-
TOPIC

Scams and swindles

Scams and swindles
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Scams and swindles. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Archegos founder Bill Hwang arrives for his sentencing hearing in New York in November 2024. Photo: AFP
United States

Archegos’ Bill Hwang seeks Trump pardon for fraud that cost banks US$10 billion

The veteran US investor was sentenced to 18 years in jail after being convicted in the high-profile Wall Street case.

videocam
United States

Former flight attendant posed as pilot for hundreds of free US trips

Hong Kong society

Letters | Prioritise scam victims’ well-being in fighting transnational cybercrime

Indonesia

440 Indonesians freed from Cambodia cyberscam hubs in criminal crackdown

Workers seek repatriation after scam operators, fearing police raids and new government measures, abruptly release hundreds of staff.

videocam
Two Indonesian men, once trafficked and forced to work as scammers in Cambodia, pose at a window in Jakarta, in October 2025. Photo: AFP
Thailand

Ruling Thai party vows to end Cambodia conflict, close scam hubs if it wins poll

Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Bhumjaithai’s second candidate after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, believes his party has popular support.

videocam
United States

US charges 26 people with rigging college, Chinese basketball games

Prosecutors said the scheme involved 39 players, millions of dollars in wagers on fixed games and hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Hong Kong society

Editorial | Hong Kong’s victims of online scams need psychological safety nets

As the city tackles the scourge of scams, it must pay attention to the mental health of those affected and ensure they are supported.

People crossing a street in Central on December 19, 2025. Scammers stole millions from Hongkongers in the first week of 2026. Photo: Dickson Lee
Cambodia

‘Not the end’: Cambodia keeps up scam crackdown after Chen Zhi sent to China

Phnom Penh signals zero tolerance for scam centres following the deportation of the Prince Group tycoon.

videocam
Singapore

Caucasian ‘sugar daddy’ sextortion scam lands Malaysian in Singapore jail

Rajwant Singh Gill Narajan Singh was sentenced to 12 years in jail for pretending to be a rich white man and coercing women into sex.

Trending in China

China teen makes bogus returns on cosmetics platform, profiting US$570,000 from resale

17-year-old makes 11,900 deceptive refund applications after discovering loophole; splurges ill-gotten gains on new mobile phones, friends.

A 17-year-old teenager in Shanghai has been jailed for making 11,900 fraudulent returns on a cosmetics platform, then making US$570,000 in profit by reselling the goods. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
Thailand

Suspected scam boss linked to South Korean student’s death arrested in Thailand

The arrest follows international outrage over the killing of the university student, which led to a joint Thai–South Korean investigation.

videocam
South Korean police escort detainees at Techo International Airport in Phnom Penh on October 18, 2025, after a joint Cambodian–South Korean operation targeting scam networks linked to the trafficking of foreign nationals. Photo: EPA
Crime in Hong Kong

Online shopping scams cost Hongkongers HK$14 million in first week of 2026

Police urge caution among consumers and sellers after receiving 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week.

4
Hong Kong society

31% of scam victims calling Hong Kong helpline had possible suicidal tendencies

Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre says its hotline service handled 3,983 debt-related cases in 2025.

4
Trending in China

China wife shocked that ‘People’s Armed Police officer’ husband is convicted killer

‘Disgusted’ wife of fraudster introduced to her by an uncle discovers that he is serving a suspended death sentence; has child with another woman.

A Chinese woman has discovered that the husband she believed to be a People’s Armed Police officer was, in fact, a convicted murderer who had assumed a false identity. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock
Crime

Editorial | Regional cooperation led to arrest of alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi

The cross-border nature of his alleged criminal network required governments and law enforcement agencies to work together.

This undated photo shows Chen Zhi (centre), who is accused of running a crime network from Cambodia, amid his extradition to China. Photo: Handout
Crime in Hong Kong

8 arrested over attempting to defraud HK$8.24 million from Hong Kong scheme

Suspects include five members of family believed to be swindle’s mastermind, with group allegedly targeting scheme supporting tech skills.

Hong Kong police

Editorial | Interpol meet will enable Hong Kong to bolster global crime-fighting ties

As host of Interpol’s 94th general assembly, the city will be able to show that its ‘superconnector’ role extends to international law enforcement.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Crime in Hong Kong

19 Pokemon cards worth HK$200,000 snatched from Hong Kong seller during deal

Seller handed over cards to young man to check them, but the suspect ran off with them and vanished, police say.

A trading card’s value hinges on factors such as rarity, edition, condition and grading. Photo: Nora Tam
Hong Kong economy

Editorial | Hong Kong’s anti-scam service a prudent way to make banking more secure

Law enforcement and banks must work together to keep Hongkongers’ money safe and their transactions secure.

Myanmar

Asian Angle | How uneven borders fuel Myanmar’s vast and resilient scam economy

Fieldwork along the borders of China and Thailand reveals how uneven controls allow fraud networks to thrive despite crackdowns.

videocam
Thailand

Thai fortune-teller arrested after allegedly fulfilling his own bad luck prophecy

Police in Pattaya arrested the man after a teenager reported her iPhone missing following a fortune-telling session outside a temple.

videocam
Red lanterns hang along South Pattaya beach as tourists walk past ahead of Chinese New Year. Photo: Vijitra Duangdee
Hong Kong economy

All Hong Kong retail banks to offer anti-scam service, locking cash in accounts

‘Money Safe’ users will have to meet a bank employee to undergo verification process to ensure their funds are not going to scammers.

videocam
Individual bank account holders can designate a certain amount of their cash that cannot be transferred in any way. Photo: Eugene Lee
Crime

Mile-high crime club: theft syndicates target Asia’s airlines

Experts say rising passenger volumes, including an influx of Chinese travellers amid visa-free schemes, have attracted gangs operating in the skies.

Crime in Hong Kong

Editorial | Vigilance essential as Hongkongers hit by more online scams

The authorities must take the breach of the eMPF platform seriously, rectify the underlying vulnerabilities and restore confidence in the electronic system.

Thailand

From PM purge to border bombs: Thailand’s year of upheaval

As the country mourns the loss of Queen Mother Sirikit amid political chaos and a sluggish economy, Lisa’s global reign lights up Thai public.

videocam
Rescue workers extinguishing a fire at a house after it was hit by Cambodian rocket strikes during clashes between Thai and Cambodian troops, at a village in Kantharalak district, Si Sa Ket province, Thailand, on December 14. Photo: EPA/Royal Thai Army
Malaysia

With 1MDB verdict due, will Malaysia’s Najib have to ‘prepare for the worst’?

The High Court will rule on abuse of power and money laundering charges, with Najib facing the prospect of lengthy prison terms if found guilty.

Malaysia’s former prime minister Najib Razak attends the verdict of his house arrest bid at Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex in Malaysia on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF)

Video | Hongkongers urged to use eMPF to ward off scams

The advice comes with a warning about the recent theft of HK$1.8 million from three MPF accounts by scammers using high-quality ID forgeries.

Hong Kong society

Hongkongers urged to quickly sign up for eMPF platform as defence against scams

Cybersecurity experts call on residents to move quickly after HK$1.8 million stolen from three MPF accounts.

videocam
5
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement