Seriouslee now my uncle also doesn't know are the 8 scammer more stupid or the victims more stupid. Final leesult could be draw I.e both are equallee stupid.
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SG is financial loss/fraud/scam hub. Huat ah!
- Thread starter LITTLEREDDOT
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Man admits to misappropriating over $1.4m in teak wood investment scam
Matthew Goh Tian Si was convicted on one count of criminal breach of trust. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Jean Iau
May 23, 2022
SINGAPORE - To dupe investors into pouring their money into a fake teak wood investment scheme, a man and his father invited potential investors to seminars and even a site visit to a teak plantation in Indonesia.
A total of 92 investors signed 131 investment agreements and paid $2.26 million to participate in the "investment schemes".
On Monday (May 23), Matthew Goh Tian Si, 44, the director of Prosperity Ventures Global and Abby Resource, admitted to misappropriating more than $1.4 million of the total amount.
He was convicted on one count of criminal breach of trust. Another similar charge will be taken into account in his sentencing.
Goh's father, Goh Toh Heng, 79, who claimed to be a director of an Indonesia-incorporated company identified in court documents as PT Abby Resources Minerals, was involved in the ruse. His case is pending.
The court heard that between December 2014 and July 2016, Prosperity Ventures was purportedly marketing mature teak investment opportunities offered by PT Abby Resources Minerals.
The first scheme claimed to offer a one-year investment with an annual return of 24 per cent, and the second a two-year investment with an annual return of 17 per cent.
The investment agreements assured investors of a guaranteed return of the principal sum at the end of the investment period.
The investors signed and received a sale and purchase agreement and a certificate of ownership of the share of teak trees.
Among other things, the agreement falsely represented that PT Abby Resources Minerals was the proprietor of plantation land in Indonesia and that it had planted teak trees there; that it owned two Indonesian plantations in Sulawesi Tenggara and at Kabuputen Gunung Kidul Daerah Istimewa in Yogjakarta; and that it was the sole owner of the teak trees.
Prosperity Ventures was operated by the younger Goh from a shared office workspace. He hired staff to market the investment schemes.
Potential investors were invited to attend seminars on the investment schemes and ask questions about the investments.
They were also invited to go for a site visit to a plantation in Yogjakarta.
The $2.26 million was deposited into Abby Resource's and Prosperity Ventures' bank accounts.
The younger Goh admitted knowing that PT Abby Resources Minerals did not own any teak plantations and that Prosperity Ventures made false representations to investors.
In July 2016, investors began lodging police reports saying that PT Abby Resources Minerals had defaulted on its promised returns.
To date, 17 investors have filed police reports, none of whom have received anything back from the sums invested, said deputy public prosecutors Stephanie Chew and Tay Jia En.
Between December 2014 and November 2015, the younger Goh transferred some of the money into his own personal account and into accounts of his father and other family members.
In April 2016, Prosperity Ventures told investors that it could not fulfil its obligations due to a shipping accident that caused the cargo to be lost at sea.
There is no evidence that this accident occurred, said the prosecution.
Both men left Singapore in June 2017. The younger Goh returned in June 2018, while his father returned in November that year.
The younger Goh is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30.
Those convicted of criminal breach of trust face a jail term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.
Over $3 million lost since January this year to scammers impersonating friends
Victims would receive calls from unknown numbers with the "+" prefix, from people who would not identify themselves. PHOTO: ST FILE
Syarafana Shafeeq
May 26, 2022
SINGAPORE - At least 80 people have fallen prey to a scam in the last two weeks where scammers contact victims through phone calls pretending to be their friend and then ask for financial help.
Police on Thursday (May 26) said that there have been at least 667 victims since January this year, with losses amounting to more than $3 million in total.
Victims would receive calls from unknown numbers with the "+" prefix, from people who would not identify themselves.
To make the victims think they are friends, they would instead ask: "Guess who am I?" or "You can't remember me?".
When the victims answer with the name of a friend, the caller would then assume the identity of that friend and claim to have lost their mobile phone or changed their contact number.
The caller would get the victim to update their number in the contact list.
A few days later, the caller would contact the victim and ask for a loan to help with their financial difficulties or trouble with the law.
Victims would be provided with a local bank account or phone numbers to transfer money to, and would only discover that they had been scammed after contacting their actual friends whom the scammers had impersonated.
Police say the public should be aware of calls with the "+" prefix, especially if they are not expecting an international call.
They should also be wary of unusual requests received from phone calls or messages, even if they appear to be from family or friends.
They should always verify whether requests are legitimate by checking with family and friends through alternative means such as physical meet-ups, video calls or e-mail.
Bloodlee hell who would lend money to a friend that they cannot even leemember ?
