Be warned – your eWallet account may be blocked, if you attempt to transfer your free RM100 eMADANI credit! Here is what you need to know…
eMADANI : 10 Million Malaysian Citizens To Get Free RM100!
On 27 July 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Malaysian government will give a special, one-off RM100 eWallet credit.
On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, the government announced that the eMADANI programme will benefit some 10 million Malaysian citizens and 2 million businesses, with a total budget of RM 1 billion.
The eMADANI programme is a new initiative that is designed to stimulate the micro, small and medium enterprises (PMKS), as well as promote cashless payments, and alleviate inflationary pressures on the rakyat.
From 4 December until 20 February 2023, eligible Malaysians can register and receive RM100 in one of these four eWallets:
MAE
Setel
ShopeePay, and
Touch ‘n Go eWallet
Please note that these four eWallet providers will also be offering additional incentives in the form of vouchers, cashbacks, discounts, reward points, and coins. So be sure to “shop around” for the best offers, before deciding on which eWallet to use!
eWallet May Be Blocked If eMADANI Credit Is Transferred!
On Monday, 4 December 2023, the Malaysia Ministry of Finance issued a statement warning that your eWallet may be blocked if you attempt to transfer your free RM100 eMADANI credit out!
This is partly because the eMADANI programme is meant to promote the digital economy, and the use of cashless payments in Malaysia.
The RM100 eWallet credit must be spent physically in retail stores and businesses using the the eWallet of your choice, except:
peer-to-peer transfers
cash redemptions
bill payments through the eWallet
government fee payments through the eWallet
telco postpaid payments and prepaid reloads through the eWallet
game payments through the eWallet
parking and toll payments
investment activities through the eWallet
e-commerce or online transactions
On top of that, the Ministry is aware of online scams offering “cash out” services to people. To avoid people being tricked into transferring their eMADANI credit out, the Malaysian government may order the blocking of eWallet accounts used in such activities, as well as the eMADANI credit involved.
So please make sure you do not transfer your RM100 eMADANI credit out of your eWallet. Do not fall for scams offering you the option to “cash out” the money. Instead, use the eMADANI credit to purchase at retail stores.
Please SHARE this article out, to warn your family and friends!
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Ten million Malaysian citizens will soon receive a special RM100 eWallet credit through the eMADANI programme! Here is what you need to know!
eMADANI : 10 Million Malaysian Citizens To Get Free RM100!
On 27 July 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Malaysian government will give a special, one-off RM100 eWallet credit.
On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, the government announced that the eMADANI programme will benefit some 10 million Malaysian citizens and 2 million businesses, with a total budget of RM 1 billion.
The eMADANI programme is a new initiative that is designed to stimulate the micro, small and medium enterprises (PMKS), as well as promote cashless payments, and alleviate inflationary pressures on the rakyat.
Here is what you need to know about the eMADANI programme, and the one-off RM100 eWallet credit…
Here is what you need to know about the eMADANI programme, and how to get the free RM100 eWallet credit:
Who Qualifies For eMADANI RM100 Free Credit?
The eMADANI programme, and the free RM100 eWallet credit, is open to Malaysian citizens who are 21 years and older as of 1 January 2023; and have either:
have an annual income of RM100,000 or less, based on LHDN records as of 15 July 2023
However, those who received the eBeliaRahmah contribution earlier will not qualify for the eMADANI programme, as they have already received eWallet cash to promote the use of cashless payments amongst the youth.
The government estimates that 10 million Malaysians will qualify for the eMADANI free RM100 eWallet credit.
When Can You Redeem The RM100 eWallet Credit?
Those who qualify for the RM100 eWallet credit will be able to redeem it through selected eWallets (see below) from 8 AM on 4 December 2023 until 11:59 PM on 20 February 2024.
Which eWallets Do You Need?
You will need one of these four eWallets to receive the free RM100 credit through the eMADANI programme:
MAE
Setel
ShopeePay, and
Touch ‘n Go eWallet
Please note that these four eWallet providers will also be offering additional incentives in the form of vouchers, cashbacks, discounts, reward points, and coins. So be sure to “shop around” for the best offers, before deciding on which eWallet to use!
To obtain the free RM100 eWallet credit, follow these steps:
Download the eWallet of your choice (from the list of four above) from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or HUAWEI AppGallery.
If you have not registered and verified your eWallet account, please do so first.
In the eWallet of your choice, tap on the eMADANI redemption link.
Key in the required information in the eMADANI redemption page, and tap on the Send button.
You will be informed if your application is successful.
If successful, the RM100 will be credited into the eWallet, and you can use the money immediately.
Please note that you can only redeem the RM100 eWallet credit from one eWallet provider.
Where Can You Spend The RM100?
The RM100 eWallet credit must be spent physically in retail stores and businesses using the the eWallet of your choice, except:
peer-to-peer transfers
cash redemptions
bill payments through the eWallet
government fee payments through the eWallet
telco postpaid payments and prepaid reloads through the eWallet
game payments through the eWallet
parking and toll payments
investment activities through the eWallet
e-commerce or online transactions
When Must You Spend The RM100?
Please note that the RM100 eWallet credit must be spent by 11:59 PM on 29 February 2024.
From 1 March 2024 onwards, any unspent eMADANI credit will automatically expire, and be removed from the eWallet.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Will your phone get hacked if you scan the TNG RFID bar code?! Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-11-17 : Added new version, and more details. Originally posted @ 2023-05-10
Claim : Scanning TNG RFID Bar Code Can Hack Your Phone!
