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.
Far-right activist and Senator Pauline Hanson was suspended from Australia’s Senate for seven sitting days on Tuesday after she wore a burqa into Pa...
The United States is preparing to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trum...
The Pentagon threatened to recall U.S. Senator Mark Kelly , a retired Navy captain on Monday, to active duty status in order to prosecute him after wh...
Former President Jair Bolsonaro was ordered to remain in police custody after Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld a detention ruling...
Russian drones swarmed the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Tuesday, striking and triggering fires in at least two residential buildings, officials sai...
Far-right activist and Senator Pauline Hanson was suspended from Australia’s Senate for seven sitting days on Tuesday after she wore a burqa into Parliament in a political stunt that triggered widespread criticism.
The United States is preparing to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.
Former President Jair Bolsonaro was ordered to remain in police custody after Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld a detention ruling citing him as a flight risk.
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and President Donald Trump discussed China relations in a phone call on Tuesday, their first conversation since her comments triggered a diplomatic clash with Beijing.
The Hayli Gubbi volcano in north-eastern Ethiopia erupted on Sunday for the first time in over 12,000 years, before halting on Monday, according to the Toulouse Volcanic Ash Advisory Center.
Cameras from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) on Saturday (22 November) captured Hawaii's Kilauea volcano spewing flowing lava from its crater in its latest eruption.
Italy captured a remarkable third consecutive Davis Cup title on Sunday, with Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli securing singles victories in a 2-0 triumph over Spain in Bologna.
U.S. President Donald Trump has told his advisers that he plans to speak directly with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, even as Washington designated him as the head of a terrorist organisation on Monday, Axios reported.
Global media outlets have extensively covered the C5+1 Summit held in Washington, highlighting its significant outcomes for both the United States and Central Asian countries.
Far-right activist and Senator Pauline Hanson was suspended from Australia’s Senate for seven sitting days on Tuesday after she wore a burqa into Parliament in a political stunt that triggered widespread criticism.
The United States is preparing to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro.
The Pentagon threatened to recall U.S. Senator Mark Kelly , a retired Navy captain on Monday, to active duty status in order to prosecute him after what it described as seditious behavior by the former astronaut and decorated veteran.
Former President Jair Bolsonaro was ordered to remain in police custody after Brazil’s Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld a detention ruling citing him as a flight risk.
Russian drones swarmed the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Tuesday, striking and triggering fires in at least two residential buildings, officials said.
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