Latest news with #Yim
New Paper
29-07-2025
- New Paper
Conman who cheated 13 victims of over $1.2m jailed
A former insurance agent was jailed for cheating 13 victims of over $1.2 million in total, some of whom were people he ferried in his private-hire vehicle and convinced that he was purportedly a successful forex trader. Benjamin Chua Sian Yang, 37, who committed several of the offences after the police started investigating him, was sentenced to six years and three months' jail on July 28. The Singaporean had pleaded guilty to three counts of cheating involving eight victims and over $1.1 million. Each person was cheated of between $35,000 and $260,000. Five other charges including those linked to the remaining victims and amount were considered during his sentencing. In their victim impact statements, six of Chua's victims "indicated that they suffered great financial losses and were very hurt by the accused's actions, especially where they had a longstanding relationship", said Deputy Public Prosecutor Susanna Yim. "Some reported that due to the stress, their health suffered, and their personal relationships were also affected," she added. Chua's offences took place between February 2019 and August 2023. DPP Yim said Chua used to work as a relationship manager at a bank, and a personal banker at another financial institution. To earn extra cash, he also worked as a private-hire driver from around 2017. The following year, he started working as an insurance agent before his employment was terminated around July 2021 over reasons not disclosed in court documents. DPP Yim said Chua got to know some of his victims through his work at one of the banks or the insurance firm as they were his clients. He also got to know some other victims as they were passengers in his private-hire vehicle, and he had engaged them in conversations about finances and investments. The prosecutor said: "He would talk to his passengers and give them the impression that he was a successful forex trader so that they would be interested to invest with him." Court documents stated that he cheated a 47-year-old stylist of the largest amount - $260,000. Chua and the stylist first met in May 2017 when she engaged his services as a private-hire driver, and he told her that he was a financial adviser at an insurance firm. Between that year and 2018, the woman spoke to him on financial matters, and later made investments in the firm through him. On Feb 20, 2019, he lied in text messages to her that he had started his own trading platform in stocks and shares. He convinced her into "investing" $30,000 for an eight-month term at 1 per cent interest per month in stock. She then transferred the amount to one of his bank accounts. Chua went on to tell her about other so-called investment opportunities, and she transferred another $230,000 to his other bank account later that year. Chua "used the money for gambling and collectibles", instead of investing it in stocks or shares, said DPP Yim. "He used income he generated through other means to pay $2,400 worth of investment interest and provided one free iPhone and one red packet of $500 which were offered as a means to entice (her) into agreeing to invest with him on a continual basis and to prevent detection of his crime," the prosecutor added. Chua cheated multiple other people by using a similar method. One of them was a female clerk, 54, whom he met in December 2020 while he was working as a private-hire driver. He later duped her into handing him $65,000, and she lodged a police report on April 4, 2021. Court documents did not disclose what spurred her to do so. The prosecutor said the clerk was the first person linked to the case to alert the authorities. Chua gave a statement to the police on April 18, 2021, but he was neither arrested nor remanded at the time. Other victims, including the stylist, later alerted the authorities, and he was finally arrested in August 2023.
Straits Times
28-07-2025
- Straits Times
Over 6 years' jail for conman who cheated 13 victims of more than $1.2m
Find out what's new on ST website and app. The man met some of his victims while he was ferrying them in his private-hire vehicle and convinced them that he was purportedly a successful forex trader. SINGAPORE - A former insurance agent was jailed for cheating 13 victims of over $1.2 million in total, some of whom he met while he was ferrying them in his private-hire vehicle and convinced them that he was purportedly a successful forex trader. Benjamin Chua Sian Yang, 37, who committed several of the offences after the police started investigating him , was sentenced to six years and three months' jail on July 28. The Singaporean had pleaded guilty to three counts of cheating involving eight victims and over $1.1 million. Each person was cheated of between $35,000 and $260,000. Five other charges including those linked to the remaining victims and amount were considered during his sentencing. In their victim impact statements, six of Chua's victims 'indicated that they suffered great financial losses and were very hurt by the accused's actions, especially where they had a long-standing relationship,' said Deputy Public Prosecutor Susanna Yim. 'Some reported that due to the stress, their health suffered, and their personal relationships were also affected,' she added. Chua's offences took place between February 2019 and August 2023. DPP Yim said that Chua used to work as a relationship manager at a bank, and a personal banker at another financial institution . To earn extra cash, he also worked as a private-hire driver from around 2017. The following year, he started working as an insurance agent before his employment was terminated around July 2021 over reasons not disclosed in court documents. DPP Yim said that Chua got to know some of his victims through his work at one of the banks or the insurance firm as they were his clients. He also got to know some other victims as they were passengers in his private-hire vehicle, and he had engaged them in conversations about finances and investments. The prosecutor said: 'He would talk to his passengers and give them the impression that he was a successful forex trader so that they would be interested to invest with him.' Court documents stated that he had cheated a 47-year-old stylist of the largest amount, $260,000. Chua and the stylist first met in May 2017 when she engaged his services as a private-hire driver, and he told her that he was a financial advisor at an insurance firm. Between that year and 2018, the woman spoke to him on financial matters, and later made investments in the firm through him. On Feb 20, 2019, he lied in text messages to her that he had started his own trading platform in stock and shares. He then convinced her into 'investing' $30,000 for an eight-month term at 1 per cent interest per month in stock. She then transferred the amount to one of his bank accounts. Chua went on to tell her about other so-called investment opportunities, and she transferred another $230,000 to his other bank account later that year. Chua 'used the money for gambling and collectibles', instead of investing it in stocks or shares, said DPP Yim. 'He used income he generated through other means to pay $2,400 worth of investment interest and provided one free iPhone and one red packet of $500 which were offered as a means to entice (her) into agreeing to invest with him on a continual basis and to prevent detection of his crime,' the prosecutor added. Chua cheated multiple other people by using a similar method and one of them was a female clerk, 54, whom he had met in December 2020 while he was working as a private-hire driver. He later duped her into handing him $65,000, and she lodged a police report on April 4, 2021. Court documents did not disclose what spurred her to do so. The prosecutor said that the clerk was the first person linked to the case to alert the authorities. Chua gave a statement to the police on April 18, 2021, but he was neither arrested nor remanded at the time. Other victims, including the stylist, later alerted the authorities, and he was finally arrested in August 2023.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Squid Game' Stars Byung Hun Lee and Yim Siwan to Make KCON L.A. 2025 Appearances
Squid Game actors Byung Hun Lee and Yim Siwan are set to make an appearance at KCON L.A. 2025, the festival announced Tuesday. The pair will appear during the K-pop festival's first night concert, branded M Countdown, on Aug. 1 to present 'a memorable moment for global fans' and reflect 'KCON's commitment to creating special connections between artists and fans,' according to a release. Yim will also visit the K-Content by CJ ENM exhibition zone of the first day of KCON L.A. 2025 at the main festival grounds located at the L.A. Convention Center. More from The Hollywood Reporter Black Sabbath Mourn Death of Ozzy Osbourne: "Lost Our Brother" Luigi Mangione Musical Eyes More Cities After Sold-Out San Francisco Run Lollapalooza Is Nearly Sold Out: Here's How to Score (and Save on) Last-Minute Tickets Yim is scheduled to attend CJ ENM's partnership event with