This warning about an RFID bar code scam has gone viral on WhatsApp, and social media, claiming that scammers are sending people free TNG RFID stickers, and asking them to scan the bar code.
Allegedly, scanning the TNG RFID bar code will cause your phone to be hacked by these scammers!
They send the RFID to you. When you scan the bar code they hack your hp It’s a scam
他们将 RFID 发送给您。 当您扫描条形码时，他们会入侵您 这是一个骗局
Mereka menghantar RFID kepada anda. Apabila anda mengimbas kod bar mereka menggodam anda Ia satu penipuan ☠️👻💩😱😰
If you get this free RFID card via courier, please throw away. Another scam.
Truth : Scanning TNG RFID Bar Code Will NOT Hack Your Phone!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : TNG RFID Bar Code Cannot Hack Your Phone
First of all – let me just say that the TNG RFID bar code cannot hack your phone. In fact, no one can hack your phone just because you scan an RFID bar code.
The bar code is nothing more than a series of numbers, which you can readily see printed under the bar code. These numbers cannot possibly hack your phone / smartphone.
Fact #2 : TNG Bar Code Is Used To Register RFID Sticker
The bar code visible in the clear window of the TNG RFID self-fitment kit is merely the serial number for the RFID sticker (also known as an RFID tag).
This serial number is used to register the RFID sticker, by scanning scan the bar code using the TNG eWallet mobile app. All it does is link the RFID sticker to your TNG eWallet account, so that all toll charges are automatically deducted from that account.
Fact #3 : TNG RFID Swapping Can Be Easily Detected
One of our readers suggested that the scammer might have swapped out the bar code, to trick you into registering a different TNG RFID sticker owned by the scammer.
This would allow the scammer to use his/her TNG RFID sticker to go through highway tolls for free, while you would be charged for his/her travels.
While that is plausible, it would be quickly detected by the victim who would not be able to use the RFID sticker to get through the toll. The victim would also be able to detect the illegal charges to his/her TNG eWallet account.
One of our readers suggested that the scammer may be trying to trick people into scanning the barcode of a duplicated RFID sticker. The scammer can then use the duplicate RFID sticker to go through tolls, which would be charged to the victims’ TNG eWallet accounts.
Now, Touch ‘n Go has not revealed much about how it is protecting its RFID stickers, only saying that each TNG RFID sticker has an embedded radio-frequency chip that makes every sticker “unique to each customer”.
But that suggests that the RFID stickers are not only encrypted, the chip has a private key that prevents duplication, which makes a lot of sense. Without such encryption and private key, anyone can literally just read the number off any RFID sticker in a parking lot, and duplicate it in a programmable RFID sticker.
Unless the scammer has somehow stolen the private keys, and can perfectly duplicate the RFID stickers, this seems like an improbable scam. More so when the scammers would be limited to using the tolls for free. Hardly worth the effort, if you ask me.
Fact #5 : There Are Easier + Cheaper Ways To Hack Your Phone
Truth be told – there are far easier and cheaper ways to hack your phone, than send you a free RFID sticker and ask you to scan the bar code.
These scammers will have to put in considerable expense and technical expertise into hacking the TNG eWallet app, and inserting their malware that the fake RFID number would trigger.
But why bother? If they can hack the TNG eWallet, they don’t even need to send you any fake RFID bar code to scan!
Making fake RFID stickers (tags) that look like genuine TNG RFID self-fitment kits costs money. Sending these fake kits also put them at risk, because deliveries can be traced.
There are many other ways to compromise your smartphone. There is simply no reason why scammers to waste time and money on such a convoluted scheme.
The most plausible explanation for receiving a free TNG RFID sticker out of the blue is that it was wrongly delivered to you. If you receive one, check the name and address on the package. It may not be meant for you. In that case, contact the delivery company and have them resend it to the right person.
I have also personally experienced receiving packages that I did not order, some of which appear to be sent due to a database error of some sort – my name and phone number are on the package, but the address was wrong or non-existent.
Out of an abundance of caution, just don’t install any RFID sticker that you did not order. Or you can call up TNG to verify that the RFID sticker is legitimate.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was Joe Biden just caught receiving almost a quarter million dollars worth of laundered Chinese money?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Joe Biden Caught Receiving Laundered Chinese Money!
People are sharing videos, articles, etc. that claim or suggest that US President Joe Biden just got caught receiving almost a quarter million dollars worth of laundered Chinese money!
Still No Evidence Joe Biden Received Chinese Money!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created / propagated by Republicans (and useful idiots) of the MAGA persuasion, as well as pro-Russia supporters (vatniks), and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Joe Biden Has Not Been Referred For Impeachment
The Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, James Comer – a Republican from Kentucky, has publicly claimed TWICE that he has evidence of Joe Biden receiving Chinese money.
Yet, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability has not yet referred President Joe Biden for impeachment proceedings, or call for a Special Council to prosecute him. What are they waiting for?
Fact #2 : There Was No Evidence Of Corruption
On both occasions, Comer only provided a scan copy of a personal cheque issued to Joe Biden by his brother, James Biden and James’ wife, Sara Biden, as “evidence” of corruption.
October 20, 2023 Press Release
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today announced the committee obtained bank records revealing a $200,000 direct payment from James and Sara Biden to Joe Biden in the form of a personal check.
