Latest news with #onlineScams
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Joint police crackdown on cross-border scams delivers swift justice
More often than not, news reports on online scams are more about victims falling for new tactics rather than money retrieved and culprits brought to justice. To be fair, the authorities have already doubled down on public education and enforcement. Unfortunately, fraudsters continue to outsmart their prey and the law. Hopefully, this will change after authorities in the region stepped up enforcement together. In the first joint crackdown on online scams using a cross-border communication platform, Hong Kong and six other Asian jurisdictions have intercepted more than HK$157 million and made over 1,800 arrests. Time was of the essence as the Hong Kong Police Force took part in the successful joint operation that also involved its counterparts in Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and Macau. Thanks to the platform, Frontier +, which also links law enforcement agencies in Australia, Canada and Indonesia, officers were able to liaise with each other on the handling of suspected proceeds from crime, helping victims of transnational swindles, and the sharing of intelligence. In March, the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre in Hong Kong cooperated with Singapore police and helped recover almost US$500,000 following a late-night alert regarding a money-transfer scam using deepfake technology that targeted a financial director of a multinational company. Overall, Hong Kong police investigated 301 cases of fraud under the joint crackdown, arresting 337 suspects, freezing 68 bank accounts and recovering HK$49.5 million. The operation may have helped banish the impression that it is usually too late for police to do anything when people are scammed. However, the culprits in many cases are still at large and the amount of money swindled continues to escalate. With more than 44,000 deception cases lodged last year, accounting for almost half of all crime in the city, and a detection rate of merely 10.6 per cent, there is no room for complacency. At stake is not only the perception and confidence in law enforcement and justice, but also the economic loss to individuals and society. Worryingly, losses resulting from financial fraud surged to a staggering HK$9.15 billion last year. Authorities must show they are not powerless when it comes to bringing fraudsters to justice. The cross-border nature of many scams has become such a problem that no single jurisdiction alone can win the fight.
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Joint police crackdown on cross-border scams delivers swift justice
More often than not, news reports on online scams are more about victims falling for new tactics rather than money retrieved and culprits brought to justice. To be fair, the authorities have already doubled down on public education and enforcement. Unfortunately, fraudsters continue to outsmart their prey and the law. Hopefully, this will change after authorities in the region stepped up enforcement together. In the first joint crackdown on online scams using a cross-border communication platform, Hong Kong and six other Asian jurisdictions have intercepted more than HK$157 million and made over 1,800 arrests. Time was of the essence as the Hong Kong Police Force took part in the successful joint operation that also involved its counterparts in Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and Macau. Thanks to the platform, Frontier +, which also links law enforcement agencies in Australia, Canada and Indonesia, officers were able to liaise with each other on the handling of suspected proceeds from crime, helping victims of transnational swindles, and the sharing of intelligence. In March, the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre in Hong Kong cooperated with Singapore police and helped recover almost US$500,000 following a late-night alert regarding a money-transfer scam using deepfake technology that targeted a financial director of a multinational company. Overall, Hong Kong police investigated 301 cases of fraud under the joint crackdown, arresting 337 suspects, freezing 68 bank accounts and recovering HK$49.5 million. The operation may have helped banish the impression that it is usually too late for police to do anything when people are scammed. However, the culprits in many cases are still at large and the amount of money swindled continues to escalate. With more than 44,000 deception cases lodged last year, accounting for almost half of all crime in the city, and a detection rate of merely 10.6 per cent, there is no room for complacency. At stake is not only the perception and confidence in law enforcement and justice, but also the economic loss to individuals and society. Worryingly, losses resulting from financial fraud surged to a staggering HK$9.15 billion last year. Authorities must show they are not powerless when it comes to bringing fraudsters to justice. The cross-border nature of many scams has become such a problem that no single jurisdiction alone can win the fight.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong helps seize more than HK$157 million in cross-border online scam operation
Hong Kong and six other Asian jurisdictions, including Singapore and Thailand, have intercepted more than HK$157 million (US$20 million) and made more than 1,800 arrests in the first joint crackdown on online scams using a cross-border direct communication platform for law enforcement. Advertisement Ernest Wong Chun-yu, chief superintendent of Hong Kong police's commercial crime bureau, announced on Tuesday that seven law enforcement agencies across East and Southeast Asia conducted a joint operation between April 28 and May 28 under a direct communication and information-sharing platform called Frontier+. 'We are racing against time, because the money can disappear very quickly … this platform provides a very useful communication platform, so we can communicate with one another quickly,' he said. As part of the joint operation, police agencies in Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and Macau investigated 9,268 reports. They seized US$19.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, froze more than 32,000 bank accounts and arrested 1,858 individuals aged between 14 and 81. These jurisdictions, alongside Australia, Canada and Indonesia, were part of a cross-border platform called Frontier+, which was formed last October. Advertisement Anti-scam units of the participating police forces could directly communicate with one another to handle suspected crime proceeds and victims of transnational swindles, as well as share intelligence and scam trends. Details of the operation and the cross-border platform were revealed at a joint press conference, attended by police representatives from Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Macau.
NHK
28-05-2025
- General
- NHK
More than 20 Japanese reportedly detained in Cambodia
Sources told NHK that dozens of foreign nationals have been taken into custody by local authorities in northwestern Cambodia near the Thai border. They reportedly include more than 20 Japanese. Sources say the building where they were found may have been played as a key place for online scams. Japanese police are looking into details.
Free Malaysia Today
17-05-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
32,000 scam-related content removed in first 4 months of year
Deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching said the government is looking into strengthening efforts to educate people on online scams. KULAI : The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) removed 32,436 online scam-related content between January and April 2025, with losses reported close to RM800 million. Deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching said this number is nearly half of the 63,652 scam content removed in 2024. 'In just four months, we've already taken down almost half the amount we removed last year. This matter is of deep concern to us,' she said. Citing data from the police, Teo said RM799 million was lost to online scams, with many cases involving fake investment schemes. 'Public awareness is critical. We must strengthen efforts to educate people on online scams,' she added, during a press conference here. Teo said MCMC had launched the safe internet campaign (KIS) and begun cyber awareness programmes in schools. So far, nine schools have joined the programme and the ministry plans to expand this to universities. She also urged more educational institutions to collaborate with the ministry to ensure the success of the campaign.
