More than 1,800 people have been arrested in a major anti-scam operation across seven Asian jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Macao, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The coordinated crackdown, which ran through late May, targeted online shopping scams, phone fraud, fake job offers and investment schemes. Police froze nearly 33,000 bank accounts and intercepted $20 million in fraudulent funds, said Wong Chun-yue, chief superintendent of Hong Kong's Commercial Crime Bureau.
One of the more sophisticated cases involved a finance director in Singapore, who was tricked by deepfake videos posing as the CEO of a multinational company. The victim wired nearly $500,000 to Hong Kong in March. Thanks to cross-border cooperation, authorities were able to recover the funds, said Aileen Yap from Singapore’s anti-scam command.
Authorities noted that scam operations often exploit both victims and workers. Many recruits are lured under false pretenses, then forced to work under threat and poor conditions, according to a recent UN report.
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime warned that transnational scam syndicates have been rapidly expanding across East and Southeast Asia, especially in remote or border areas of Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and the Philippines. These syndicates frequently relocate to evade police, using fake romances, investment pitches, and gambling apps to target victims worldwide.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised its outlook for the economies of Central Asia and the Caucasus by raising its growth forecast for 2026...
Ukraine has handed the United States a revised 20-point peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday, 11 ...
Putin’s visit to India has put the spotlight on New Delhi’s evolving defence strategy as it seeks to modernise Russian-made systems with domestic ...
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has released his book, "Diary of a Prisoner" ("Le Journal d’un Prisonnier"), on his time in jail following h...
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally launched a scheme offering fast-tracked U.S. visas to foreigners who can pay at least $1 million — or compa...
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised its outlook for the economies of Central Asia and the Caucasus by raising its growth forecast for 2026
Ukraine has handed the United States a revised 20-point peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday, 11 December.
The leaders of Britain, France and Germany held a call with U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (10 December) to discuss Washington's latest peace efforts to end the war in Ukraine, in what they said was a "critical moment" in the process.
Central Asia has been one of the important arenas of international geopolitics, dictating power dynamics with its abundant natural resources and strategic location.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Iran and Saudi Arabia reiterated their commitment to enhance ties following a joint meeting with China in Tehran on Tuesday to follow up on implementation of the 2023 Beijing Agreement which resulted in resumption of their diplomatic relations after eight years.
The world’s leading minds and voices will be honoured on Wednesday, 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death, as Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm and Oslo.
In a dramatic Champions League clash at Baku’s Tofiq Bahramov Stadium, Qarabağ grabbed an early lead, but Ajax staged a thrilling comeback to win 4-2.
Ukraine "deeply appreciates" the humanitarian support of Pope Leo XIV. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after a meeting between the two at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo, on Tuesday, 9 December.
Ukraine has handed the United States a revised 20-point peace proposal aimed at ending the war with Russia, a Ukrainian official said on Thursday, 11 December.
Putin’s visit to India has put the spotlight on New Delhi’s evolving defence strategy as it seeks to modernise Russian-made systems with domestic production. At the same time, India is carefully navigating its ties with the U.S. and Europe ahead of key diplomatic visits.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy has released his book, "Diary of a Prisoner" ("Le Journal d’un Prisonnier"), on his time in jail following his conviction. .
U.S. President Donald Trump has formally launched a scheme offering fast-tracked U.S. visas to foreigners who can pay at least $1 million — or companies willing to spend $2 million to sponsor a worker they want to bring into the country.
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday advanced the National Defense Authorization Act, the NDAA, for the next fiscal year, with broad bipartisan support.
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