November 1, 2023 Press Release
House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) today released a video and bank records memorandum revealing how Joe Biden received $40,000 in laundered China money from the account of his brother, James Biden, and his sister-in-law, Sara Biden, in the form of a personal check.
Neither personal cheques from his brother or his brother’s wife are actual evidence that President Joe Biden received “laundered Chinese money”. They are only evidence that Joe Biden received money from his brother, and his brother’s wife.
If that is the bar for evidence of corruption and/or receiving “laundered Chinese money”, then many of us who received money from our relatives are guilty of corruption and/or receiving laundered foreign money. That sounds stupid? Yes, that’s exactly how stupid the so-called “evidence” against Joe Biden really looks.
Fact #3 : Cheques Were For Personal Loan Repayment
The two cheques clearly stated that they were to pay Joe Biden for a (personal) loan. You know – the kind family members often give out to their brothers or sisters who are in financial trouble. The words “Loan repayment” was even stated clearly in the front of the two cheques.
I should point out that Comer was not able to prove that these were not loan repayment cheques. He only said he would view the $200,000 cheque as “troubling” even if it was for a loan repayment, because it came on the same day James Biden received $200,000 from a struggling health company he did business with.
Wow! Imagine that – it was “troubling” for Comer to see someone receive repayment for a personal loan he made out to his own brother, just because it appears that his brother received the money from a company he did business with.
Fact #4 : Joe Biden Loaned His Brother Money
James Comer also claimed that he did not “believe” that Joe Biden actually loaned his brother money.
When Democratic members of his committee and a lawyer for James Biden said that the committee has documents to prove that Joe Biden did indeed loan $200,000 to James Biden, Comer declared that the Democrats were “lying”, and said that “at the end of the day, there’s no document that shows there was a loan”.
CNN fact checker Daniel Dale revealed on 31 October 2023, that they were able to obtain the same banking records that Comer’s committee received, and they showed that President Joe Biden loaned his brother $200,000 less than two months prior to the James Biden “loan repayment” cheque for the same amount.
The banking records that both CNN and Comer’s committee had access to showed that Joe Biden sent a $200,000 wire transfer to James Biden on January 12, 2018. James Biden then issued the $200,000 loan repayment cheque on March 1, 2018.
The top Democrat on Comer’s committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin, even wrote to rebuke Comer, pointing out that there is “clear evidence that this transaction was a short-term, interest-free loan between brothers“.
[T]he bank records provided to the Committee clearly show that President Biden had $200,000 wired to his brother on January 12, 2018.
Despite this clear evidence that James Biden received a loan from his brother on January 12, 2018, and paid him back 48 days later with a check for the same amount marked ‘loan repayment,’ you continue to misrepresent the facts.”
In short – Comer’s committee appears to have documents showing that there was a loan from Joe Biden to James Biden, so the loan repayment was legitimate, and not actual evidence of corruption or money laundering.
Fact #5 : Joe Biden Was A Private Citizen At That Time
This may seem like a small point, but it is an important one to make. These personal loans and loan repayments between Joe Biden and his brother all occurred in 2017-2018.
At that time, Joe Biden was not President. Heck, he was not even a Presidential candidate – he did not announce his 2020 Presidential bid until April 25, 2019.
In other words – there is simply no question of Joe Biden abusing the power of his office (he had none at that time) to enrich himself with foreign money.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Are scammers sending bank letters with a QR code that can steal your money?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Bank Letter With QR Code Is A Scam!
People are sharing a photo of a letter from a bank, claiming that the QR code in the letter can steal your money if you scan it with your phone!
Circulating In WhatsApp : If you get a letter from the bank like this and ask to update the book using the QR CODE provided in the letter that was sent, don’t ever scan it, you will lose all your daily savings or old age savings, this is another scammer’s work and method take your money, please spread it to everyone so that siblings, relatives, neighbors & family members are not affected by this kind of scam…
This is likely another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is Old Fake News
First, let me just point out that this photo is not new. It first went viral, with a voice message in August 2022, and has subsequently gone viral on and off over the last year or so.
Fact #2 : CIMB Letter Was Genuine
The letter, which was sent by CIMB, is genuine. CIMB even posted a reply to one viral tweet, that the letter was genuine:
FYI, this [letter] is genuinely from our bank.You can refer to the link below for more information: [link no longer available]
[U]ntuk makluman, ia adalah sah dari pihak kami. Anda boleh rujuk pautan di bawah bagi maklumat lanjut: [link no longer available]
Fact #3 : CIMB Letter Was Only Sent To Business Customers
The letter was not meant for consumers, and was only sent to CIMB business customers, to request that they update their company/organisation’s information.
Re: Update on your records to improve your banking experience
We refer to the above mattes and our letter dated 27/06/2022.
We note that you have vet to update your company/organisations information with us.
As part of the Bank’s ongoing process to know our customers better and provide a seamless banking experience, we would like to remind you to return the completed Customer Information Update form to us
This letter appears to be CIMB’s efforts to comply with KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements set out by regulators like Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
QR codes is a type of barcode, which allows people and companies to share / deliver information, that can include links. QR codes can lead you to malicious websites, but they cannot deliver malware, or hack your computer or smartphone.
The QR code in the CIMB bank letter isn’t malicious. It actually codes for a link to the CIMB website. You can verify it by simply scanning the QR code in that “CIMB scam letter”. You will see that it only leads to http://www.cimb.com.my/bizupdate [which no longer exists]
Ultimately, this viral warning was likely created by well-meaning but clueless Internet “experts” who are apparently not tech-savvy enough to even verify the QR code by simply scanning it!
