The Lens: Rethinking solutions to combat scams through education and awareness

Whether you are on a transport ride or simply enjoying TV at home, most of us have received calls inviting us to “go on a free travel tour” or “get a free facial”.

However, as technology advances, scams are becoming more sophisticated globally. To address this issue, Singapore has proposed caning, which is beating someone with a rattan cane, as a form of punishment. I do not believe this punishment will solve the problem.

To begin with, scammers target individuals to acquire money through illegal means. The substantial amounts of “income” they can generate often render punishments like caning ineffective, as they see the potential for making millions of dollars from just a few phone calls.

Additionally, caning does not prevent large groups of scammers from collaborating and causing harm to innocent people. Since it does not involve the confiscation of ill-gotten gains – the primary aim of scamming – it is not a viable solution.

Furthermore, caning is unethical as it inflicts physical harm to a person.

To address this issue, more effective solutions include advertisements in public spaces, educational programmes in schools and workplaces and the establishment of active hotlines.

Singapore is known for its skyscrapers and popular malls, which makes it an ideal location for projecting advertisements on large screens.

These advertisements can effectively capture citizens’ attention, educate them on how to prevent scams and recognise common tactics scammers use.

Gaining professional knowledge about scams through schools and workplaces can help individuals understand this issue more effectively. This knowledge may also create a ripple effect, where students and adults share information, ultimately increasing awareness throughout society.

Read up on the issue in last week’s The Lens

As it turns out, the Pakistani drama Adhi Bewafai, meaning half infidelity, is not just for Pakistanis.

Pakistani dramas are also a hit with viewers abroad – especially in the neighbouring country that split with Pakistan in 1947 and is its nuclear arch-rival today: India.

Television seems to succeed where diplomacy sometimes cannot. It offers Indians a tantalising glimpse into life across the border and manages to break through decades of enmity.

Kaveri Sharma, a writer in the Indian city of Patna, recalls her mother-in-law and aunt jiggling antennas in the 1980s and 1990s, hoping to catch a signal from Pakistan’s state broadcaster, PTV.

It is how Sharma first realised that the country next door was a drama powerhouse. It inspired her to discover the shows for herself years later, even going on to watch them with her own daughter.

“They feel familiar, but they are also a break from our own lives,” Sharma said. “I don’t see any differences between the two countries. Everything is relatable.”

She had heard only negative things about Pakistan since childhood.

The TV dramas have added subtlety and detail to this image for her.

She would love to visit but is unlikely to get the opportunity. So she explores Pakistan through the locations on the small screen.

Pakistani TV veteran Khaled Anam is delighted by Indians’ enthusiasm for the country’s serials and the barriers they help erode.

“What Bollywood is to India, dramas are to Pakistan,” said Anam, who has worked as an actor since the 1980s.

Islamabad-based director Saife Hassan said Indians frequently commented on his social media pages and sent him direct messages about his work.

He even recalls Indian viewers praying for the recovery of a character who was in a coma.

Associated Press, staff writers

• What role do Pakistani dramas play for Indian audiences, and why is this significant?

• Have you observed instances where media or entertainment brings together groups who are in conflict due to cultural, historical or governmental issues?