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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.
Mohammad Riza Chalid is wanted in Indonesia for alleged corruption. Photo: Handout
Indonesia

Interpol issues red notice for Indonesian oil tycoon in US$285 million scandal

Mohammad Riza Chalid is wanted in Indonesia for his alleged involvement in corruption at state-owned oil company Pertamina.

China-Asean relations

Nearly 1,800 Chinese among thousands held as Cambodian police raid scam compound

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Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong road accident scam reports double to over 70 in a week: Chris Tang

Crime in Hong Kong

33 arrested over HK$150 million fraud involving Hong Kong tech grant schemes

ICAC says suspects are 24 men and nine women, including a former Cyberport Management Company employee.

ICAC says it has dismantled two syndicates involved in defrauding two Hong Kong tech grant schemes. Photo: Jelly Tse
Myanmar

Video | China executes 11 members of telecoms syndicate

Members of the Ming family crime syndicate found guilty of murder, illegal detention, running casinos and other offences.

Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong drivers warned to look out for sham compensation claims

Some motorists hit with sudden massive civil claims well after police close minor traffic cases.

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Singapore

Singapore jails, canes 6 Indonesians after illegal re-entry on sinking boat

The group was rescued by police when their vessel capsized during a chase. One man was sentenced to 21 months for his sixth illegal entry.

Singapore national flags flutter over a view of the city skyline in August 2022. Photo: EPA-EFE
Japan

How a Japan doctor lost everything to his friend after agreeing to reunion

‘I lost all my savings and couldn’t even hold a proper funeral for my mother. My life has been destroyed,’ the victim says.

Malaysia

‘Well-known’ Malaysian Tan Sri arrested in US$75 million investment scam probe

The titled businessman had allegedly used his position and influence to attract and convince about 1,700 people to invest in two companies.

Cambodia

Video | South Korean scam suspects brought home from Cambodia

Seoul continues its crackdown on scam centres in Southeast Asia following the kidnapping and murder of a South Korean student in Cambodia.

Police officers escort South Koreans allegedly involved in scam operations in Cambodia after being forcibly repatriated from Cambodia, at Incheon International Airport in Incheon, South Korea January 23, 2026. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon
Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

Video | Hundreds of Indonesians leave Cambodian scam centres

Authorities are investigating whether scam workers, many without legal documents, joined voluntarily.

Indonesia says more than 1,400 of its nationals have left cyberscam networks in Cambodia in recent days. Many reportedly did not hold passports and entered Cambodia without proper documentation. Indonesia’s ambassador to Cambodia, Santo Darmosumarto, said on January 21, 2026, that most of those seeking repatriation did not appear to be victims of human trafficking.
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Hong Kong courts

Editorial | Hong Kong needs constant vigilance to thwart cybercriminals

A Law Reform Commission report recommending new criminal offences targeting specific cybercrimes is welcome, but broader efforts are required.

United States

Archegos’ Bill Hwang seeks Trump pardon for fraud that cost banks US$10 billion

The veteran US investor was sentenced to 18 years in jail after being convicted in the high-profile Wall Street case.

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United States

Former flight attendant posed as pilot for hundreds of free US trips

Dallas Pokornik, 33, pleaded not guilty to a scheme where he allegedly used forged credentials to board major US airlines.

The scammed airlines were based in Honolulu, Chicago and Fort Worth, Texas. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong society

Letters | Prioritise scam victims’ well-being in fighting transnational cybercrime

Readers discuss how to better address internet scams, fire safety tips, and the charms of Shenzhen.

Workers walk out of a suspected scam compound in Sihanoukville on January 15, after Chen Zhi, the alleged kingpin of one of Asia’s largest cyber scam organisations, was arrested in Cambodia and sent to China. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

440 Indonesians freed from Cambodia cyberscam hubs in criminal crackdown

Workers seek repatriation after scam operators, fearing police raids and new government measures, abruptly release hundreds of staff.

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Thailand

Ruling Thai party vows to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs if it wins poll

Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Bhumjaithai’s second candidate after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, believes his party has popular support.

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United States

US charges 26 people with rigging college, Chinese basketball games

Prosecutors said the scheme involved 39 players, millions of dollars in wagers on fixed games and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.

The scheme generally revolved around fixers recruiting players with the promise of a big payment in exchange for purposefully underperforming during a game. Photo: AP
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Hong Kong’s victims of online scams need psychological safety nets

As the city tackles the scourge of scams, it must pay attention to the mental health of those affected and ensure they are supported.

Cambodia

‘Not the end’: Cambodia keeps up scam crackdown after Chen Zhi sent to China

Phnom Penh signals zero tolerance for scam centres following the deportation of the Prince Group tycoon.

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Singapore

Caucasian ‘sugar daddy’ sextortion scam lands Malaysian in Singapore jail

Rajwant Singh Gill Narajan Singh was sentenced to 12 years in jail for pretending to be a rich white man and coercing women into sex.

People take pictures next to the Merlion statue at the Marina Bay waterfront in Singapore. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

China teen makes bogus returns on cosmetics platform, profiting US$570,000 from resale

17-year-old makes 11,900 deceptive refund applications after discovering loophole; splurges ill-gotten gains on new mobile phones, friends.

A 17-year-old teenager in Shanghai has been jailed for making 11,900 fraudulent returns on a cosmetics platform, then making US$570,000 in profit by reselling the goods. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
Thailand

Suspected scam boss linked to South Korean student’s death arrested in Thailand

The arrest follows international outrage over the killing of the university student, which led to a joint Thai–South Korean investigation.

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Crime in Hong Kong

Online shopping scams cost Hongkongers HK$14 million in first week of 2026

Police urge caution among consumers and sellers after receiving 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week.

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Hong Kong society

31% of scam victims calling Hong Kong helpline had possible suicidal tendencies

Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre says its hotline service handled 3,983 debt-related cases in 2025.

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A welfare group has said such hotline callers often feel a sense of “sudden loss” and “hopelessness”. Photo: Dickson Lee
Trending in China

China wife shocked that ‘People’s Armed Police officer’ husband is convicted killer

‘Disgusted’ wife of fraudster introduced to her by an uncle discovers that he is serving a suspended death sentence; has child with another woman.

A Chinese woman has discovered that the husband she believed to be a People’s Armed Police officer was, in fact, a convicted murderer who had assumed a false identity. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
Crime

Editorial | Regional cooperation led to arrest of alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi

The cross-border nature of his alleged criminal network required governments and law enforcement agencies to work together.

Crime in Hong Kong

8 arrested over attempting to defraud HK$8.24 million from Hong Kong scheme

Suspects include five members of family believed to be swindle’s mastermind, with group allegedly targeting scheme supporting tech skills.

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