Fact #5 : Form Was To Be Emailed / Delivered
The CIMB letter asked its business customers to download and fill in a form. However, that form was not to be submitted online.
Rather, the letter specifically asked its business customers to email the completed form to a legitimate CIMB email address, or to physically mail or courier it to the bank itself.
Scan the QR Code below to download the form. Once you have completed the form, please submit by email to cimb_updates@cimb.com or mail/courier to the address below within 21 days from the date of this letter, failing which, the Bank reserves the right to suspend or close the account in accordance with the account terms and conditions.
In a real scam, you will be asked to taken to a fake CIMB bank website, and asked to logged into your bank account. That’s how the scammer gets hold of your bank login credentials.
However, even that scam won’t work without access to your TAC (Transaction Authorisation Code), which is sent to your phone by SMS, or authenticated through the bank’s mobile app.
For certain, scammers cannot log into your bank account by simply gaining your company’s information through a form, unless you actually include your company’s bank account login details!
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Can scammers hack your phone if you answer their calls, or call back?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Scammers Can Hack Your Phone If You Call Back!
People are sharing this advice about scammers hacking your phone if you answer their calls, or call back!
Very Very Urgent …
Please pass this message to your family and friends NOW.
People have been receiving calls from Tel: +375602605281 Tel: +37127913091 Tel: +37178565072 Tel: +56322553736 Tel: +37052529259 Tel: +255901130460 or any number starting from +371 +375 +381
These guys only ring once and hang up. If you call back,they can copy your contact list in 3sec and if you have a bank or credit card details on your phone, they can copy that too…
+375 code is for Belarus. +371 code is for Lativa. +381 Serbia. +563 Valparaiso. +370 Vilnius. +255 Tanzania.
Don’t answer or Call back.
Also, Don’t Press #90 or #09 on your Mobile when asked by any caller.
It’s a new trick which is use to access your SIM card, make calls at your expense and frame you as a criminal.
URGENTLY FORWARD this message to as many friends as you can to stop any intrusion!!
Truth : Scammers Cannot Hack Your Phone If You Call Back!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is Old Fake News
First, let me just point out that this fake message isn’t even new. It has been circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms since April 2020, if not earlier.
Fact #2 : This Hoax Is Based On One Ring / Wangiri Scam
This hoax appears to be based on the 2019 FCC warning about the “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam, where scammers use robocall devices to give victims a miss call, in hopes that they would call back and get charged for Pay-Per-Call services.
The Federal Communications Commission is alerting consumers to reported waves of “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam robocalls targeting specific area codes in bursts, often calling multiple times in the middle of the night. These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per minute toll charges similar to a 900 number. Consumers should not call these numbers back.
Recent reports indicate these calls are using the “222” country code of the West African nation of Mauritania. News reports have indicated widespread overnight calling in New York State and Arizona.
Generally, the One Ring scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two. They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer.
Consumer Tips: · Do not call back numbers you do not recognize, especially those appearing to originate overseas. · File a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls: www.fcc.gov/complaints · If you never make international calls, consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls. · Check your phone bill for charges you don’t recognize.
This scam, however, does not involve hacking any phone. It only requires you to call back the number, which is a Pay-Per-Call service.
Once you call back, you will get charged a premium rate, as the scammers try to keep you on the line for as long as possible.
Fact #3 : Scammers Cannot Hack Phone Through Calls
It is simply not possible to hack your phone through a voice call, even if you’re using VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), or apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.
What is possible though is voice phishing, also known as vishing. This is a form of social engineering, where scammers pose as a bank or police officer (or someone with authority) to obtain your bank account information, or trick you into transferring money into their bank accounts.
Fact #4 : 90# Telephone Scam Only Works With PBX / PABX
The #90 or 90# scam is a very old phone scam that only works on business landline phones that use a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) or PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange) system. Here is the official US FCC warning about this scam.
In this very old scam, the scammer pretends to be a telco employee looking into a technical problem with your phone lines, and asks you to help him by either mailing 90# or transferring the call to an outside line. If you do that, you will enable the scammer to place premium-rate calls that will billed to your phone number.
To be clear – these codes do NOT work on mobile phones or smartphones, because they do not run on PBX or PABX systems.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is there a new malware scam involving a PayNow PDF?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : WhatsApp Block Button Is A Scam!
People are sharing this warning about a new malware scam involving a PayNow PDF. Take a look!
I just received below the latest and new scams Modus Operandi from my Uncle. Forward to warn and share. ======================
The scammers have changed their modus operandi. They don’t ask you to download the app. My neighbour told me yesterday that her sister (a cancer patient) wanted a part-time helper to clean her house. Hence, she went to Facebook. I called the number and made the request. The advertiser asked whether she had a Paynow, and she said that she had. He directed her to make the partial payment, and he will send the invoice to confirm. (Note: He did not ask her to download an app, as people are getting alerts). When she received the invoice in the PDF format, she did not suspect any foul play and clicked it. The invoice showed the amount paid and the balance to be paid. After that, she went to sleep. The next morning, her phone could not be switched on. She used her laptop to check her DBS bank account. Her $20K was gone, and her two fixed deposits of $25K, which had not reached the maturity date, were also gone—the total loss was $ 70K. When she went to the bank and asked why her fixed deposit was also gone, the receptionist told her that digital banking allows you to transfer the amount back to your account to facilitate withdrawals without going to the bank. Police told her the malware was embedded in the PDF document. So folks, beware that the scammers are always changing their modus operandi to con your money $$$! 😡😡😡
This is likely another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are reasons why…
Fact #1 : No Evidence Of PayNow PDF Scam
First, let me just point out that there is no evidence that anyone was ever scammed by a PayNow PDF invoice.
