Latest news with #Sng
Straits Times
19-07-2025
- Straits Times
He emptied savings to buy $52k worth of gold bars, and handed them to a stranger
In a new variant of government official impersonation scams, victims have been asked to hand over physical cash or gold bars At least 80 cases of government official impersonation scams were reported in June 2025 alone, according to police figures. The 65-year-old withdrew all the money from his bank account on the evening of June 19. He went to two pawnshops and bought $52,700 worth of gold bars. Then, as instructed, he made his way to Pasir Ris MRT station and handed the gold over to a woman he had never met before. She took the package and walked away without a word, says Mr Sng, who declined to give his full name. When he returned home and told his wife what had happened, her reaction stunned him. 'That's a scam,' she said immediately. Mr Sng, a technician who retired about two weeks later in July, thought he was helping Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) officers with a criminal investigation. The scam began that June 19 afternoon. Mr Sng was at work when his phone rang. Speaking in English, the caller claimed to be from financial services firm UnionPay and said that Mr Sng had recently signed up for a new insurance plan. He was confused. He hadn't signed up for anything, he says, 'so I told him it must be a mistake'. The 'UnionPay staff' agreed to cancel the plan but added that Mr Sng's personal information might have been misused. Sounding concerned, the caller offered to refer Mr Sng to someone from MAS to help investigate the issue. That was when things took a turn. Over the three-hour phone call, two 'MAS officers' told Mr Sng that his personal particulars had been used to buy the insurance plan. These suspicious transactions, they said, could be tied to a money laundering operation. 'The officers explained (the situation to me) in a very calm, convincing way,' Mr Sng recalls. They gave him clear instructions to clear his name: Withdraw all the money from his bank account, convert it into gold bars, and hand them over for 'safekeeping'. Mr Sng complied. He had fallen prey to a new variant of government official impersonation scams. Stay alert to stay safe 10-second pause saved her from a scam: Read how this 32-year-old real estate agent almost transferred all the money in her bank account to a scammer. Beware of phishing scams when claiming SG60 vouchers: If someone asks you to transfer money or download third-party apps to claim the vouchers, it's likely a scam. Setting the trap At least 80 cases of government official impersonation scams were reported in June 2025 alone, according to the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Victims lost more than $6.7 million. In earlier versions of the scam, victims were asked to transfer money into 'safety bank accounts' for investigation purposes. But the scam has evolved. In the new variant, scammers would also impersonate service providers like insurance agents, and arrange for the physical collection of cash or gold bars from victims. '(These) scammers prey on our trust and tendency to comply with authority figures,' says Mr Jeffery Chin, deputy director of SPF's Scam Public Education Office. 'They undermine our ability to process the situation by evoking fear and a sense of urgency to resolve it.' In some cases, scammers trick victims into lowering their guard by 'presenting themselves as being sincere in wanting to help us resolve the situation', Mr Chin says. To appear even more credible, scammers may cite personal information they've obtained, such as full names or NRIC numbers. 'Do not automatically trust someone just because they have your personal information,' cautions Police Superintendent Matthew Choo, assistant director of the Scam Public Education Office, SPF. He advises the public to never hand over money or valuables to strangers, or leave them at a physical location for someone else to collect. 'I was in a daze,' says Mr Sng, thinking back to the moment he realised it was a scam. 'Why was I so gullible to believe (the scammers' story) about an MAS investigation? There was no greed involved, I (just) wanted to help.' He made a police report that night, and 'fortunately I did', Mr Sng says. The woman he had handed the gold bars to was caught at the Causeway the next day, just as she was attempting to leave Singapore. About a week later, Mr Sng was called in by the police to identify her. In a rare outcome for scam cases, his loss was recovered in full.
New Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Sabah election: PBM aims to give voters more choice, says Sng
KUCHING: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Larry Sng said the party plans to contest at least three seats in the upcoming Sabah state election to provide voters with a choice in who represents them in the state assembly. He said the party has already identified potential candidates for the election, which is expected to be held later this year. "In this election, we are going solo — not forming any election pact with Sabah-based parties," he said when contacted by the New Straits Times. He said he had announced the decision to contest in the Sabah state election while chairing the PBM Sarawak chapter's annual general meeting in Sibu last Friday. "We want to offer the people of Sabah a choice," said Sng, who is also the Julau Member of Parliament. He added that winning or losing in the election was not the issue, "because we want to fight for the people as long as we live". Sng said the Sarawak chapter's meeting, which he chaired, was attended by the party's deputy president Wong anak Judat, PBM Women's chief Agnes Padan, Youth deputy head Kevin Jampang Ranggal, and delegates from all the branches. Sabah is set to head to the polls soon, with the state assembly to be automatically dissolved on Nov 11. The 16th Sabah state election was held on Sept 26, 2020 to elect 73 members of the state assembly.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Singapore actor Ayden Sng gets publicity boost in China for upcoming shows
Singaporean actor Ayden Sng's career in China has been given a boost after top Chinese producer and screenwriter Yu Zheng posted about him on social media. Sng, 31, is represented in China by Chinese production company Huanyu Entertainment – co-founded by Yu – as part of a partnership between Huanyu and Mediacorp's artiste management arm The Celebrity Agency. 'Recently, many friends have noticed our artiste Ayden Sng, who is one of the top 100 handsome faces in the world,' Yu wrote on May 24. The 47-year-old was referring to the Mediacorp artiste placing ninth on TC Candler's The 100 Most Handsome Faces list released in December 2024. 'He looked cool in his previous magazine photo shoot, but I didn't realise that he could be so thoughtful when he was making coffee off-camera,' Yu added. Sng recently acted in Chinese period romance drama Perfect Match, his first production in China, which aired in January and February. Best known for producing the period drama Story Of Yanxi Palace (2018), Yu said that many netizens have since noticed that Sng was the actor who played the role of Yan Zimei in Perfect Match. 'Now that you know, please pay more attention to Ayden Sng's Weixiao Yihaodian and Feud,' Yu said, referring to Sng's upcoming shows. Sng thanked Yu under the post, writing: 'I will definitely work hard and live up to your trust.' The actor is set to appear in Chinese upcoming reality show Weixiao Yihaodian, which can be translated as Smile Cafe No. 1. The series features 35 celebrity trainees who will go through almost a month of professional training before being divided into groups. They will then go to different cities in China to run beverage stores, and take part in product development and store operations, according to a synopsis of the show. The reality show is led by veteran Chinese actor Tang Guoqiang, who is best known for portraying Chinese leader Mao Zedong in movies and TV series. Sng, who has changed his Weibo name to 'Ayden Sng of Weixiao Yihaodian', shared about the reality series on his account. 'I will do my best to develop food and beverages and present perfect works for you,' he wrote in Chinese, posting a promotional poster of himself on the show. Sng will also act in upcoming Chinese fantasy series Feud, which stars Chinese actress Bai Lu and Chinese actor Joseph Zeng. In Singapore, Sng has been nominated for the Most Popular Rising Stars award at Mediacorp's Star Awards, with the ceremony scheduled for July 6. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Singapore actor Ayden Sng gets publicity boost in China for upcoming shows
Singaporean actor Ayden Sng is represented in China by Chinese production company Huanyu Entertainment - co-founded by Yu Zheng. PHOTO: YU ZHENG/WEIBO Singaporean actor Ayden Sng's career in China has been given a boost after top Chinese producer and screenwriter Yu Zheng posted about him on social media. Sng, 31, is represented in China by Chinese production company Huanyu Entertainment – co-founded by Yu – as part of a partnership between Huanyu and Mediacorp's artiste management arm The Celebrity Agency. 'Recently, many friends have noticed our artiste Ayden Sng , who is one of the top 100 handsome faces in the world,' Yu wrote on May 24. The 47-year-old was referring to the Mediacorp artiste placing ninth on TC Candler's The 100 Most Handsome Faces list released in December 2024. 'He looked cool in his previous magazine photoshoot, but I didn't realise that he could be so thoughtful when he was making coffee offline,' Yu added. Sng recently acted in Chinese period romance drama Perfect Match, his first production in China, which aired in January and February. Best known for helming the period drama Story Of Yanxi Palace (2018), Yu said that many netizens have since noticed that Sng was the actor who played the role of Yan Zimei in Perfect Match. 