Man paid $300k to woman who claimed she had his twins, now wants to know if they exist
Suspecting that he may have been deceived, the man sought information relating to the birth and location of the twins. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY
Selina Lum
Senior Law Correspondent
June 2, 2022
SINGAPORE - A man who paid more than $300,000 to a woman after she claimed she bore him twins had gone to court to find out if the children even existed.
Suspecting that he may have been deceived, the man sought information relating to the birth and location of the twins, so that he can decide whether he can bring a lawsuit against the woman.
The facts of the case were so unusual that High Court judge Lee Seiu Kin remarked in his written grounds of decision: "Reality, as some say, is sometimes stranger than fiction."
Justice Lee issued the grounds last week (May 25) to explain why he allowed the man's application for the information on April 19.
The parties are not named in the grounds, which sets out brief details about the case.
Another judge had earlier ordered that information which can lead to the identification of the twins cannot be published, including the identity of the man and the woman.
According to Justice Lee's grounds, the woman told the man in August 2019 that she was pregnant with non-identical twins.
Over the next two years, she repeatedly told him that he was the biological father of the twins, who were born in June 2020 at Hospital X.
While the man did not admit that he was their biological father, he paid out at least $314,000 to her for medical expenses.
Up till August last year, he continued to press the woman for proof that the twins existed and that he was their biological father.
All she provided were copies of the alleged birth certificates of the twins and a picture of two babies.
The birth certificates showed that the twins were delivered in Hospital Y and the fields in which the name of the father should have been filled in had been left blank.
The woman also told the man that the twins had been sent to China and that her mother had given one of them away.
In October last year, the man searched the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority website for birth records relating to the twins but drew a blank.
He then took out a court application, asking the woman to provide information and documents relating to the twins.
This included information on where and when the twins were born, the identity of the medical professionals involved in the delivery, and the people who currently have custody of the twins.
Justice Lee said the application was necessary to allow the man to determine whether he had a viable claim in either unjust enrichment or deceit.
The man's lawyer, Mr Benjamin Niroshan Bala, declined comment when contacted.
Police warn of increase in banking-related phishing scams; victims lose $114,000
In one of these scams, victims would receive phone calls from people pretending to be bank employees. PHOTO: ST FILE
Isabelle Liew
6 HOURS AGO
SINGAPORE - At least 28 people have fallen prey to banking-related phishing scams since last month, losing at least $114,000.
The police on Sunday (June 5) warned of an increase in phishing scams where swindlers impersonate bank staff and target victims through phone calls or SMS messages.
In one of these scams, victims would receive phone calls from people pretending to be bank employees.
The caller would request for the victims' personal details, like their Internet banking username and password, under the pretext that the bank needed them to verify transactions in the victims' account.
In other cases, the caller said the victim was under investigation for transferring large sums of money to another bank.
After the victims provided their details, they would receive one-time passwords (OTPs) on their mobile phones. The callers would then ask the victims for the OTPs.
In another type of scam, victims would get unsolicited SMS messages claiming that their debit or credit card had been blocked due to unusual activities.
Other messages said the victims' bank account had been frozen as the "bank account was unusual".
The SMS would direct victims to click on a link, which was a spoofed Internet banking log-in page where they would furnish their online banking username and password.
Then, the victims would be redirected to another spoofed webpage where they were asked to key in the OTPs received on their mobile phones.
"Victims of both variants will only discover that they had been scammed when they were notified of unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts," the police said.
More measures to stop digital banking scams will be introduced by Oct 31, the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Association of Banks in Singapore announced on Thursday (June 2).
For instance, an emergency self-service “kill switch” that lets customers freeze their bank accounts if they suspect that their accounts have been compromised will be introduced.
Victims would get unsolicited SMS messages claiming that their debit or credit card had been blocked. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
Another measure is having the default transaction limit for online fund transfers set to $5,000 or lower a day.
Banks will also facilitate rapid account freezing and fund recovery operations by co-locating bank staff at the Singapore Police Force Anti-Scam Centre.
The police advise the public to always verify the authenticity of claims of problems with their bank accounts or cards issued by the bank with the official bank website or sources, and report any fraudulent transactions to their bank immediately.
"Do not click on dubious URL links provided in unsolicited text messages. Banks do not send SMSes containing links," they added.
Those with information related to such crimes can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit it at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness
The police advise the public to call 999 if they require urgent assistance.
More scam-related advice can be found at this website or via the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.
lots of minahs dishing out free fucks from Geylang Seria to Simpang Bedok
Police warn of new phishing scam involving cleaning services ads on social media
In the scam, people would receive cleaning services advertisements via social messaging platforms. PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
Nisha Rahim
Jun 14, 2022
SINGAPORE - A new type of phishing scam has emerged with fraudsters installing malware on victims' phones to steal their banking credentials, the police have warned.