There has been no actual news report of such a case, never mind multiple cases involving malicious PayNow PDF documents.
Frankly, I don’t know of any PDF malware that can shut down a phone, and transfer money from a bank account, including liquidating fixed deposits!
Fact #2 : PDF Malware Generally Target Computers
PDF documents can contain malware, but malicious PDFs generally target Windows computers. In fact, many aren’t actual PDF documents, but are instead executable files masquerading as PDF files – invoice.pdf.exe, for example.
Malicious PDF documents or executables targeted at Windows computers won’t work on smartphones. The malicious PDF must not only be specifically designed to target smartphones, it must target the right operating system – iOS or Android. A malicious PDF targeting Android won’t work on an Apple iPhone, for instance.
On top of that, many PDF malware actually exploit vulnerabilities in a specific PDF reader – most commonly, the industry-standard Adobe Acrobat Reader. Most smartphones do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, and instead rely on a variety of PDF readers like Samsung Note, OneDrive, Google Drive, Kindle, etc.
Embedded PDF malware that target vulnerabilities in the Adobe Acrobat Reader won’t work with other PDF readers. That’s probably why it’s rare to see PDF malware that target smartphones.
Singapore reported 477 cases of PayNow scams in 2021, with 133 more cases in 2022. However, they were not due to PDF malware. Rather, their victims were deceived into giving scammers their digital banking credentials.
In other words, PayNow scams have so far involved phishing attacks, in which victims are tricked into logging into fake websites, or giving up their Internet banking login details by phone.
In one of these scams, victims received phone calls from people pretending to be bank employees. The callers would ask for the victims’ personal details, such as their Internet banking usernames and passwords, under the pretext that the bank needed them to verify transactions in their accounts.
Fact #4 : Singapore Police Warned About Android Malware
It seems likely that the viral warning is based on a misunderstanding of a Singapore Police Force warning about Android malware withdrawing money through PayNow.
Issued on 17 June 2023, the Singaporean police warned that scammers were tricking victims into installing an Android Package Kit (APK) file through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Once installed, the malware allows the scammers to remotely access the victims’ devices, and steal their passwords.
The victims are then directed to fake websites that mimic banks like DBS to key in their banking credentials. The login information obtained through this phishing attack then allows the scammers to withdraw their victims’ money through PayNow.
To be clear – this PayNow scam does NOT involve any PDF. It requires the victim to install an APK file – to gain access of your 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) device, and provide bank login information through a fake (phishing) website.
This allows the scammers to log into your bank account using the login info you provided, and authenticate all transfers using your mobile phone.
Here are some simple cybersecurity tips to help you avoid getting scammed online:
Never install APK files (for Android) from unknown or untrustworthy sources.
Never sideload IPA files (for Apple iOS) from unknown or untrustworthy sources.
Always check the entire filename, including its file extension:
– PDF documents should end with .pdf, and not .pdf.apk or .pdf.ipa or .pdf.exe.
– Word documents should end with .doc or .docx, and not .doc.apk or .doc.ipa or .doc.exe.
Never click on any link to go to any bank website. Always type in the link yourself into a web browser, or better still – use the official app issued by the bank.
Never give your bank login details to any person, even if they claim to be a police officer, a bank officer, or even a cybersecurity expert!
Never give your 2FA authentication code / TAC or OTP number to any person, even if they claim to be a police officer, a bank officer, or even a cybersecurity expert!
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did a Malaysian nurse lose RM380,000 after pressing the Instagram Like button?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Nurse Lost RM380K After Pressing Instagram Like Button!
People are sharing an article which claims that a Malaysian nurse lost RM380,000 after pressing the Like button in Instagram for RM5 commissions! Here is an excerpt from the article:
M’sian Nurse Loses RM380K After Pressing Instagram ‘Like’ Button For RM5 Commission
Too late to unlike
Recently, a nurse supervisor fell victim to an online part-time job scam and lost a staggering RM387,035 after she was tricked into thinking she could enjoy high earnings from it.
M’sian nurse loses RM380K after pressing Instagram ‘like’ button
According to a statement by Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman, he said the 46-year-old victim received a message through WhatsApp offering her a part-time job on September 11.
The scammer then told her that she had to do was to simply press the ‘like’ button on Instagram and earn RM5 in commission for each task she completed.
Completely beguiled, the victim proceeded to accomplish five tasks and received a commission totaling RM25.
“She was then presented with a prepaid assignment which involved making a payment beforehand and was promised of greater profits.
“After making 36 transactions to 21 bank accounts amounting to RM387,035 across 13 days starting from Sept 11, the victim finally realised she had been deceived,” he said.
Nurse Did Not Lose RM380K After Pressing Instagram Like Button!
First of all, I would like to applaud the website for writing about job scams, but that’s really a misleading title.
Unfortunately, many people don’t read beyond the headlines. People are even asking if they will get “hacked” like the nurse if they like Instagram posts!
