a suspected cross-border criminal syndicate offering business opportunities in agarwood and cryptocurrency, with funds involved reaching HK$14 million (US$1.78 million). Superintendent Allan Chu Ming-lun of the commercial crime bureau said on Thursday that investigations began in September after the force received 21 reports from victims, mostly elderly people, saying they had been investing in various products... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371037/6-arrested-over-hk14m-agarwood-and-crypto-investment-scam-ran-9-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3371037/6-arrested-over-hk14m-agarwood-and-crypto-investment-scam-ran-9-years?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:13:16 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado Bank of America, the second-largest US bank, failed to promptly report hundreds of millions of dollars in suspicious transactions bearing signs of Chinese money-laundering networks, US regulators said on Tuesday, announcing more than US$1.21 billion in penalties for broader anti-money-laundering and sanctions failures. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, said the activity included large wire transfers to counterparties in China, repeated credit-card purchases at major retailers... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370920/bank-america-fined-us121-billion-us-flags-suspected-chinese-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/diplomacy/article/3370920/bank-america-fined-us121-billion-us-flags-suspected-chinese-money-laundering?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:47:33 +0000 Matthew Cheng Matthew Cheng The average loss suffered by elderly victims of investment scams in Hong Kong rose by a third year on year to HK$1.08 million (US$137,600) in 2026, the city’s police chief has said, calling for greater community vigilance against syndicates preying on retirees. Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming on Tuesday also warned of a recent surge in scams involving fraudsters posing as customer service officers, with such cases nearly doubling from last year. Speaking at the launch of “Anti-fraud... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3370758/average-loss-elderly-hongkongers-investment-scams-jumps-33-hk108m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3370758/average-loss-elderly-hongkongers-investment-scams-jumps-33-hk108m?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2026 11:42:02 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Two years after the Philippines banned its notorious offshore gaming hubs, or Pogos, a recent crackdown on hundreds of foreigners has highlighted a worrying trend of embedded corruption that still enables the sector to thrive. In September, the National Bureau of Investigation raided a call centre-style facility in Makati City, arresting more than 120 Chinese nationals linked to an alleged illegal trading and “lust scam” that tricked local and foreign victims into sharing explicit videos, which... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370281/philippines-thought-pogos-were-gone-corruption-and-ai-still-power-them?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/politics/article/3370281/philippines-thought-pogos-were-gone-corruption-and-ai-still-power-them?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Oct 2026 04:56:49 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have arrested 17 more people linked to a suspected “crash-for-cash” scam syndicate as authorities investigate 669 suspicious claims totalling more than HK$137 million (US$17.4 million). Among those arrested was an insurance claimant accused of filing 12 compensation claims worth more than HK$3 million. Officers from the commercial crime bureau arrested the 17 claimants aged 27 to 49 between September 9 and Tuesday on suspicion of fraud, bringing the total number of people... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3370077/hong-kong-police-arrest-17-more-over-hk137-million-crash-cash-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3370077/hong-kong-police-arrest-17-more-over-hk137-million-crash-cash-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:06:21 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Governments and financial institutions in Southeast Asia urgently need to find a way to safely and quickly share data if they hope to contain a surge in scams, cybersecurity experts warn, as artificial intelligence enables criminal operations in the region to expand their reach rapidly. Criminal enterprises stole as much as US$114 billion from victims across the Asia-Pacific in 2025, according to a United Nations report released in July, more than triple the amount from two years earlier, aided... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3369903/southeast-asia-urged-step-war-against-ai-powered-scams-through-data-sharing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3369903/southeast-asia-urged-step-war-against-ai-powered-scams-through-data-sharing?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 07:50:04 +0000 Eve Qiao Eve Qiao China tried three times to persuade powerful families in northern Myanmar to shut down scam operations before Myanmar police carried out large-scale arrests in 2023, according to a new documentary broadcast on Chinese state television. The three-part documentary, jointly produced by China’s Ministry of Public Security and state broadcaster CCTV, began airing on Monday. It shows obstacles faced by Chinese authorities in pursuing criminal networks and scam groups operating in northern Myanmar... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369886/china-tried-3-times-talk-crime-families-out-scam-business-myanmar-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/china/politics/article/3369886/china-tried-3-times-talk-crime-families-out-scam-business-myanmar-state-media?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Oct 2026 06:44:14 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A 60-year-old Hong Kong woman has lost more than HK$21 million (US$2.7 million) in a cryptocurrency scam after a fraudster posing as an investment expert she met online duped her. The clerk reported the case to police on Saturday, saying she had befriended an individual claiming to be an investment specialist on “Baby Kingdom”, a popular online parenting forum and community website, on March 15 this year, a source said. The fraudster duped her into investing on a fake cryptocurrency platform... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369712/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk215-million-cryptocurrency-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369712/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk215-million-cryptocurrency-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:04:44 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words. The adoption of the Phnom Penh Declaration at last week’s international conference on online scams contains welcome language on international cooperation and victim protection. However, the 11-point statement ultimately leaves some of the hardest questions unanswered. Its... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369521/phnom-penh-declaration-online-scams-short-details?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/letters/article/3369521/phnom-penh-declaration-online-scams-short-details?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 03:30:09 +0000 Kristen Cheung Kristen Cheung Scams involving fraudsters posing as customer service officers caused losses of over HK$220 million (US$28.2 million) in August in Hong Kong, more than triple the monthly average in the first seven months of the year, police have said. The police force also warned that scammers had shifted their modus operandi from using phishing links to taking real-time control of victims through direct calls and screen sharing, or tricking them into installing a malicious app that turned mobile phones into a... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369628/hongkongers-lose-hk220-million-customer-service-scams-august?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369628/hongkongers-lose-hk220-million-customer-service-scams-august?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Oct 2026 01:00:20 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong police have received more than 1,500 reports of suspicious credit card transactions involving Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro series, totalling more than HK$30 million (US$3.82 million). In an update on the case, which has drawn public attention, the force said the number of reports had risen to 1,503 as of Tuesday, from about 1,200 two weeks earlier. It added that all the transactions had been cancelled. Speaking at a Kowloon City district council meeting, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369236/hong-kong-police-receive-1503-reports-suspicious-iphone-charges-worth-hk30m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369236/hong-kong-police-receive-1503-reports-suspicious-iphone-charges-worth-hk30m?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:49:44 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A retired woman in Hong Kong lost nearly HK$2.9 million (US$369,670) in a romance scam after a fraudster posing as a power company employee won her trust and lured her into a bogus investment scheme. Police said the case was among at least 18 online romance scams reported in the past week, with total losses nearing HK$7.8 million, according to the force’s CyberDefender social media page. The 71-year-old retiree met a man on Facebook who claimed to work for a power company. The pair gradually... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369234/retired-hong-kong-woman-loses-hk29-million-online-romance-fake-app-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3369234/retired-hong-kong-woman-loses-hk29-million-online-romance-fake-app-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:40:54 +0000 CNA CNA Behind the unmarked door of a shoplot along a quiet commercial stretch of Forest City in Malaysia’s Johor state, four customers sat tapping away, playing slot-style games on tablets. A stern-looking man stood guard at the entrance, his eyes darting around. The customers could place bets starting from around 20 ringgit (US$4.89). Instead of handing over cash, they paid for gambling credits using Malaysia’s Touch ’n Go e-wallet. They were then issued tablets from behind the counter with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369173/malaysias-forest-city-wants-rebirth-scams-crime-stand-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3369173/malaysias-forest-city-wants-rebirth-scams-crime-stand-way?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Sep 2026 07:46:04 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk The lawyer for an Indonesian businessman arrested in Singapore for allegedly using counterfeit S$10,000 (US$7,830) notes at a casino has said his client was a victim of fraud himself. The businessman, identified only as Steven, is accused of exchanging 34 fake S$10,000 notes for chips over three visits to the Resorts World Sentosa casino in June. The notes were accepted but later found to be counterfeit. His lawyer, Dosma Sijabat, told Tempo news magazine on Tuesday that the fake bills did not... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3368499/indonesian-arrested-singapore-over-fake-banknotes-was-victim-fraud-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3368499/indonesian-arrested-singapore-over-fake-banknotes-was-victim-fraud-lawyer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:32:41 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok An 80‑year‑old woman has lost HK$6 million (US$764,772) to a fake investment expert she met online, Hong Kong police have disclosed. The case was among more than 50 investment scams reported over the past week, with total losses approaching HK$30 million, according to a post on the force’s CyberDefender social media page. The victim, a retiree, first met the fraudster posing as an investment expert on Facebook before moving their conversations to WhatsApp, where the suspect built a relationship... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3368267/hong-kong-woman-80-loses-hk6-million-fake-online-investment-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3368267/hong-kong-woman-80-loses-hk6-million-fake-online-investment-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:33:54 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A 65-year-old Chinese woman used artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate both a young doctor and her mother, successfully scamming 170,000 yuan (US$25,000) from a man. Liu Hui, a resident of Shanghai, connected with a woman named Yu Xiuzhen on a social media platform in 2021. Yu asserted that she was a 29-year-old doctor at a prestigious Grade 3A hospital in Shanghai, claiming influence over her hospital’s property engineering projects. Over the past five years, Yu frequently shared details... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368264/chinese-woman-65-plays-dual-roles-beautiful-doctor-and-mum-con-man-out-us25000?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3368264/chinese-woman-65-plays-dual-roles-beautiful-doctor-and-mum-con-man-out-us25000?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2026 10:16:27 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong rightly prides itself on being one of the world’s safest cities with regard to violent crime. Yet the latest deception figures make clear that safety on the streets is no guarantee of safety over the phone and internet. Police are to be commended for their recent operations that smashed sophisticated fraud syndicates, including those employing hotel rooms as call centres and identity cards forged using artificial intelligence (AI) to launder money. But the underlying trend is hardly... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3367594/combat-scams-hong-kong-needs-stronger-crackdowns-greater-vigilance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3367594/combat-scams-hong-kong-needs-stronger-crackdowns-greater-vigilance?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 Sep 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding an education consultant out of nearly HK$3 million (US$382,500) by claiming he could secure dozens of places at a Hong Kong school, the South China Morning Post has learned. A police source said on Monday that the suspect, a 51-year-old Hongkonger who claimed to be a businessman, had signed a contract with a 45-year-old woman working as an education consultant on March 1, 2024, claiming he could provide dozens of places at a “Kiangsu-Chekiang... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367495/man-arrested-over-alleged-hk28-million-hong-kong-school-admission-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367495/man-arrested-over-alleged-hk28-million-hong-kong-school-admission-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:25:59 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen More than 700 Hongkongers were shocked to discover that their credit cards had been used to place unauthorised orders for Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro series handsets over the weekend. Although banks reassured victims they would not be charged as long as the cards were used with due care and the transactions were proven to be unauthorised, the incident still caused widespread concern over credit card security. The South China Morning Post asked information technology experts for practical tips on... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367443/hong-kongs-iphone-scam-how-protect-your-credit-card-online-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367443/hong-kongs-iphone-scam-how-protect-your-credit-card-online-fraud?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:17:23 +0000 Ambrose Li,Leopold Chen Ambrose Li,Leopold Chen The number of suspicious credit card transactions involving pre-orders for the latest iPhone models has surged to more than 1,200 in Hong Kong, involving HK$25 million (US$3.2 million), police have said, while Apple is reviewing all current orders. The force said the number of unauthorised transactions had risen to 1,209 as of 5pm on Monday, up from more than 700 the previous day. The total amount involved had also risen from HK$14.7 million. Over the weekend, many social media users reported... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367388/apple-should-bear-responsibility-hong-kong-iphone-card-fraud-lawmaker-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367388/apple-should-bear-responsibility-hong-kong-iphone-card-fraud-lawmaker-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 03:56:58 +0000 Fran Lu Fran Lu A 75-year-old woman from Shanghai spent three million yuan (US$450,000) on beauty treatments in a salon, completely depleting her retirement savings before her daughter uncovered the situation. The elderly woman’s daughter recently sought assistance from a Shanghai television programme after discovering that her mother had exhausted all her savings on beauty services. The woman, surnamed Yu, had spent her savings at a branch of Yongqi Beauty and Hairdressing Company, as well as a medical beauty... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3367377/china-grandma-drains-life-savings-us450000-beauty-fraud-daughter-discovers-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3367377/china-grandma-drains-life-savings-us450000-beauty-fraud-daughter-discovers-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:23:36 +0000 Simpson Cheung Simpson Cheung Hong Kong police have received reports from more than 700 people about unauthorised credit card transactions worth HK$14.7 million (US$1.87 million) linked to pre-orders of Apple’s newest iPhones, prompting the force and major banks to launch investigations. A police spokesman said the force’s e-Report Centre received the reports on Saturday and Sunday from individuals who suspected that their credit cards were fraudulently used for online purchases of smartphones. The largest single case... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367342/hongkongers-hit-unauthorised-charges-new-iphone-2-banks-launch-probes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367342/hongkongers-hit-unauthorised-charges-new-iphone-2-banks-launch-probes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 07:20:58 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A mainland Chinese university student in Hong Kong has lost about HK$1 million (US$127,500) in a scam after a fraudster accused her of involvement in a criminal case and demanded “guarantees”. Police said they received a report from a 19-year-old student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) at 1.07am on Sunday. The force said the victim had earlier received calls from someone posing as a government officer, accusing her of being involved in a criminal case on the mainland... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367334/mainland-chinese-hkust-student-loses-hk1-million-scammer-posing-official?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3367334/mainland-chinese-hkust-student-loses-hk1-million-scammer-posing-official?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Sep 2026 03:38:02 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin The Trump administration sanctioned Chinese-language marketplace Xinbi Guarantee on Wednesday, along with two affiliated organisations, as part of a wider crackdown on transnational cybercrime. The US Department of Justice also announced it had seized Telegram channels and cryptocurrency wallets tied to the platform, which has over 650,000 users, freezing more than US$52 million in potentially laundered funds in just one day. “This is not a distant overseas crime story,” said Jeanine Pirro, the... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3366977/us-sanctions-chinese-language-xinbi-guarantee-marketplace-over-cyber-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3366977/us-sanctions-chinese-language-xinbi-guarantee-marketplace-over-cyber-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:48:23 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A 22-year-old man pleaded guilty on Tuesday to teaming up with friends to steal nearly a quarter-billion dollars in bitcoin from a Washington resident – one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in US history – and then embarking on a wild spending spree with the laundered proceeds. Malone Lam, an eighth-grade dropout who came to the US from Singapore, faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years after pleading guilty to a federal racketeering conspiracy charge. US District Judge Colleen... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3366830/singapore-man-malone-lam-pleads-guilty-after-massive-us-bitcoin-heist-and-spending-spree?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3366830/singapore-man-malone-lam-pleads-guilty-after-massive-us-bitcoin-heist-and-spending-spree?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 18:31:00 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thai authorities arrested 12 South Koreans and a Chinese national accused of running a scam call centre from a high-end rented house south of Bangkok, police said on Tuesday. The alleged scammers “entered Thailand from a neighbouring country and were hiding in Samut Prakan province, renting a luxury house”, Thai police said in a statement, without naming the country. Cambodia and Myanmar, which border Thailand, have become hubs for criminal groups operating fake romance, investment and other... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3366814/12-south-koreans-arrested-thailand-scam-centre-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3366814/12-south-koreans-arrested-thailand-scam-centre-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:46:55 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have arrested a man in connection with a scam in which at least 14 people were hired to “sell flags” for an animal concern group after they were spotted carrying fake donation bags and mixing with registered volunteers to collect money from passers-by. The rare street scam came to light during the group’s flag day on Saturday, a Social Welfare Department-approved fundraising initiative under which about 800 registered volunteers from the Hong Kong Saving Cat and Dog Association... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3366550/man-arrested-over-fake-flag-day-scam-targeting-animal-charity-donations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3366550/man-arrested-over-fake-flag-day-scam-targeting-animal-charity-donations?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2026 11:58:45 +0000 Cannix Yau Cannix Yau Impersonating customer service staff is the “most rampant tactic” used by phone scammers, Hong Kong police have said, revealing the number of such fraud cases rose by 45 per cent to 4,830 in the first half of 2026 compared with a year ago. Despite the increase, deception cases overall fell slightly between January and June, dropping by 0.7 per cent compared with the same period last year, Superintendent Kwok Ching-yee of the commercial crime bureau said on Friday. Losses also fell by 0.8 per... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3366368/customer-service-major-ruse-phone-scam-losses-56-first-half-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3366368/customer-service-major-ruse-phone-scam-losses-56-first-half-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2026 08:08:04 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man and woman from a clinic on suspicion of selling a laboratory reagent as a bogus vaccine against more than 20 types of cancer. The arrests followed a joint operation by the Department of Health and police, during which investigators raided 13 premises linked to the company, said Frank Chan Ling-fung, an assistant director of health who oversees drug matters. Chan said there had been no reports of illness among people who had received the “WT1 cancer... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3366148/hong-kong-police-arrest-clinic-operator-over-sales-unapproved-cancer-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3366148/hong-kong-police-arrest-clinic-operator-over-sales-unapproved-cancer-vaccine?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:28:01 +0000 Han Li Han Li US lawmakers are trying to identify which foreign countries are the biggest sources of unlawful robocalls targeting Americans, as Congress steps up efforts to combat a surge in phone scams. The inquiry follows a string of US government reports tying much of the financial damage from scams to Chinese criminal networks based in Southeast Asia. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee passed the bipartisan “Foreign Robocall Elimination Act” on Tuesday,... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366036/us-congress-seeks-identify-foreign-countries-behind-scam-calls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3366036/us-congress-seeks-identify-foreign-countries-behind-scam-calls?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2026 22:30:49 +0000 CNA CNA More than 1,000 luxury items and 80 real estate properties forfeited in Singapore’s S$3 billion (US$2.4 billion) money laundering case would go under the hammer from September 7, audit firm Deloitte said on Saturday. The properties will be auctioned by SRI, Edmund Tie & Company and Knight Frank, while auction house Hotlotz will handle the luxury goods, comprising jewellery, watches and handbags. Some selected properties will also be offered for sale through an expression of interest process run... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3365690/singapore-auction-luxury-goods-properties-us24-billion-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3365690/singapore-auction-luxury-goods-properties-us24-billion-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 05:59:21 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran The Philippines spent years dismantling Chinese-linked gambling compounds in dramatic, headline-grabbing raids. But all the while, and with far less scrutiny, South Korean syndicates were building a parallel industry worth billions of US dollars – one that a spate of recent arrests suggests is still very much intact. The most recent involved a 29-year-old Korean woman named Kim Young-sun, who authorities allege ran a network of 23 illegal online betting websites out of offices in Pasay and... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3365619/how-philippines-missed-korean-gambling-racket-worth-us38-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3365619/how-philippines-missed-korean-gambling-racket-worth-us38-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Aug 2026 02:30:12 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim For more than a month, Aaron* thought he and his wife were learning how to trade stocks. Only later would they realise the lessons were part of the trap. The Singaporean business owner had found a group of self-styled investment experts on Facebook, claiming to offer foolproof tips and guaranteed returns. Soon, he and his wife, who were dabbling in stocks for the first time, were spending about two hours every other day in a WhatsApp group chat with dozens of other participants, taking lessons... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3365604/how-singapore-investors-are-lured-foreign-stock-scams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3365604/how-singapore-investors-are-lured-foreign-stock-scams?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:41:52 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele A 48-year-old Malaysian man is believed to have killed his wife and their two young children before taking his life at a Kuala Lumpur flat, in a case police said might have been linked to losses from an alleged online love scam purportedly involving the woman. Initial police investigations found a note left by the man, blaming his actions on the scam, which had left the family with US$61,000 in losses and debt, police said on Friday. The 48-year-old father wrote that he was distraught over his... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3365592/malaysian-man-kills-wife-2-children-and-self-over-love-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3365592/malaysian-man-kills-wife-2-children-and-self-over-love-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:56:00 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore’s new rules for messaging platforms mark a significant shift in the country’s fight against scams, placing greater responsibility on digital services to help stop fraudsters before they reach potential victims, as the government seeks stronger penalties for non-compliance. Analysts said the requirements could reduce the number of people exposed to scams and offer a potential model for other Southeast Asian countries, while cautioning that sophisticated fraudsters could adapt and seek... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3365387/can-singapores-new-anti-scam-rules-help-stop-online-fraud-it-occurs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3365387/can-singapores-new-anti-scam-rules-help-stop-online-fraud-it-occurs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Aug 2026 03:55:47 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A Hong Kong man has lost more than HK$2.8 million (US$357,000) in an online investment scam in which fraudsters claiming to be employees of electricity companies duped him into investing in a “recyclable waste project”. Police also said on Wednesday that the force had recorded 50 investment scams in the past week, with the total losses exceeding HK$30 million. The force said the man, who is in his sixties, became acquainted with one of the scammers on Facebook. The fraudster claimed to be an... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3365299/hong-kong-man-loses-hk28-million-investment-scam-among-50-cases-past-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3365299/hong-kong-man-loses-hk28-million-investment-scam-among-50-cases-past-week?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Aug 2026 06:29:24 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan Online scam syndicates that rely on trafficked workers, guarded compounds and vast call-centre-style operations could soon become more threatening by exploiting agentic AI to run some fraud operations autonomously, a cybercrime expert has warned. Unlike earlier uses of artificial intelligence to write scripts, translate messages or produce deepfakes, agentic AI systems can carry out multi-step tasks with limited human prompting, raising the prospect of scams that are faster, cheaper, more... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3364789/asia-faces-scam-epidemic-threat-gangs-exploit-agentic-ai-cybercrime-expert-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/economics/article/3364789/asia-faces-scam-epidemic-threat-gangs-exploit-agentic-ai-cybercrime-expert-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Aug 2026 06:29:20 +0000 Lucy Quaggin Lucy Quaggin A Chinese national was charged in the United States on Wednesday with committing voter fraud during the 2024 presidential election for allegedly impersonating a fellow countryman and later submitting anonymous tips about him to immigration authorities. Yupeng Sun, a Massachusetts resident, was arrested this week for allegedly submitting a fraudulent voter registration and ballot under the name of another Chinese national in the 2024 election that returned US President Donald Trump to the White... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3364618/chinese-national-charged-voter-fraud-during-2024-us-presidential-election?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3364618/chinese-national-charged-voter-fraud-during-2024-us-presidential-election?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Aug 2026 23:18:24 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong police have arrested 17 people and seized HK$3.67 million (US$470,500) in a crackdown on a fraud syndicate that recruited foreign “runners” from Malaysia to collect crime proceeds from victims. The police force’s Kowloon West crime squad said on Sunday that the arrests were made in connection with “guess who I am” phone scams that duped 22 victims out of about HK$2.5 million between June and August. The single largest loss was HK$700,000. Such cons typically involve scammers calling... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364186/17-arrested-hk367m-seized-crackdown-scam-group-using-malaysian-runners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364186/17-arrested-hk367m-seized-crackdown-scam-group-using-malaysian-runners?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Aug 2026 10:03:46 +0000 Ambrose Li Ambrose Li A woman in Hong Kong who owned multiple properties has lost HK$10 million (US$1.3 million) after being scammed by a fraudster posing as a prospective tenant. The police force revealed on Friday that the 64-year-old retiree, whose properties consisted of residential, commercial and parking spaces, was contacted via WhatsApp by a scammer in May in response to a rental listing she posted on Facebook. Police said that while no tenancy agreement was signed, the con artist struck up a friendship with... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364106/multi-property-owner-loses-hk10-million-after-fraudster-poses-possible-tenant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364106/multi-property-owner-loses-hk10-million-after-fraudster-poses-possible-tenant?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:41:54 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong recorded a 15 per cent drop in investment scam cases in the first half of this year, but losses remained high at HK$1.65 billion (US$210 million), with police warning of fraudsters posing as representatives of legitimate overseas firms to swindle investors. Senior Superintendent Fanny Kung Hing-fun said on Friday that some of these firms of purported overseas origins did not exist at all, or had records of fraudulent activity in other countries. “For some of them, even their purported... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364044/investment-scam-cases-hong-kong-drop-15-losses-remain-high-hk165b?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3364044/investment-scam-cases-hong-kong-drop-15-losses-remain-high-hk165b?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Aug 2026 09:05:53 +0000 Teresa Elena Frontado Teresa Elena Frontado US prosecutors have charged 11 people over an alleged decade-long network that arranged more than 1,000 sham marriages, primarily for Chinese nationals seeking green cards, including matches with at least 14 active-duty American soldiers. About 11 of the soldiers, who were stationed at a US Army base in Kentucky, were paired with Chinese citizens between May 2023 and August 2025, according to a 21-page indictment unsealed on Wednesday in federal court in New York. The indictment did not identify... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3363835/us-charges-11-over-sham-marriages-involving-chinese-nationals-and-american-soldiers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/diplomacy/article/3363835/us-charges-11-over-sham-marriages-involving-chinese-nationals-and-american-soldiers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 22:59:40 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong police have arrested a 19-year-old university student accused of swindling more than HK$3 million (US$384,600) from a man after apparently being hoodwinked by scammers herself. Inspector Wu Kwan-yu of Tseung Kwan O police district’s intelligence section said on Wednesday that officers arrested the female student the previous day on suspicion of impersonating mainland Chinese public security officials and swindling more than HK$3 million from a local man. “Police urge youngsters to stay... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3363804/hong-kong-student-arrested-over-hk3m-scam-deceived-same-swindlers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3363804/hong-kong-student-arrested-over-hk3m-scam-deceived-same-swindlers?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:39:10 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong police have arrested eight people over an alleged compensated-dating scam syndicate that cheated victims, including teachers and healthcare workers, out of about HK$6.2 million (US$790,000) by telling them they had to pay a “legal fee” to formalise contracts to become “sugar babies”. Police said on Monday that they had investigated 80 cases involving scammers who used compensated dating as a pretext to lure victims between February 2024 and July this year. The largest individual loss... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3363500/hong-kong-police-arrest-8-over-hk62-million-sugar-baby-dating-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3363500/hong-kong-police-arrest-8-over-hk62-million-sugar-baby-dating-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Aug 2026 06:08:35 +0000 Joseph Sipalan Joseph Sipalan The revelation that an alleged Malaysian scam kingpin was released after paying 10 million ringgit (US$2.4 million) fine has sparked public outrage over claims of preferential treatment for a man at the centre of a controversial photo-op with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Liow Soon Hee – better known as Nicky Liow – was cleared of all 26 money-laundering charges involving more than 36 million ringgit, the country’s top prosecutor said on Friday. Authorities earlier believed he led a multimillion... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3363343/anger-malaysia-liows-money-laundering-charges-dropped-after-us24-million-fine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/week-asia/people/article/3363343/anger-malaysia-liows-money-laundering-charges-dropped-after-us24-million-fine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:56:13 +0000 Veronica Qi Veronica Qi A Hong Kong woman has been conned out of nearly HK$69 million (US$8.8 million) in a month-long scam involving fraudsters posing as mainland Chinese officials, with an IT expert saying the case showed how fear and secrecy caused victims to miss obvious red flags. Police said on Friday that the 43-year-old woman received calls from people claiming to be mainland law enforcement officers, who accused her of committing a crime and demanded money to prove her innocence. The victim transferred about... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3363263/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk69m-scammers-posing-mainland-chinese-officials?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3363263/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk69m-scammers-posing-mainland-chinese-officials?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Aug 2026 06:03:39 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial Hong Kong is by no means a haven for criminal activity, though it has seen a significant rise in digital crime, phone deception, and romance and investment scams in recent years like many other places. With the authorities issuing no fewer than five alerts – ranging from a multimillion-dollar coffee investment scam to fraudulent e-visa websites and elderly health insurance promotions – on a single day on Tuesday, it is clear that online deception remains a serious concern. Despite public... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3363157/new-scams-hong-kong-should-prompt-fresh-vigilance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/opinion/comment/article/3363157/new-scams-hong-kong-should-prompt-fresh-vigilance?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2026 23:15:06 +0000 Han Li Han Li US President Donald Trump has personally pressed Chinese President Xi Jinping over transnational criminal organisations involved in Southeast Asia’s sprawling online scam industry, a senior State Department official said on Thursday. Michael DeSombre, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Washington was raising concerns about both fentanyl trafficking and scam centres “at the highest levels” with Beijing. “President... https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3363222/us-presses-china-over-alleged-scam-bosses-despite-growing-police-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www-scmp-com.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/news/us/article/3363222/us-presses-china-over-alleged-scam-bosses-despite-growing-police-cooperation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Aug 2026 21:13:40 +0000