In the scam, people would receive cleaning services advertisements via social messaging platforms, the police added in an advisory on Tuesday (June 14).
Victims would be told to make a payment by downloading an app via a link sent to them.
This is only sent after victims have decided to engage the services.
But the app is believed to contain malware, a software that is specifically designed to damage and gain unauthorised access to a system.
After installing it on their phones, victims would be asked to make payments through legitimate banking sites using their online banking information.
The app will then be able to access their banking information and SMSes sent to their phones.
The police said victims only realised they were scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts.
At least two victims have fallen prey to the scam, with total losses amounting to at least $2,000 this month.
The police said members of the public should download files directly from official and verified sources to ensure they are free from malware or viruses.
They added that all mobile phones, computers and other devices should also be installed with updated anti-virus software and malware removal tools.
The devices' operating systems and apps should be regularly updated as well.
The police said those with information about such scams are encouraged to call their hotline on 1800-255-0000. They can also submit information via the police website.
Those who require urgent police assistance can call 999.
For more information on scams, visit the Scam Alert website or call the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.
The public can join the "Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes." campaign on the same website by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share these with their family and friends.
S'pore has second-most bad bots in the world
Attacks from bad bots include those that scrape and collect data from websites. PHOTO: ST FILE
Kenny Chee
JUN 14, 2022
SINGAPORE - Had your online bank account hacked by crooks, or having problems ordering the Nintendo Switch Oled video game console online? Bad bots might be to blame.
So active are these bots here that Singapore has the dubious honour of clinching the No. 2 spot globally based on how high the proportion of bad bot traffic is compared with other Internet traffic within a country.
Findings from a study of 192 countries released last month showed that 39.1 per cent of all Internet traffic in Singapore last year was from bad bots, or software used to conduct automatic malicious attacks, such as on websites.
The remaining traffic was from people (53.1 per cent) and good bots (7.8 per cent).
Germany edged out Singapore to take pole position with 39.6 per cent of its Internet traffic coming from bad bots, according to the study by cyber-security company Imperva.
Singapore's figures are even higher than China's (fourth, 29.8 per cent) and the United States' (sixth, 29.1 per cent). The global average is 27.7 per cent.
Attacks from bad bots include those that scrape and collect data from websites, like prices of goods that an organisation can use to gain a competitive edge over rivals. Other attacks involve scalping - buying limited items online faster than a human can so that the goods can be resold at higher prices.
Bad bots are sometimes used to flood a website with so much online traffic that it becomes inaccessible. They are also used to test reams of stolen log-in details, or to guess weak passwords by trial and error, for hacking and taking over a person's online account.
Good bots, on the other hand, can be used to help people find things online more easily by matching their online search queries with the most relevant websites, based on how the bots discover online services and content, and later make them available to search engines.
Looking at total bad bot traffic globally last year and which countries had the highest share of such traffic, Singapore came in at No. 12 and the US was No. 1.
While the Republic's position slipped slightly from No. 11 in 2020, it was a jump from No. 24 in 2019.
"Singapore has been ranked quite high in the most attacked countries list for several years," said Mr Erez Hasson, a strategist for application security at Imperva.
"This became even more pronounced during the pandemic, when digital transformation accelerated and more business was conducted online. This was especially true in digitally mature nations like Singapore."
Globally, there was also a substantial uptick in Web traffic in 2020 owing to Covid-19. Bot traffic rose last year too.
With more services available digitally and more business done online here, there are more targets for bot operators, Mr Hasson said.
"This makes Singapore a rich target for cyber criminals," he added.
A Cyber Security Agency of Singapore report last July also suggested more bot activity amid Covid-19. The number of systems found here that were used to control networks of computers infected by malicious bots nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020. Crooks control and can use these computers to launch cyber attacks.
Imperva's study showed that the sector most targeted by bad bots here was financial services, accounting for 66 per cent of the attacks. The travel sector came in a distant second (16 per cent), followed by the retail sector (5 per cent).
Since companies in the financial services sector store valuable banking and personal data, Mr Hasson said they are highly targeted by bot attacks that seek to take over victims' online accounts.
Imperva's study also showed Singapore was one of the top six countries, including the US and Germany, most targeted by bot attacks that try to take over accounts in general.
When contacted about the bot issue, local bank UOB said it has systems and controls in place to identify, prevent and mitigate potential threats.
OCBC Bank said it has implemented cyber-security capabilities that can detect and block network traffic originating from networks of bots that seek to access the bank's websites.
DBS Bank said malicious bot activities account for a "very low single-digit" percentage of total Web traffic to DBS websites.