'Now that you know, please pay more attention to Ayden Sng's Weixiao Yihaodian and Feud,' Yu said, referring to Sng's upcoming shows. Sng thanked Yu under the post, writing: 'I will definitely work hard and live up to your trust.' The actor is set to appear in Chinese upcoming reality show Weixiao Yihaodian, which can be translated as Smile Cafe No. 1. The series features 35 celebrity trainees who will go through almost a month of professional training before they are divided into groups. They will then go to different cities in China to run beverage stores, and take part in product development and store operations, according to a synopsis of the show. The reality show is led by veteran Chinese actor Tang Guoqiang, who is best known for portraying Chinese leader Mao Zedong in movies and TV series. Sng, who has changed his Weibo name to 'Ayden Sng of Weixiao Yihaodian', shared about the reality series on his account. 'I will do my best to develop food and beverages and present perfect works for you,' he wrote in Chinese, posting a promotional poster of himself on the show. Sng will also act in upcoming Chinese fantasy series Feud, which stars Chinese actress Bai Lu and Chinese actor Joseph Zeng. In Singapore, Sng has been nominated for Most Popular Rising Star Award at Mediacorp's Star Awards, with the ceremony scheduled for July 6. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
New Paper
17-05-2025
- Politics
- New Paper
Facebook user apologises, deletes defamatory posts on Ong Ye Kung, Chee Hong Tat and Ng Chee Meng
Facebook user Sng Chia Huat apologised on May 16 to ministers Ong Ye Kung and Chee Hong Tat, and labour chief Ng Chee Meng for making defamatory statements against them. Mr Sng, who goes by Rich Sng on the social media platform, also took down his offending Facebook posts that had falsely accused the two ministers and Mr Ng of being involved with Fujian gang member Su Haijin. In two new Facebook posts, Mr Sng said he received letters of demand from lawyers acting on behalf of Mr Ong, Mr Chee and Mr Ng on May 15 requesting that he remove his earlier posts, and that he has complied with their demands. Mr Sng also put up photos of his signed apology to Mr Ong, Mr Chee and Mr Ng, where he admitted and acknowledged that the allegations he had made about the three of them were "baseless, false and completely without foundation". Following Mr Sng's apology, the two ministers released a statement that said it was necessary for them to take legal action, given that an individual's right to disagree with government policies does not extend to making baseless accusations against policymakers that impugn their honesty and integrity. "Ministers come into contact with a wide range of people, including through Meet-the-People Sessions, home visits, community visits, dialogues and various events and gatherings," said the statement. "This is part and parcel of the job. It is not practical for ministers to ensure they never meet, or have their photos taken with, individuals who may be or potentially may be bad persons. "The key is we do not do anything wrong in the way we discharge our duties, even as we make ourselves accessible to all segments of society." Mr Ng also released a statement late on May 16 that he did not intend to take any further action at this point, after Mr Sng's apology. The statement read: "Further, Mr Sng has offered to perform 100 hours of community service for each public servant named in his Facebook posts. Mr Sng says he has no financial means to pay any damages, and he is on the verge of bankruptcy." Mr Ong, Mr Chee and Mr Ng had been photographed at dinners with Su, who was one of the 10 people convicted in the billion-dollar money laundering case in 2024. The Cypriot national was sentenced to 14 months' jail in April 2024. On May 9 and 10, Mr Sng had put up two posts on Facebook alleging that Mr Ong, who is Health Minister, and Mr Chee, who is Transport Minister, had been aware that Su had broken laws but condoned it. He falsely accused Mr Ong and Mr Chee of dishonestly pretending not to know Su, being involved in or susceptible to corruption or bribery, and being part of a system that protects criminals like Su. Mr Sng had also put up several posts about Mr Ng on May 8, 9 and 10. On May 6, Mr Ong and Mr Chee addressed the pictures circulating online. They said that, as ministers, they meet a diverse range of people at various events. They said they attended the dinners where Su was present at the invitation of a friend, and did not know Su personally. "The PAP Government upholds a high standard of integrity and the ministers are determined to uphold this, even though in the course of their work, they may inadvertently come into contact with people who are later established to be unsavoury," said a joint statement issued by their press secretaries. Also on May 6, Mr Ng said it is part of his work as secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress to engage with different companies and private sector leaders. He said his meeting with Su took place some time back. Mr Ng later learnt about the police investigations and subsequent criminal charges against Su, and thereafter they had no further interactions. On May 12, the ministers said in another joint statement that they had sent lawyers' letters to Mr Sng, alleging defamation over posts accusing them of corruption. They asked him to apologise, withdraw his false allegations and pay damages by May 16. On the same day, Mr Ng - who is a newly elected MP for Jalan Kayu SMC - issued a statement saying that he had demanded the same course of action from Mr Sng, with the same May 16 deadline. All three parties also said the damages would be donated to charity. Mr Sng said on May 16 that he has apologised unreservedly to Mr Ong, Mr Chee and Mr Ng for the distress and embarrassment he had caused the three men by publishing the Facebook posts. "I have removed the Facebook posts, and undertake not to make any allegations or publish any posts containing any allegations to the same or similar effect," he said. Mr Sng did not say in his posts whether he would be paying damages to the three men.