The truth is – the Malaysian nurse did not lose RM380,000 because she pressed on the Like button in Instagram. In fact, Instagram and its Like button have nothing to do with the actual scam!
Social Media Jobs Are An Easy Lure
As I have earlier written on how fake job syndicates operate, the “job” and “platform” are not important. These scammers generally offer social media jobs, because that’s what most people already use, so it’s easy to hook victims.
These syndicates will offer quick and easy tasks to do on social media, for example – liking Instagram photos and Facebook posts. Other (non-social media) tasks include liking YouTube videos and/or subscribing to YouTube channels, or even making comments on businesses in Google Maps.
Whether the job is on Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Google Maps, etc. is irrelevant. The first few “jobs” you are given are the bait. You will be paid for those simple tasks, like RM5 for liking an Instagram post, or RM10 for subscribing to a YouTube channel. Such an easy way to make money!
Paying For Jobs Is The Scam!
After you get the first payment, you will be asked to participate in a “prepaid job”. All you have to do is pay a “deposit” for the opportunity to make a lot of money in high-paying “jobs”.
At this point, you may feel that this is a genuine side job opportunity. After all, they paid you for the earlier jobs, didn’t they? Real scammers wouldn’t pay their victims, right? WRONG!
Once you make that first deposit, you are “hooked”. The scammers will not let you withdraw the money, but insist that you must continue with the next “prepaid job”, which would require another deposit. Then, you will be asked to pay again to participate in another “prepaid task”, and so on.
On paper, you appear to be earning a lot of money, but you won’t be able to withdraw any of that money. By the time you realise it’s a scam, you would have lost a LOT of money. That is the scam, not pressing on the Instagram Like button.
In the nurse’s case, she fell for their trap to participate in the “prepaid assignment”. She ended up making 36 transactions worth RM387,000 to 21 different bank accounts over 13 days! She not only emptied her savings, she even loaned money from her friends and family members!
Why would any victim do that? Simple – the more money you invest in this fake job offer, the more desperate you will be to recover the money you “invested” and “earned”. To quit would mean losing everything, so you will feel that you have “no choice” but to continue.
To help you make that decision to “stick with the programme”, the syndicate have fake users in their Telegram group continuously posting bank deposit screenshots, while claiming that they just received their earnings.
The truth is – any money you send to their mule accounts will be quickly transferred to the scammers’ account. You will never see the money again.
As one student shared, he lost over RM22,000 in just two days, because he was so engrossed in trying to get back the money he “invested” earlier:
There’s one trick that this scammer is using. He let me start with a small investment, then proceed with stages.
They force me to continue because I want to rescue the money that I put in in the previous task. So it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Again, I’m glad to see more publicity about fake job scams. But it is important that YOU understand that the scam does not involve the pressing of the Like button in Instagram, or Facebook, or YouTube, or any other online platform.
This is ultimately just another case of a fake job scam. In this nurse’s case, the scammers used the simple job of liking Instagram posts as the lure, but it will be different for other victims. These scammers will use any convenient platform to give you simple jobs to trick you into falling for their scam.
Just remember – there is no such thing as easy social media jobs. Even unscrupulous social media promoters do not need to pay anyone to like a post, or follow someone. They simply use bots (automated software)!
Don’t fall for such fake job scams. No matter how enticing the offer is – NEVER pay for any job.
Please SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Can a SIM swap attack empty your bank account without warning?! Take a look at the viral warnings, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-10-07 : Added new viral message, and other updates. Originally posted @ 2022-01-16
Claim : SIM Swap Attack Can Empty Bank Account Without Warning!
This message has gone viral on social media and WhatsApp, warning about a new high tech fraud called SIM Swap Fraud that can empty bank accounts without warning.
The message includes a link to a Straits Times report about a young couple who lost $120,000 in a fake text message scam targeting OCBC Bank customers.
Your BANK Account could be Emptied without an Alert!
Dear All, Please let’s be very careful.. There is a new HIGH TECH FRAUD in town called the SIM SWAP FRAUD, and hundreds of persons are already VICTIMS.
How does it work? 1 A new fraud called SIM SWAP has started. Your phone network will momentarily go blind / zero (No Signal / Zero Bars) and after a while a call will come through.
2 The Person on the other end of the call will tell you that he is calling from (your cell phone company) depending on your network and that there is a problem in your mobile network.
3 He will instruct you to Please press 1 on your phone to get the network back.
– Please at this stage don’t Press anything, Just cut or END the call.
If you press 1, the network will appear suddenly and almost immediately go blind again (Zero Bars) and by that action, your phone is #HACKED.
Within a second they will empty your bank account, and you won’t receive any alert.
What you will experience. It will appear as though your line is without Network, meanwhile your SIM has been SWAPPED. The danger here is that, you will not get any alert of any transactions, so please those of us doing USSD Banking and Mobile Banking BEWARE. Let’s be very careful.
Please, forward to your contacts, loved ones and friends. The fraud is increasing day by day.
Received from a #CybersecurityGroup
Don’t forget to share this post…… I repeat don’t forget to share this post. Many people’s Account as been emptied!
Please encourage more people to learn from this episode
My cousin received a call , asking if he had been vaccinated, if vaccinated to press 1.
If not vaccinated, press 2. As a result, he pressed 1, the phone was blocked and his online bank information/account were all transferred. Please be Alert and Careful and forward to more people to know about this new trick/scam. Forwarded as received.