The bank added that it engages cyber-security providers to mitigate such bot activities, which have all been successfully blocked.
As for the travel sector, Mr Hasson said bots are used to scrape prices by competing companies or third-party price aggregation and booking sites. The online accounts of customers, which often have data like credit card information, are also a target for bots to hack and take over.
In retail, bad bots are used in similar ways as in travel, but also for scalping limited items that are in high demand.
Globally, Imperva found higher levels of bot traffic around the time of pre-order and launch sales for popular video gaming systems.
For example, late last year, Imperva said there was an 88 per cent rise in bad bot traffic to global retail sites days before the launch of the Nintendo Switch Oled console.
While there are tools that can identify and block bots performing repetitive actions at irregular speeds, Mr Hasson said some of the most advanced bad bots can perform actions at a pace that mimics that of a real person to evade detection.
Some bots will also disguise themselves to pass off as a mobile Web browser used by a person to access a target website. More sophisticated bots can also simulate how a real person interacts with the site through automated clicks and mouse movements.
Said Mr Hasson: "The fight against bad bots is a never-ending cat-and-mouse game that happens around the clock."
S'pore has second-most bad bots in the world
Attacks from bad bots include those that scrape and collect data from websites. PHOTO: ST FILE
Kenny Chee
JUN 14, 2022
SINGAPORE - Had your online bank account hacked by crooks, or having problems ordering the Nintendo Switch Oled video game console online? Bad bots might be to blame.
So active are these bots here that Singapore has the dubious honour of clinching the No. 2 spot globally based on how high the proportion of bad bot traffic is compared with other Internet traffic within a country.
Findings from a study of 192 countries released last month showed that 39.1 per cent of all Internet traffic in Singapore last year was from bad bots, or software used to conduct automatic malicious attacks, such as on websites.
The remaining traffic was from people (53.1 per cent) and good bots (7.8 per cent).
Germany edged out Singapore to take pole position with 39.6 per cent of its Internet traffic coming from bad bots, according to the study by cyber-security company Imperva.
Singapore's figures are even higher than China's (fourth, 29.8 per cent) and the United States' (sixth, 29.1 per cent). The global average is 27.7 per cent.
Attacks from bad bots include those that scrape and collect data from websites, like prices of goods that an organisation can use to gain a competitive edge over rivals. Other attacks involve scalping - buying limited items online faster than a human can so that the goods can be resold at higher prices.
Bad bots are sometimes used to flood a website with so much online traffic that it becomes inaccessible. They are also used to test reams of stolen log-in details, or to guess weak passwords by trial and error, for hacking and taking over a person's online account.
Good bots, on the other hand, can be used to help people find things online more easily by matching their online search queries with the most relevant websites, based on how the bots discover online services and content, and later make them available to search engines.
Looking at total bad bot traffic globally last year and which countries had the highest share of such traffic, Singapore came in at No. 12 and the US was No. 1.
While the Republic's position slipped slightly from No. 11 in 2020, it was a jump from No. 24 in 2019.
"Singapore has been ranked quite high in the most attacked countries list for several years," said Mr Erez Hasson, a strategist for application security at Imperva.
"This became even more pronounced during the pandemic, when digital transformation accelerated and more business was conducted online. This was especially true in digitally mature nations like Singapore."
Globally, there was also a substantial uptick in Web traffic in 2020 owing to Covid-19. Bot traffic rose last year too.
With more services available digitally and more business done online here, there are more targets for bot operators, Mr Hasson said.
"This makes Singapore a rich target for cyber criminals," he added.
A Cyber Security Agency of Singapore report last July also suggested more bot activity amid Covid-19. The number of systems found here that were used to control networks of computers infected by malicious bots nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020. Crooks control and can use these computers to launch cyber attacks.
Imperva's study showed that the sector most targeted by bad bots here was financial services, accounting for 66 per cent of the attacks. The travel sector came in a distant second (16 per cent), followed by the retail sector (5 per cent).
Since companies in the financial services sector store valuable banking and personal data, Mr Hasson said they are highly targeted by bot attacks that seek to take over victims' online accounts.
Imperva's study also showed Singapore was one of the top six countries, including the US and Germany, most targeted by bot attacks that try to take over accounts in general.
When contacted about the bot issue, local bank UOB said it has systems and controls in place to identify, prevent and mitigate potential threats.
OCBC Bank said it has implemented cyber-security capabilities that can detect and block network traffic originating from networks of bots that seek to access the bank's websites.
DBS Bank said malicious bot activities account for a "very low single-digit" percentage of total Web traffic to DBS websites.
The bank added that it engages cyber-security providers to mitigate such bot activities, which have all been successfully blocked.
