Latest news with #ComputerMisuseAct
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Man gets jail for forcing victim to drink urine in 'deplorable' incident
SINGAPORE: A man recruiting people willing to sell bank account information for cash roped in an acquaintance into the scheme. However, this was uncovered by the acquaintance's father, who then lodged a police report. As a result, the bank account involved was frozen with about S$25,700 (US$19,960) inside. Thinking that the acquaintance had pocketed the money, the recruiter and his friends confronted him, urinated into an empty 1.5-litre bottle and demanded that he drink from it or fight them. The 25-year-old man drank about three-quarters of the urine in the bottle and was made to pour the rest over his head. On Wednesday (Aug 6), the recruiter Tan Ming Chuan was sentenced to jail for four months and eight weeks and fined S$300. He pleaded guilty to one count of criminal intimidation in relation to the urine incident and one count under the Computer Misuse Act linked to the relinquishing of a bank account. A third charge was taken into consideration. WHAT HAPPENED The court heard that Tan, a 28-year-old Singaporean, got to know a person known only as Derrick in late 2021. He accepted a job offer from Derrick to recruit people who wanted to relinquish their bank accounts. Tan would receive S$800 to S$1,000 from Derrick for each bank account provided and keep about S$300 as commission and hand S$500 to the person owning the bank account. Sometime in March 2022, Tan was introduced by his friend, 26-year-old co-accused Cheong Wee Kiat, to a 25-year-old man named in court papers only as A1. A1 was Cheong's friend and wanted to earn "fast cash". The trio met up at a LAN shop in Tampines where Tan guided A1 to register a company in his name. He then guided A1 to open a corporate bank account online. A1 handed his internet banking credentials and ATM card for the bank account to Tan, who in turn handed these over to Derrick. A1 began receiving bank statements for the account at his home address. About a month later, in April 2022, A1's father saw the bank statements indicating significant sums of money being transferred from unknown sources. He confronted A1 about the account and they eventually went to a bank branch to close it. A1 then lodged a police report on the bank's advice. As a result, the account was frozen with S$25,719.43 inside. Investigations showed that a total of S$147,100.57 had flowed through the account. However, the funds were not traced to any police reports. Neither Cheong nor A1 received the payments promised for their roles, but Tan received a commission from Derrick, which he spent on alcohol and clubbing. THE URINE INCIDENT A1 had called Cheong and Tan to tell them that his father had discovered the bank account. Cheong and Tan told him not to betray them, but A1 cut off contact with them after making the police report, fearing that he would be asked to make payments for the frozen funds. Unaware of the report or that the account had been frozen, Tan and Cheong assumed A1 had closed the account and kept the money. They decided to confront him. On Sep 12, 2022, Tan met up with Cheong and Cheong's girlfriend, deciding that they were going to confront A1. That night, at about 11pm, they went to the void deck of A1's residence with three other people. At about 11.30pm, the group of six spotted A1. Tan and Cheong confronted A1 about the money and asked him to repay them. A1 insisted that he did not receive the money. He later said he would contact a friend and slowly work to pay off the debt. Cheong allegedly punched A1 in the face, causing a cut beside his eyebrow. A1 did not retaliate, keeping still as he feared for his safety. His friend arrived and transferred a sum of S$800. At some point in the night, the group of six bought and drank two 1.5-litre bottles of green tea. At about 1am the next morning, Tan and Cheong decided to "punish" A1 and pressure him to pay up. They and two others urinated into one of the empty bottles and handed it to A1, demanding that he drink it or fight them. A1 drank about three-quarters of the urine. When Cheong's girlfriend noted that the bottle was not empty, Cheong and Tan told A1 to pour the rest over his head. He complied. Tan recorded the incident on his phone but later deleted the footage. Around 2.30am, Cheong took A1's bank and identity card as collateral for the money owed. The group then left. A1 lodged a police report the next day. UNNATURAL AND DEEPLY HUMILIATING: PROSECUTOR The prosecutor sought five months and four to six weeks' jail for Tan, along with a fine of S$300 to disgorge the profit he made over the bank account. She said handing over bank accounts was a serious offence. As for the urine incident, she said there was a real and significant threat of injury to A1. It was aggravated by the group nature of the act, that it was "unnatural and humiliating", the fact that it occurred in public, and that Tan recorded it. Defence lawyer Kenii Takashima sought three months and six weeks' jail and a fine of S$300 instead. He said Tan had deleted the video and did not circulate it. In sentencing, District Judge Koo Zhi Xuan called the offence "utterly deplorable". An appropriately severe sentence must be applied to reflect society's disapproval of the bullying and extreme humiliation against A1, he said.