the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, dubbed 'K-Culture Night at Academy Museum with KCON.' The event is scheduled to be held the day before (July 31) and will also feature newly announced Paramount and Hybe K-pop project star Eric Nam, Choi Hojong, Lee Youngji, P1Harmony and Is:sue. Yim will participate in a special session and Choi will perform a dance routine to the soundtrack of Bong Joon Ho's Oscar-winning film Parasite. The event sold out in two hours, making it the fastest event to sell out in the museum's history, according to a release. Both Lee and Yim have ties to the world of K-pop. Prior to his career as an actor, Yim was a member of K-pop boy group ZE:A. He will participate in a special talk session during the Academy Museum even to discuss his transition from K-pop star to actor. Lee recently voiced the villain Gwima in Netflix's surprise hit KPop Demon Hunters. KCON, the world's No. 1 K-pop festival, will return to downtown's Los Angeles Convention Center and Arena for a three-day event Aug. 1 through Aug. 3, giving local K-Pop fans a chance at seeing several of their favorite acts under the same roof. Amazon Music will be exclusively streaming the festival. This year's KCON lineup includes HxW (Hoshi and Woozi of Seventeen), NCT 127, Aespa, Monsta X, Key, IVE, NMIXX and Zerobaseone. Baby DONT Cry, Riize, Hwasa, Meovv, Nowz, Idid, Izna, Jackson Wang, J-pop group JO1, Roy Kim, I-dle, Yuqi, AllDay Project, Cravity and Kep1er will also perform throughout the festival's three-day-long concert series. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise Solve the daily Crossword
Korea Herald
20-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Woori Financial unveils AI-led growth strategy
Woori Financial Group held a business management strategy meeting Friday to share its vision for growth centered on group-wide synergy and a shift toward artificial intelligence. Woori Financial Chair Yim Jong-ryong highlighted that the group will pursue synergy following the recent acquisition of Tongyang Life Insurance and ABL Life Insurance earlier this month, in addition to the launch of Woori Investment & Securities last year. "Now that Woori Financial has completed its transition into a comprehensive financial group with the inclusion of a securities firm and insurance companies, this is truly a golden time to demonstrate real synergy," Yim said. He further stressed the need to push for a company-wide shift to integrate artificial intelligence, which the firm labeled as AI Transformation, or AX. "AI is no longer just a tool. It is a partner we work alongside. Those who understand and know how to leverage AI will become the key talents of the future," Yim said. Oak Il-Jin, head of the digital and IT unit at Woori Financial, shared the strategic direction of the group's AX efforts. Twenty-five working-level staff members in charge of AX were introduced, sharing their insights from the field as well. Lee Jae-jin, professor of computer science and engineering at Seoul National University, gave a lecture, highlighting the importance of securing high-quality training data to support the AI transformation. Friday's meeting was Woori's first group-wide business management strategy event since the addition of the two new insurers, bringing together some 400 executives and employees from all affiliates, including banking, insurance, card services and securities.
Korea Herald
20-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Woori Financial unveils AI-led growth plan after insurer M&As
Woori Financial Group held a business management strategy meeting Friday to share its vision for growth centered on group-wide synergy and a shift toward artificial intelligence. Woori Financial Chair Yim Jong-ryong highlighted that the group will pursue synergy following the recent acquisition of Tongyang Life Insurance and ABL Life Insurance earlier this month, in addition to the launch of Woori Investment & Securities last year. "Now that Woori Financial has completed its transition into a comprehensive financial group with the inclusion of a securities firm and insurance companies, this is truly a golden time to demonstrate real synergy," Yim said. He further stressed the need to push for a company-wide shift to integrate artificial intelligence, which the firm labeled as AI Transformation, or AX. "AI is no longer just a tool. It is a partner we work alongside. Those who understand and know how to leverage AI will become the key talents of the future," Yim said. Oak Il-Jin, head of the digital and IT unit at Woori Financial, shared the strategic direction of the group's AX efforts. Twenty-five working-level staff members in charge of AX were introduced, sharing their insights from the field as well. Lee Jae-jin, professor of computer science and engineering at Seoul National University, gave a lecture, highlighting the importance of securing high-quality training data to support the AI transformation. Friday's meeting was Woori's first group-wide business management strategy event since the addition of the two new insurers, bringing together some 400 executives and employees from all affiliates, including banking, insurance, card services and securities.