As for the travel sector, Mr Hasson said bots are used to scrape prices by competing companies or third-party price aggregation and booking sites. The online accounts of customers, which often have data like credit card information, are also a target for bots to hack and take over.
In retail, bad bots are used in similar ways as in travel, but also for scalping limited items that are in high demand.
Globally, Imperva found higher levels of bot traffic around the time of pre-order and launch sales for popular video gaming systems.
For example, late last year, Imperva said there was an 88 per cent rise in bad bot traffic to global retail sites days before the launch of the Nintendo Switch Oled console.
While there are tools that can identify and block bots performing repetitive actions at irregular speeds, Mr Hasson said some of the most advanced bad bots can perform actions at a pace that mimics that of a real person to evade detection.
Some bots will also disguise themselves to pass off as a mobile Web browser used by a person to access a target website. More sophisticated bots can also simulate how a real person interacts with the site through automated clicks and mouse movements.
Said Mr Hasson: "The fight against bad bots is a never-ending cat-and-mouse game that happens around the clock."
Too many smart systems in the end become more stupid.
More than $71,000 lost to new scam variants in first half of June
Several new scam variants have been detected since the start of June, with the authorities issuing numerous warning alerts. ST PHOTO: THADDEUS ANG
David Sun
Correspondent
JUN 19, 2022
SINGAPORE - The start of June signals the start of the corporate tax filing season and the school holidays.
But it appears to be hunting season for scammers too.
Several new scam variants have been detected since the start of the month, with the authorities issuing numerous alerts warning the public to be wary.
In the first half of June, 67 victims have already lost more than $71,000 to the new variants.
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) issued three advisories within a week, with each alerting about a different variant.
The variants involve spoofed e-mails with suspicious attachments, fraudulent e-mails and calls from scammers impersonating Iras officers, and WhatsApp calls from fake accounts which have the Iras logo in their profile pictures.
As travel picks up during the school holidays, scammers have also incorporated the names of travel agencies such as Chan Brothers Travel, WTS Travel and CTC Travel, into their ploys.
The Straits Times reported on June 9 about scammers impersonating staff from these agencies offering part-time roles.
The police have also warned this month of several new phishing scam variants.
A utilities phishing scam saw crooks impersonating officers from PUB and SP Group, convincing victims to click on a link and provide personal and banking details to purportedly get a bill refund.
Another variant saw scammers pretending to be cleaning service providers on social media, convincing victims to download malware which stole their personal and banking information from their phones.
DBS Bank is currently fighting a scam campaign targeting its customers.
So far, more than 60 victims have already lost more than $60,000 in total to the scams which involve unsolicited SMSes from senders with names like "SG-DBS" and "DBS-Notice".
Eight people have since been arrested for their alleged involvement.
S'pore has second-most bad bots in the world
Attacks from bad bots include those that scrape and collect data from websites. PHOTO: ST FILE
Kenny Chee
JUN 14, 2022
SINGAPORE - Had your online bank account hacked by crooks, or having problems ordering the Nintendo Switch Oled video game console online? Bad bots might be to blame.
So active are these bots here that Singapore has the dubious honour of clinching the No. 2 spot globally based on how high the proportion of bad bot traffic is compared with other Internet traffic within a country.
Findings from a study of 192 countries released last month showed that 39.1 per cent of all Internet traffic in Singapore last year was from bad bots, or software used to conduct automatic malicious attacks, such as on websites.
The remaining traffic was from people (53.1 per cent) and good bots (7.8 per cent).
Germany edged out Singapore to take pole position with 39.6 per cent of its Internet traffic coming from bad bots, according to the study by cyber-security company Imperva.
Singapore's figures are even higher than China's (fourth, 29.8 per cent) and the United States' (sixth, 29.1 per cent). The global average is 27.7 per cent.
Attacks from bad bots include those that scrape and collect data from websites, like prices of goods that an organisation can use to gain a competitive edge over rivals. Other attacks involve scalping - buying limited items online faster than a human can so that the goods can be resold at higher prices.
Bad bots are sometimes used to flood a website with so much online traffic that it becomes inaccessible. They are also used to test reams of stolen log-in details, or to guess weak passwords by trial and error, for hacking and taking over a person's online account.
Good bots, on the other hand, can be used to help people find things online more easily by matching their online search queries with the most relevant websites, based on how the bots discover online services and content, and later make them available to search engines.
Looking at total bad bot traffic globally last year and which countries had the highest share of such traffic, Singapore came in at No. 12 and the US was No. 1.
While the Republic's position slipped slightly from No. 11 in 2020, it was a jump from No. 24 in 2019.
"Singapore has been ranked quite high in the most attacked countries list for several years," said Mr Erez Hasson, a strategist for application security at Imperva.
