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Scams and swindles

Scams and swindles
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Scams and swindles. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
People from China, Vietnam, and Ethiopia – believed trafficked and forced to work in scam centers – sit masked in detention after their February release in Myawaddy, eastern Myanmar. Photo: AP
Malaysia

31 Malaysians repatriated from Myanmar job scam syndicate

The job scam victims rescued from a Myawaddy job syndicate return home safely after intensive diplomatic negotiations and a 26-hour land journey.

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Singapore

Singapore cracks down on scammers with mandatory caning

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Malaysia

Malaysian woman loses US$293,000 after hiring ‘anti-scam’ firm to recoup US$366

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police arrest 7 in crackdown on credit card theft, fraud syndicate

Suspects allegedly coordinated thefts of credit cards in crowded places, before buying luxury items totalling more than HK$4 million.

Evidence collected as part of the investigation is displayed at a police press event. Photo: Handout
Social media

How the global grey market in SIM cards powers fraud and influence

How much does an army of bots cost? A new study reveals how likes and clout are bought.

Hong Kong courts

Hongkonger remanded after ‘impersonating fire victim, claiming HK$18,000 in aid’

Defendant allegedly said he was Chan Man-him, a resident of fifth-floor flat at Wang Shing House, while the actual occupant was Wong Kam-hung.

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United States

‘Crypto king’ Do Kwon gets 15 years in prison for misleading investors

The South Korean founder of Terraform Labs had previously pleaded guilty to fraud charges stemming from a US$40 billion stablecoin crash.

Police officers escort Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica in March 2024. Photo: AP
Mainland China

Video | China extradites scam suspects from Myanmar

The extraditions follow Myanmar’s raids on multiple scam compounds since October 2025.

Trending in China

China public servants use face masks to bypass facial recognition machines, skip work

Local level government staff make printouts of colleagues’ faces to circumvent clocking-in system, triggering backlash.

Trending in China

China prankster injures girlfriend by accident, fakes car crash for insurance cash

Argumentative couple stage ‘accident’ in remote location but their ill-conceived criminal scheme unravels when police step in.

A Chinese man and his girlfriend are facing possible imprisonment after they faked a car accident in a bid to secure an insurance payout. Photo: ifeng
Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

Letters | Cambodia is confronting the scourge of online scams head-on

Readers discuss the cross-border effort targeting the syndicates behind Cambodia’s scam farms, Malaysia’s first fully home-grown EV, and the investigation into the Tai Po fire in Hong Kong.

Suspects are detained during a police raid on a scam centre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on July 16. The operation was part of a nationwide crackdown on cybercrime networks, following Prime Minister Hun Manet’s order to shut down online scam operations often run like sweatshops. Photo: EPA
Thailand

‘Everyone gets a cut’: why Southeast Asia’s scam industry refuses to die

Authorities are seizing assets and raiding compounds, but analysts warn the clumsy crackdown is merely scattering syndicates to new hideouts.

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Hong Kong society

Editorial | Persistence of scams targeting students in Hong Kong shows need for vigilance

Stronger enforcement and publicity of anti-fraud measures are necessary to uphold the city’s allure as a hub for education.

India

Cyber scams threaten confidence in India’s outsourcing industry

Fraudsters leveraging India’s cost advantages and skilled workforce create a systemic risk for legitimate businesses, analysts warn.

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Sophisticated cyber scam networks are threatening to inflict “reputational damage” on India’s thriving US$150 billion outsourcing industry, observers warn. Photo: Shutterstock
Trending in China

Chinese man hides 2 gold bars in chilli sauce jar, sends to ‘friend’ for investment

Patient questioning by woman police officer leads elderly man to reveal details of stock trading racket; victim finally gets his money back.

An elderly Chinese man who hid two small gold bars in a jar of chilli sauce before sending them to a “friend” turned out to be the victim of an investment scam. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

How a husband’s secret life between Singapore and Malaysia was exposed

Ng Teong Min, jailed for bigamy, shed tears in court and pleaded guilty to deceiving his first wife for 30 years, and fathering two more children.

Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire tragedy

Editorial | After mourning fire victims, Hong Kong must slowly recover and rebuild

Hongkongers have shown their compassion, solidarity and perseverance in the wake of the Tai Po tragedy. With time, the city shall overcome.

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Trending in China

China consumers use AI to alter product photos, claim refunds for ‘damaged’ goods

‘Immoral’ online buyers create fake discrepancies across range of products; experts warn AI bandits that they could be committing fraud.

Some consumers in China are using artificial technology to manipulate product photographs, then claiming refunds for “damaged” goods. Photo: RedNote
Trending in China

Chinese homeless man fakes wealth, hires women for companionship, lives luxury life

Chen regularly visits upscale venues, always with different women, whom he has convinced to cover all expenses.

Myanmar

Political show? Why Myanmar is again cracking down on cyber scammers

Myanmar’s junta has been under pressure to raid fraud hubs by China as its citizens have been badly affected by these scammers, analysts say.

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South Korea

Seoul sanctions Prince Group chairman Chen Zhi in Cambodia crime crackdown

Chen Zhi, the chairman of the Prince Group, is accused of overseeing scam compounds that detained dozens of South Koreans.

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Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi. Photo: Prince Holding Group
Trending in China

Chinese man marries woman 4 hours after blind date, spends US$34,000 in a month

Huang says she typically would not respond when he reached out, but whenever she did, it was always about money.

A 40-year-old man married just four hours after a blind date and spent over US$34,000 of his savings within a month on his new wife. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo
Thailand

Thailand to curb repeat visa-free entries amid rise in scams, illegal work

Around 2,900 foreigners have been barred by Thailand so far this year due to their multiple short-term entries.

Thailand

Bangkok prison chief suspended over Chinese inmate sex scandal

Thai prison chief suspended amid scandal over Chinese inmates receiving illicit privileges, including alleged sex service visits.

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Malaysia 1MDB scandal

Fugitive Jho Low’s sister and associate ordered to pay US$2.8 billion to 1MDB

The judge noted that May Lin and associate Eric Tan failed to appear in court, resulting in a massive default judgment in the ongoing 1MDB suit.

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Jho Low, CEO of Jynwel Capitial Limited, is interviewed at his office in Hong Kong in 2015. Photo: SCMP
Singapore

Singapore orders Apple, Google to stop fake government message scams

Police told the tech giants to block spoofed government accounts on iMessage and Google Messages to tackle rising fraud threats.

Singapore has ordered Apple and Google to block fake government messages on their platforms. Photo: Reuters
Singapore

Standard Chartered faces US$2.7 billion 1MDB suit in Singapore

The lawsuit alleges Standard Chartered enabled acts of fraud leading to US$2.7 billion in losses over a decade. The bank plans to appeal.

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South Korea

Former South Korean rock star implicated in US$136 million fraud scheme

Kim Jae-hee, a former member of Boohwal, used his public profile to encourage people to join the Ponzi scheme, police say.

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