Your BANK Account can be Empty without Notice.
There is a HIGH TECHNOLOGY SCAM going on at this time called SIM SWAP FRAUD, it is said that hundreds of people have been affected, they suddenly found that their bank accounts were EMPTY
Truth : SIM Swap Attack Is Real, But Don’t Work Like That
The truth is – SIM swap attacks are real and very dangerous, but they do not work like the viral messages claim.
Here is what you need to know about the viral message, and SIM swap attacks.
Fact #1 : SIM Swap Attacks Are Not New
SIM swap attacks are really not new. Scammers have been using SIM swap attacks since 2015, if not earlier.
Fact #2 : SIM Swap Warnings Are Mostly False
The viral message is correct about the risk of SIM swap attacks, but pretty much wrong about everything else.
In fact, the method by which the SIM swap attack works is completely made up. So the viral message is really FAKE NEWS.
There’s no way your bank account will be emptied without any action on your part. Neither will your bank accounts be emptied because you participate in a COVID-19 vaccination SMS survey.
Fact #3 : No Evidence Of Such Fraud
There is no evidence of SIM swap attacks requiring users to complete the process by responding to an SMS survey about vaccination.
Neither is there any evidence that SIM swap attacks alone can lead to your bank accounts being emptied.
Fact #4 : Straits Times Article Was Not About SIM Swap Attack
One of the viral messages include a link to a Straits Time article to mislead you. That’s because the article was about a phishing attack, not a SIM swap attack.
In that phishing attack, the victim received an SMS with a link that took him to a fake website that “looked exactly like the OCBC login page“. He then keyed in his bank login details, thus handing over control of his bank account to the scammers.
The victim also ignored automated messages warning him that his “account was being setup on another phone“. That had nothing to do with a SIM swap attack. It was an SMS-based phishing attack.
Fact #5 : SIM Swap Attacks Generally Do Not Require Any Action
In most SIM swap attacks, scammers use your personal information, either purchased from other criminals or obtained through earlier phishing attacks or social engineering, to request for a SIM card replacement.
All that does not require any action on your part. In most cases, you only realise you’ve been hit when you lose access to your mobile number.
Fact #6 : SIM Swap Attack May Require Action In Some Cases
The Press 1 claim in the viral message is partially correct, but it only happens in a particular circumstance.
In India, scammers have tricked people by offering a free network upgrade, or to help improve signal quality on their phones :
The scammer will call the victim, claiming to be from their mobile service provider.
The scammer will try to get the victim to reveal his/her 20-digit SIM card number.
The scammer will use the 20-digit SIM number to initiate a SIM swap with the mobile service provider.
The mobile service provider will automatically send an SMS to confirm the swap.
Once the victim confirms the swap, his/her SIM card will stop working.
The scammer now has access to the victim’s mobile number.
Fact #7 : SIM Swap Attack Does Not Hack Your Phone
The SIM swap attack does not involve any hacking of your phone.
You only lose access to your mobile number. Your phone is not hacked.
Fact #8 : SIM Swap Attack Does Not Empty Bank Accounts
Once the scammers successfully gain control of your mobile number, they can use it to intercept one-time passwords (OTP) like TAC numbers.
This allows them to change passwords to your bank accounts, social media accounts, etc. which is why SIM swap attacks are so dangerous and damaging.
However, it does not mean your bank accounts are immediately emptied. For one thing – the scammers need to know your bank login.
That’s why SIM swap victims often have had their bank logins and passwords stolen earlier though phishing attacks. The scammers only need their mobile numbers to receive OTP / TAC numbers to authenticate the transfers.
Fact #9 : SIM Swap Attack Can Be Used To Cheat Friends Too!
Stealing money from your bank account requires extra work, so scammers who do not have your bank login details will resort to cheating your friends.
With access to your phone number, they can easily gain access to your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) as well as instant messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram).
Once they have control, they can send messages to your friends, pretending to be you. Naturally, they will concoct some story to ask your friends for money.
The idea is to use your (now) stolen accounts to convince your friends that you genuinely need their help. The money that they transfer goes directly to the scammers, or their mules (people who rent their bank accounts to scammers).
Now that you know the facts behind the SIM swap attack or scam, please SHARE this article with your family and friends!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Did the US government steal $50 trillion worth of gold and oil from Iraq?! Take a look at the viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-09-19 : Refreshed with updated info Originally published @ 2022-04-12
Claim : US Gov Stole $50 Trillion Of Gold + Oil From Iraq!
People are sharing photos of US soldiers posing with gold bars, as evidence that the United States sold gold and oil from Iraq worth tens of trillions of dollars!
These photos was revived on the 20th anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and then on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as part of the information warfare surrounding the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is also being shared and promoted on pro-CCP and pro-Russia groups on social media, WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.
Here the US thieves in Iraq. Bringing democracy aka stealing a country’s gold. Same thing they want to do in Russia. But Russia is no Iraq or Libya.
The #US ransacked and plundered the whole of #Iraq. Banks, museums, all of their gold reserves. The US is the biggest gang of thiefs in the whole history. They have raped most of the planet in the last 50 years. #Ukraine #UkraineRussianWar #UkraineRussiaWar #Russia #Putin #NATO
🇺🇸 “liberates” gold & oil while 🇷🇺 liberates humans.