"This became even more pronounced during the pandemic, when digital transformation accelerated and more business was conducted online. This was especially true in digitally mature nations like Singapore."
Globally, there was also a substantial uptick in Web traffic in 2020 owing to Covid-19. Bot traffic rose last year too.
With more services available digitally and more business done online here, there are more targets for bot operators, Mr Hasson said.
"This makes Singapore a rich target for cyber criminals," he added.
A Cyber Security Agency of Singapore report last July also suggested more bot activity amid Covid-19. The number of systems found here that were used to control networks of computers infected by malicious bots nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020. Crooks control and can use these computers to launch cyber attacks.
Imperva's study showed that the sector most targeted by bad bots here was financial services, accounting for 66 per cent of the attacks. The travel sector came in a distant second (16 per cent), followed by the retail sector (5 per cent).
Since companies in the financial services sector store valuable banking and personal data, Mr Hasson said they are highly targeted by bot attacks that seek to take over victims' online accounts.
Imperva's study also showed Singapore was one of the top six countries, including the US and Germany, most targeted by bot attacks that try to take over accounts in general.
When contacted about the bot issue, local bank UOB said it has systems and controls in place to identify, prevent and mitigate potential threats.
OCBC Bank said it has implemented cyber-security capabilities that can detect and block network traffic originating from networks of bots that seek to access the bank's websites.
DBS Bank said malicious bot activities account for a "very low single-digit" percentage of total Web traffic to DBS websites.
The bank added that it engages cyber-security providers to mitigate such bot activities, which have all been successfully blocked.
As for the travel sector, Mr Hasson said bots are used to scrape prices by competing companies or third-party price aggregation and booking sites. The online accounts of customers, which often have data like credit card information, are also a target for bots to hack and take over.
In retail, bad bots are used in similar ways as in travel, but also for scalping limited items that are in high demand.
Globally, Imperva found higher levels of bot traffic around the time of pre-order and launch sales for popular video gaming systems.
For example, late last year, Imperva said there was an 88 per cent rise in bad bot traffic to global retail sites days before the launch of the Nintendo Switch Oled console.
While there are tools that can identify and block bots performing repetitive actions at irregular speeds, Mr Hasson said some of the most advanced bad bots can perform actions at a pace that mimics that of a real person to evade detection.
Some bots will also disguise themselves to pass off as a mobile Web browser used by a person to access a target website. More sophisticated bots can also simulate how a real person interacts with the site through automated clicks and mouse movements.
Said Mr Hasson: "The fight against bad bots is a never-ending cat-and-mouse game that happens around the clock."
most probably coz of lots of datacenters
lots of global internet traffic routed through germany stinkypura poms yanks hongkies other major data centres which is why lots of bots spambots are seen from these jurisdictions
More than 300 suspects under police investigation for scamming victims of $6m
The police urged members of the public to reject requests by others to use their bank account or mobile phone lines. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: ST FILE
Samuel Devaraj
June 25, 2022
SINGAPORE - More than 300 suspected scammers were rounded up in a two-week police operation earlier this month. Victims were estimated to have lost close to $6 million.
In a release issued on Saturday (June 25), the police said the 220 men and 107 women - aged between 15 and 78 - are helping investigations.
They are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence.
The police said: "The suspects are believed to be involved in more than 1,138 cases of scams, comprising mainly bank-related phishing scams, Internet love scams, government and China officials impersonation scams, e-commerce scams, investment scams, job scams and loan scams."
The operation between June 10 and 23 was conducted by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven police land divisions.
For each count of cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
An offender found guilty of money laundering can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000, or both, for each charge.
For each count of providing payment services without a licence, an offender can be fined up to $125,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
The police urged members of the public to reject requests by others to use their bank account or mobile phone lines, to avoid being an accomplice to crimes.
They added that they take a serious stance against anyone who may be involved in scams, and that perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Last month, the police said since the start of this year, more than $2.7 million has been swindled from at least 587 people in phishing scams, with culprits pretending to be friends.
Earlier this month, The Straits Times reported that 67 victims have lost more than $71,000 to new scam variants in the first half of June.
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) issued three advisories within a week, with each alerting about a different variant.
The variants involve spoofed e-mails with suspicious attachments, fraudulent e-mails and calls from scammers impersonating Iras officers, and WhatsApp calls from fake accounts which have the Iras logo as their profile pictures.
Eight people were charged in court on Friday over their suspected involvement in DBS phishing scams, where more than 60 people lost more than $60,000.
