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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.
The inside of a suspected scam centre is seen in a secluded area in Cambodia’s Kampot province in February. Photo: Laura Zhou
Cambodia

Cambodia jails 6 Chinese men for South Korean student’s torture and murder

The six were reportedly part of a criminal gang linked to the multibillion-dollar ‘pig butchering’ scam industry.

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Trending in China

‘Using good as bait’: blind China girl held after fake crash clip gets 100 million views

Crime

Editorial | Hong Kong should spare no effort in fight against financial crime

US-China relations

Two Chinese nationals charged in US drug cartel money-laundering case

Prosecutors say pair used mirror transfers, encrypted apps and trade schemes to launder cartel drug profits globally.

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US prosecutors said co-conspirators operating across the US, Mexico, Latin America and China allegedly laundered proceeds from trafficking narcotics including fentanyl and cocaine. Photo: Reuters
Trending in China

China ‘most devoted fraudster’ fakes hospital records to give wife free dialysis

Unemployed ex-factory worker who struggles to define meaning of love stays loyal to wife until the day she dies.

Malaysia

Chinese gang caught using AI in Malaysia bungalow for Spanish job scam

Johor police arrested 35 Chinese nationals for luring victims in Spain with fake high-paying job offers.

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Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong privacy watchdog warns of fake retailer compensation call scam

Customers duped by fraudsters posing as Built-in Pro staff using personal data, with one victim losing HK$17,000.

Fraudsters have been impersonating staff of electrical store Built-in Pro offering compensation or product replacements. Photo: Handout
Chen Zhi

Cambodia raids sites linked to Chen Zhi, Chinese tycoon accused of scam empire

82 Chinese nationals among 104 people detained in Phnom Penh raids as governments around the world crack down on Chen’s scam business.

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Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong hardest hit as cross-border scam crackdown uncovers US$752m losses

Police operation across 10 jurisdictions finds city accounts for US$319 million, while one Singaporean firm defrauded of US$36 million.

Crime in Hong Kong

Letters | Hong Kong must strengthen its banking system against scams

Readers call for stronger systemic defences as technology evolves, and no let-up in efforts to combat illegal betting ahead of the World Cup.

As an international financial centre, Hong Kong must ensure its financial security standards are world-class. Photo: Jelly Tse
Singapore

Singapore AI Zoom scam: how a victim lost US$3.8 million to a fake PM Wong

Police have obtained footage of the video conference linked to the sophisticated scam impersonating Wong, President Tharman and other officials.

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Singapore police have uncovered a deepfake Zoom scam impersonating top government officials. Photo: Shutterstock
Sri Lanka

The great scam migration: fraudsters fleeing Cambodia find a new hub

Criminal gangs are setting up in rented spaces ranging from luxury villas to office complexes, thanks to cheap visas and fast internet.

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US-China relations

Chinese-American found guilty in New York ‘secret police station’ case

Lu ‘Harry’ Jianwang convicted of acting as an unauthorised Chinese agent and obstruction of justice in closely watched trial.

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Hong Kong society

Editorial | Tightened rules for Hong Kong’s money lenders will protect helpers

Moves to regulate the moneylender sector must be accompanied by strengthening law enforcement and stepping up education efforts.

The Asian Migrants Coordinating Body holds a protest to call for a living wage and better working conditions for migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong, in front of the Central Government Offices, on May 1. Photo: Nora Tam
Indonesia

Police raids reveal Indonesia as new hub for scam, gambling syndicates

Hundreds of foreigners have been arrested in Indonesia recently following crackdowns against crime groups in Cambodia and Myanmar.

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Foreign nationals suspected of running an online gambling operation at an office building in Jakarta await transport after being arrested in the Indonesian capital on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
The Philippines

Remote control: the inmates running crime empires from Philippine prison

What do a South Korean drug ring and a Japanese robbery syndicate have in common? They were both allegedly run from Philippine prison cells.

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Indonesia

321 foreigners arrested in Indonesia online gambling crackdown

The foreigners, mainly from Vietnam, were arrested near Jakarta’s Chinatown section that investigators described as a hub for more than 70 online gambling websites.

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South Korea

Video | Asia’s new crime wave is emerging from behind bars

Armed with a smartphone, a new breed of remote criminal operates from Southeast Asia’s prisons.

How Japanese and Korean kingpins are running international gangs from inside Philippine prisons
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Nordic nations

Norwegian police arrest Chinese citizen on spying allegations

Authorities allege the woman had a suspected role in spying on Norwegian satellite data.

Thailand

‘Phantom birth’ scam spooks Thailand as hundreds of babies get fake citizenship

Police believe that some Chinese cyber scammers are using these false registrations to launder money through firms they can fully control.

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Trending in China

Ex-China soldier flees Myanmar scam centre, scales wall, masks scent with cow dung

Former infantryman confounds compound bosses with military skills, flees over mountains finally making safety of Chinese embassy.

A former Chinese soldier escaped from a telecom fraud centre in Myanmar by scaling a six-metre wall and masking his scent with cow dung. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Baidu
Crime in Hong Kong

Elderly scam victims lose HK$850,000 on average, but ones who know finance lose more

Cases involving older Hongkongers rose by 17 per cent in first quarter, with police saying those with investment history are more vulnerable.

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A survey by Hong Kong police has found that elderly people who are more educated and have investment experience are more vulnerable to investment scams. Photo: Jelly Tse
Crime in Hong Kong

She answered an advert for a part-time helper. Then she lost HK$2.25 million

Hong Kong woman, 25, describes how her job search led her to sign documents helping ‘lawyer’ for a ‘big shot’ and take out string of loans.

Crime in Hong Kong

Opinion | My finance expertise was no defence against online scammers

Perpetrators of online fraud are enabled by new technology and connectivity, meaning everyone must be on their guard.

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The Philippines

Can Philippines’ new anti-Pogo playbook rein in fast-moving scam hubs?

The new inter-agency rules aim to give investigators a framework tailored to Pogo-linked crime and support a coordinated response.

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A closed Philippine online gaming operator (Pogo) hub inside the former Island Cove resort in Kawit, Cavite province in December 2024. Photo: AFP
Malaysia

Video | Why Malaysian-Indians are less likely to be scammed

Arrested scammers told police in Penang that Malaysian-Indians were toughest to deceive.

Warning against phone scams, It highlights the need to be wary of unknown callers and suspicious messages. Emergency warning alert alarm on Smartphone, Technological vulnerability.
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Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Law Society closes firm linked to crash-for-cash scam

Society’s council intervenes in the practice of Raymond Lam & Associates, which will cease operations with immediate effect.

Malaysia

‘Barrage of questions’: Malaysian Indians least likely to be scammed, police say

Despite all races being equally targeted, ethnic Indians lost the least because they would keep questioning until the scammers gave up.

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