Daily Record
24-07-2025
- Daily Record
M&S advert banned by watchdog for promoting 'unhealthily thin' model
The fashion advert has been pulled following criticism from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA.) M&S has come under fire for an online fashion advert. It has since been pulled following criticism from the UK's advertising watchdog. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) deemed it was "irresponsible" for M&S to utilise the image in question to advertise its clothes on its mobile app, as it showed an "unhealthily thin" model. Condemning the ad, the ASA advised that the model, wearing slim-fit trousers and a white top, "appeared thin and she wore large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs". It also observed the camera angles made the model's head appear disproportionate and "highlighted her small frame", reports the Mirror. The ASA determined: "Therefore, we considered that the pose of the model and the choice of clothing meant the ad gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin". Following the prohibition, Marks and Spencer expressed remorse for any distress caused and swiftly removed the image. A representative for the retailer stated: "Our womenswear sizing ranges from size 8 to 24 and we always want to reflect that in our advertising." They added: "The product images on our website feature models of varying sizes so we can appeal to all our customers, however following the ASA guidance, we have removed this particular image from our website and apologise for any offence caused." Whilst three additional images were flagged to the ASA by worried shoppers, the authority did not deem these to be in breach, therefore no further action against the high street giant was pursued. It comes as four individuals have been apprehended by the police in connection with cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op, and Harrods. The arrests encompass three teenagers – a 17 year old British lad from the West Midlands, a 19 year old Latvian man also from the West Midlands, a 19 year old British chap from London – and a 20 year old British woman from Staffordshire. The suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences related to the Computer Misuse Act, and involvement in the activities of an organised crime group. All four remain in custody. Paul Foster, who leads the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, commented: "Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the agency's highest priorities." He continued: "Today's arrests are a significant step in that investigation but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice." Following the cyber attack, which occurred over the Easter weekend and disrupted contactless payments in stores as well as click and collect orders, M&S had to temporarily close its online shop. It was subsequently revealed that customer data was compromised, including names, email addresses, physical addresses, and dates of birth; however, card or payment details were not affected. The head of M&S provided an update last week, stating that the remainder of its online operations should be back up and running by next month. The supermarket began to resume online orders in June, but some services are yet to return to normal. For instance, customers are still unable to place orders for click and collect or next day delivery. Furthermore, M&S is not currently delivering to Northern Ireland. Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, anticipates these services will be fully operational from August. Addressing shareholders at the retailer's annual general meeting, he stated: "Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the Agency's highest priorities."
Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
M&S handed mobile ad ban after using 'unhealthily thin' model
An advert by Marks & Spencer has been banned because of the model's appearance (Image: PA) A Marks and Spencer advert has been banned after the featured model was judged to be "unhealthily thin". The UK's advertising watchdog has ruled that it was "irresponsible" for M&S to use the image in question to promote its clothing on its mobile app. The Advertising Standards Authority criticised the ad, stating that the model, dressed in slim-fit trousers and a white top, "appeared thin and she wore large pointed shoes which emphasised the slenderness of her legs". The ASA's decision also noted that the camera angles made the model's head seem disproportionate and "highlighted her small frame". The ASA concluded: "Therefore, we considered that the pose of the model and the choice of clothing meant the ad gave the impression that the model was unhealthily thin". The company is still recovering from a damaging cyber attack (Image: PA) In response to the ban, Marks and Spencer expressed regret for any upset caused and promptly withdrew the image. A spokesperson for the company commented: "Our womenswear sizing ranges from size 8 to 24 and we always want to reflect that in our advertising." They continued: "The product images on our website feature models of varying sizes so we can appeal to all our customers, however following the ASA guidance, we have removed this particular image from our website and apologise for any offence caused." While three additional images were brought to the attention of the ASA by concerned consumers, the authority did not find these to be in violation, thus no further action against the retailer was taken. It comes as four people have been arrested by police investigating the M&S, Co-op and Harrods cyber attacks. The arrests include three teenagers - a 17-year-old British man from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old Latvian man from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old British man from London - and a 20-year-old British woman from Staffordshire. The individuals were detained on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences linked to the Computer Misuse Act and participating in the activities of an organised crime group. All four people remain in custody. Paul Foster, head of the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, said: 'Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the agency's highest priorities. 'Today's arrests are a significant step in that investigation but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice.' M&S was forced to shut down its online store following the cyber attack, which happened during Easter weekend and affected contactless payments in stores, as well as click and collect orders. It was later confirmed that customer data, including names, email addresses, addresses and dates of birth - but it does not include card or payment details, was stolen. The boss of M&S last week issued an update, and said the rest of its online operations will reopen by next month. The supermarket started resuming online orders in June but some services are still not back to normal. For example, you still cannot place an order for click and collect or next day delivery. M&S is also still is not delivering to Northern Ireland. Stuart Machin, CEO of M&S, expects these services to be fully restored from August. Speaking to shareholders at the retailer's annual general meeting, he said: "Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the Agency's highest priorities.