Delivery parcel phishing scams are back; 454 people fleeced of at least $675,000 since January
Victims would be sent a fraudulent link where they would purportedly be able to view information regarding their parcel. PHOTO: ST FILE
Aditi Bharade
JUN 27, 2022
SINGAPORE- A phishing scam linked to the delivery of parcels has re-emerged and there have been at least 454 victims since January this year, with total losses amounting to at least $675,000.
The police said in a release on Monday (June 27) that victims would receive e-mails or text messages with a link, where they would purportedly be able to view information regarding their parcel deliveries.
Those who click on the link would instead be led to fraudulent websites requesting for their credit card or debit card details and One-Time Passwords (OTPs).
"Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions made to their credit or debit cards," said the police in the release.
Members of the public are advised not to click on any links in unsolicited e-mails and text messages, and to verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources.
They are also advised not to disclose personal or internet banking details to anyone, and to report any fraudulent credit or debit card charges to their bank and cancel their cards immediately.
Those who have information related to such crimes can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it to the police online here.
At least 277 people lost over $30m to China officials impersonation scams since January
Members of the public were urged to be mindful of calls with the "+" prefix - indicating an overseas call. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Young Zhan Heng
June 30, 2022
SINGAPORE - At least 277 people here have lost $30.3 million to China officials impersonation scams so far this year, said the police on Wednesday (June 29).
Those targeted would receive voice-recorded phone calls allegedly from the Ministry of Health, the High Court or other government agencies, the police said.
Following the caller's instructions, victims would be directed to scammers claiming to be police officers.
The scammers would inform the victims that they were being investigated for money laundering and other offences, the police explained in the advisory.
They would then direct the victims to provide their personal and bank account information.
In some cases, the scammers would get their targets to open bank accounts and transfer money from their accounts to others, for "police investigations".
The scammers would also get victims to meet unknown subjects to hand over or collect fake documents and instruct the victims to report their movements daily and keep the "investigations" secret.
On May 26, The Straits Times reported on Chinese scammers impersonating Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) officers.
The scammers accused a 16-year-old student of being part of a scam syndicate and instructed him to deposit $53,100 into one of the scammers' bank accounts.
When the teenager failed to raise the sum, he agreed out of fear to cooperate with the scammers' scheme to fake his kidnapping.
The police said that those who fell prey to these impersonation scams would discover they had been duped only when they realised there were unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts, or when the scammers did not return the money they had transferred for the purported police investigations.
The police emphasised that overseas law enforcement agencies have no jurisdiction to conduct operations, arrest anyone or ask members of the public in Singapore to help with investigations.
The police also said they will never ask people to transfer money into another bank account for investigations.
Members of the public were urged to be mindful of calls with the "+" prefix - indicating an overseas call - and ignore unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to be overseas law enforcement.
The police said that members of the public should never share their Singpass, bank account login details, and one-time password with anyone, including family and friends.
They added that no government agency will instruct payment through a telephone call or other social messaging platforms, or ever ask for personal banking information such as i- banking passwords.
The public were advised to always verify information with official websites and sources and if in doubt, call a trusted friend or talk to a relative before acting.
The annual police crime statistics released in February showed that the number of China officials impersonation scams rose from 442 in 2020 to 752 in 2021.
In 2021, the largest sum lost in a single case was $6.2 million.
At least $34,000 lost in S'pore to scams involving fake travel agent websites
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Victims had accessed the websites thinking they were genuine and keyed in their personal and payment card details. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
Yong Li Xuan
July 5, 2022
SINGAPORE - At least 35 people have fallen prey to scams involving the non-delivery of travel-related services since the start of the year, with losses amounting to at least $34,000.
The police said on Tuesday (July 5) that they have observed an increase in such scams, which involve visa applications, arrival card applications and flight bookings made through fake travel agent websites.
Victims had accessed these websites thinking they were genuine and keyed in their personal and payment card details.
They then received e-mails asking for more information to complete their application.
When their applications and purchases were not processed, the victims checked with the relevant authorities and companies and learnt they had been scammed.
Police said members of the public should check with the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore if a vendor is an accredited travel agent.
They should also buy air tickets from authorised sellers or reputable sources.
Travellers can refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website for the correct visa applications to travel out of Singapore, and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority's website for entry requirements into Singapore.
Police said fraudulent credit or debit card charges should be reported to the banks and the cards should be cancelled immediately.
They added that if the public has any information relating to such crimes, they can contact the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or submit it online.
For more information on scams, visit the Scam Alert website or call the Anti-Scam Hotline on 1800-722-6688.
S'pore-based crypto firm Three Arrows founders' whereabouts unknown, foiling liquidators
Three Arrows, founded by former Credit Suisse traders Zhu Su (pictured) and Kyle Davies, succumbed to the widespread crypto sell-off last month. PHOTO: ZHU SU/TWITTER
Jul12, 2022
NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) - The founders of bankrupt crypto hedge fund Three Arrows Capital have not been cooperating in the firm's liquidation process and their whereabouts were unknown as at last Friday (July 8), according to court papers.
