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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.
Public servants at a Chinese neighborhood committee have been exposed for using printed face masks to bypass facial-recognition clocking-in machines to skip work. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin
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

Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

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

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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A woman counts US dollars and Japanese yen banknotes in Phnom Penh. Scam money’s reach extends far beyond the Mekong. Photo: AFP
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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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.

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.

A homeless man in China impersonated a wealthy person, engaging five women for companionship and visiting high-end shops and restaurants without paying. Photo: Shutterstock/Baidu
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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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.

Tourists visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a major tourist destination in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. Photo: Reuters
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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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.

Science

Chief scientist at China’s top warship-building research institute detained

Jiangsu University of Science and Technology says it has fired Guo Wei over the accusations of academic misconduct.

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Guo Wei has been detained by police. Photo: Handout
Human trafficking

Video | Ex-Philippine mayor Alice Guo gets life term for human trafficking

The verdict comes at a time when Asean leaders have expressed alarm over rising cybercrimes perpetrated by transnational gangs.

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The Philippines

Alice Guo gets life term for human trafficking linked to Philippine scam hub

The verdict comes at a time when Asean leaders have expressed alarm over rising cybercrimes perpetrated by transnational gangs.

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Asean

Asean unifies under single extradition treaty to fight organised crime

The treaty is expected to plug major cooperation gaps by creating uniform rules across a region struggling with cybercrime and trafficking.

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Japan

Cambodian tycoon linked to scam empire owned luxury condo in Tokyo

The Prince Holding Group boss, who is accused of running a conglomerate built on cyberscam operations, visited Japan frequently.

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Tokyo’s skyline. Cambodian tycoon Chen Zhi, indicted in the US for fraud, owned a luxury home in the Japanese capital. Photo: AFP
US-Asean relations

What US anti-scam ‘strike force’ means for Southeast Asia’s cybercrime fight

Analysts say the US initiative can serve as a coordination blueprint to push back against transnational criminal enterprises.

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US Attorney Jeanine Pirro points to a text message sent by a scammer as she announces the Scam Centre Strike Force in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP
Hong Kong society

‘Devastating’ losses: scammers targeting mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong

Fraudsters have cheated mainland students out of HK$110 million in first nine months this year.

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Crime in Hong Kong

‘Singapore businessman’ steals HK$2.6 million from Hongkonger in romance scam

Police say case involving 52-year-old woman is among more than 40 online love scams recorded in past two weeks, with losses totalling HK$17 million.

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