Daily Record
18-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
M&S Sparks shoppers given 'thank you' treat in new cyber attack update
As M&S slowly gets back on its feet after months of recovering from a damaging cyber attack, Sparks shoppers will be happy to hear that they will once again receive a range of offers and treats from the retailer as the service is confirmed to be "fully back online". Members of the Sparks scheme have not been receiving any of their usual offers over the last few months due to the retailer's online systems being put on pause to try and recover from a cyber criminal hit earlier this year. Back in April, M&S was forced to take down part of its IT systems, as well as stopping online sales through their website, despite knowing this would have a damaging impact on the company. On top of this, it was later confirmed that the Sparks offers would be "paused" until "all technical issues have been resolved". However, on Thursday (July 17), M&S broke the happy news that its Sparks membership was now fully restored after 12 weeks of being suspended, reports the Manchester Evening News. The retailers added that the service will provide a "range of thank you treats and rewards" to its customers. For those who enjoy the M&S range, Sparks card members are able to access rewards across a range of the retailer's home and fashion products. On top of this, M&S will also be reinstating its popular coffee stamp scheme, which lets avid coffee lovers redeem a free coffee in M&S cafes after collecting six stamps. Another perk that comes with the Sparks scheme is that the much loved retailer hands out gifts to those who are celebrating their birthdays in each month. And for members who had their birthday while the service was down in May and June, they will receive a belated treat to look out for. The 'thank yous' don't stop there, as M&S has also said it will be increasing its colleague discount this weekend across home, beauty and fashion from 20 per cent to 30 per cent. Contractors are also in luck as for the first time outside of Christmas the retailer is extending them a 10 per cent discount. Sharry Cramond, director of loyalty, fashion, home & beauty marketing, said: "Over the last three months, our colleagues have demonstrated real commitment and teamwork. "At the same time, our customers have shown us fantastic support and loyalty. These extra Sparks rewards are a small gesture to say thank you." This update follows four young people being arrested for suspected involvement in the cyber attacks not just to M&S, but also towards Co-op and Harrods. However on Wednesday, July 16, it was revealed by the National Crime Agency (NCA) that they had been released on bail. A spokesperson said: "All four individuals have been bailed pending further inquiries." The individuals were all arrested from their home addresses on suspicion of money laundering, blackmail, offences linked to the Computer Misuse Act and participating in the activities of an organised crime group. However, Thompsons Solicitors - who are the legal firm behind the class action lawsuit against M&S - say that it will take financial compensation for customers to see any real justice. Thompsons partner Patrick Mcguire said: "Their loyal customers feel heavily let down by their failures, they are entitled to compensation. "The only way they can obtain financial justice is through a class action and not through these arrests."
Glasgow Times
16-07-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Four people bailed after arrests over cyber attacks on M&S, Co-op and Harrods
The arrests on July 10 included a 17-year-old British man from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old Latvian man from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old British man from London, and a 20-year-old British woman from Staffordshire. A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Wednesday: 'All four individuals have been bailed pending further inquiries.' They were all arrested from their home address on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences linked to the Computer Misuse Act, and participating in the activities of an organised crime group, according to the NCA. Empty shelves in a branch of the Co-op following a cyber attack (PA) The police also seized electronic devices from the properties. It comes after investigations by NCA into attacks against the three retailers, where hackers sought ransom payments after breaking into their IT systems. M&S was the first of the retailers to be targeted by the hackers, with the retailer shutting a raft of systems down in response on Easter Sunday. The company said the cyber attack has cost the firm around £300 million after it shut down its website for six weeks. Meanwhile, Co-op saw payments disrupted and shelves become bare from May because of the fallout of its cyber attack. Hackers also stole Co-op members' personal data, such as names and contact details. Harrods restricted internet access across its websites in May following attempts to gain unauthorised access to its systems.