Representatives tapped to liquidate Three Arrows by a British Virgin Islands (BVI) judge had "not yet received any meaningful cooperation" from Mr Kyle Davies and Mr Zhu Su, lawyers said in US bankruptcy court filings. Advisory firm Teneo is attempting to round up and preserve the assets of the hedge fund.
The liquidators are seeking a United States judge's permission to subpoena Mr Davies, Mr Zhu and banks or crypto exchanges affiliated with Three Arrows to prevent the potential "dissipation" of the fund's assets, Mr Russell Crumpler of Teneo said in a sworn declaration. A video hearing is set for Tuesday.
"Here, that risk is heightened because a substantial portion of the debtor's assets are comprised of cash and digital assets, such as cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens, that are readily transferable," lawyers for the liquidators said in court papers.
Three Arrows, which Mr Zhu and Mr Davies founded after trading at Credit Suisse Group, succumbed to the widespread crypto sell-off last month. Insolvency proceedings kicked off in the BVI and were followed by a so-called Chapter 15 bankruptcy filing in the US. The fund's downfall has rippled through the digital asset industry, helping to drive at least one crypto platform that counted Three Arrows as a counterparty into bankruptcy already.
The hedge fund's liquidators travelled to Three Arrows' office address in Singapore in late June in an attempt to track down the founders, according to court papers. It appeared dormant: The door was locked, computers were inactive and mail was stuffed under the door. People working in the surrounding offices said they had not seen anyone enter or exit the office recently.
The liquidators spoke to lawyers for Mr Davies and Mr Zhu via videoconference last week, according to court papers, but did not speak to the founders directly.
"While persons identifying themselves as 'Su Zhu' and 'Kyle' were present on the Zoom call, their video was turned off and they were on mute at all times with neither of them speaking despite questions being posed to them directly," Teneo's Mr Crumpler said in his court declaration.
The lawyers told Three Arrows' liquidators that Mr Zhu and Mr Davies intend to cooperate. A subsequent meeting was scheduled for Monday, according to court papers.
Advocatus Law LLP, the Singapore-based law firm that spoke to Three Arrows' liquidators on behalf of the fund's founders, did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours on Monday.
All these could have been avoided when people realise the key to not getting scammed. It has worked perfectly throughout the ages across all countries, cultures, business segment, demographic and any other factors combined:
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Han Rasman
Three Arrows Capital owners have gone missing. A few weeks back Zhu Su was in a spectacular hurry to sell his S$48.8 million Good Class Bungalow, which are a luxury asset for elites that space-constraint Singapore can ill afford. Interestingly, Zhu Su is indicated as a preferred creditor of 3AC. The reasons why the founders of a hyper-growth, non-startup company founded in 2012 need this protection are not many. We are likely to discover in the weeks ahead that rampant grand fraud occurred, and another notch in the belt has been scored for Singapore's aspirations to be the cryptocurrency capital of the world.
It is long overdue for us to review Singapore's senseless need to be in before anyone else. Lawmakers and ministers invited cryptocurrency bucket shops into the country and made it impossible for them to sell to Singaporeans. They knew, and were okay with cryptocurrency being a fraud as long as it was sold to the rest of the world and Singapore got a cut in corporate tax, with all of the attendant investments in property. But if there is one thing I've learned about operationalizing risk management, you cannot price in reputation. Let's not turn our fair city into a money-laundering and fraud hub for the rest of the world.
Three Arrows Capital owners have gone missing. A few weeks back Zhu Su was in a spectacular hurry to sell his S$48.8 million Good Class Bungalow, which are a luxury asset for elites that space-constraint Singapore can ill afford. Interestingly, Zhu Su is indicated as a preferred creditor of 3AC. The reasons why the founders of a hyper-growth, non-startup company founded in 2012 need this protection are not many. We are likely to discover in the weeks ahead that rampant grand fraud occurred, and another notch in the belt has been scored for Singapore's aspirations to be the cryptocurrency capital of the world.
It is long overdue for us to review Singapore's senseless need to be in before anyone else. Lawmakers and ministers invited cryptocurrency bucket shops into the country and made it impossible for them to sell to Singaporeans. They knew, and were okay with cryptocurrency being a fraud as long as it was sold to the rest of the world and Singapore got a cut in corporate tax, with all of the attendant investments in property. But if there is one thing I've learned about operationalizing risk management, you cannot price in reputation. Let's not turn our fair city into a money-laundering and fraud hub for the rest of the world.
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