#Denaƶification & #Demilitarization of #UkroNaƶiLand
Truth : US Gov Did Not Steal Gold + Oil From Iraq At All!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or propagated to deflect criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : US Did Not Steal $30 Trillion Of Iraqi Oil
Claims that the US stole $30 trillion worth of oil from Iraq are false. The United States did lose track of 8.7 billion dollars worth of Iraqi funds though.
After the invasion of Iraq concluded, Iraqi oil was sold to help fund the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI). Other sources of funds include surplus funds (about USD 10 billion) from the UN Oil-For-Food Program, and the sale of seized Iraqi assets.
The United States did not truck away Iraqi oil, as claimed. In July 2010, the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) discovered that the US Department of Defense could not account properly for USD 8.7 billion of DFI funds.
This led the Iraqi Parliament to request the United Nation’s help in demanding that the US return $17 billion of “oil money” that it said was stolen from the Iraqi people :
All the indications are that the institutions of the United States of America committed financial corruption by stealing the money of the Iraqi people, which was allocated to develop Iraq, (and) that it was about $17 billion.
… Our committee decided to send this issue to you … to look into it and restore the stolen money.
Stealing $30 trillion worth of oil would require 1.7 billion oil trucks, or 46,000 of these trucks every day for 100 years!
Fact #2 : US Spent $60 Billion To Reconstruct Iraq
There is no evidence that the unaccounted money was repatriated to the United States, or officially taken by the United States.
Even assuming that it was not poor accounting and all of the $8.7 billion was truly stolen, that is a far cry (0.029%) from the $30 trillion that was “allegedly” stolen.
It is also rendered ludicrous by the fact that the United States spent US$60 billion in the reconstruction of Iraq – almost 7X of what it allegedly stole.
Also consider the fact that Iraqi oil production only reached 4.4 million barrels per day in 2016. Assuming an average sale price of USD 60 per barrel, it would take them 311 years to sell enough oil to make $30 trillion.
Fact #3 : US Did Not Steal $20 Trillion Of Iraqi Gold
The United States also did not steal gold from Iraq, certainly not $20 trillion worth of gold!
All those photos of US soldiers with Iraqi gold bars are genuine, but they only show them taking photos with the gold they seized in Iraq.
The Iraqi gold bars (as well as currency and other valuables) that US soldiers seized were transported to the US Army’s headquarters in Kuwait.
There, they were examined by the Secret Service and/or the US Department of Treasury to determine their authenticity and value, before being returned to the Central Iraqi Treasury or the Development Fund of Iraq (DFI).
This is a picture of Lt. Col. Scott Schmidt, who was in charge of the 230th Finance Battalion. The battalion’s job was to seize Iraqi assets like currency, gold bars and other valuables.
Fact #4 : The Entire World Does Not Have So Much Gold!
In 2003, Iraq had under 6 tonnes of gold reserves, worth less than $70 million. So how can the United States possibly steal 20 trillion dollars worth of gold from Iraq? $20 trillion worth of gold would weigh at least 1,714,285 tonnes in 2003.
Guess how much gold mankind has ever mined in history? Only 208,874 tonnes as of February 2023 – which is just 12% of what people are claiming that the United States stole from Iraq.
As of January 2023, the value of all the gold in the world is only USD 13 trillion – less than 2/3 of what the conspiracy theory claims the United States stole from Iraq… and that’s only because gold prices have gone up tremendously since 2003.
Even with the much higher gold price, it would take an additional 90 years of mining gold before the entire world has $20 trillion worth of gold for the US government to steal.
Now that you know the truth, please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check out!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Watch out for the Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia scam on WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and Twitter!
Find out how this scam works, and WARN your family and friends!
Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia 2023 Scam Alert!
These scam messages about Bantuan Tunai Rakyat (BTR) 2023, or Bantuan Percuma Kerajaan Malaysia 2023, is going viral on WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
CARA SEMAKAN TARIKH BAGI PENERIMA BANTUAN RM600 DIKREDITKAN SETIAP BULAN
Untuk mereka yang layak, anda boleh lakukan semakan dengan mengikuti cara yang diterangkan.
Baca Cara Semakan Bantuan 👇 https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/
SHARE INFO ini kepada rakan-rakan dan saudara mara untuk manfaat semua
HOW TO CHECK THE DATE FOR RECIPIENTS OF ASSISTANCE RM600 CREDIT EVERY MONTH
For those who are eligible, you can check by following the described method.
Read How to Check Help 👇 https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/
SHARE this INFO to friends and relatives for the benefit of all
As one lady shared in the video below, she got tricked by the scammers, who took over her Telegram account to send the same scam message to all of her contacts!
While she claimed that she did not click any link, I will show you how she got scammed…
Warning : To show you how the scammers work, I will share the links they use. I will highlight those dangerous links in red. Do NOT go to those links.
Super Long Link
To trick people into clicking on the scam links, the scammers intentionally use a misleading and very long URL, so you are less likely to notice the domain.
This is the scam link : https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/
Note how the scammer used a long list of descriptive keywords – “bantuan“, “rakyat“, “malaysia“, “lynk“, which helps to mislead people, and make it more difficult for them to notice that the domain is “eu.org“.
Obviously, eu.org is not a Malaysian government domain (which ends with .gov.my), and it has nothing to do with Malaysia or financial aid. This domain also has nothing to do with the European Union.
EU.org provides free subdomains, and so scammers use it to not only run their scams, but to give their scams a more “legitimate-looking domain”.
Pro Tip : Always check the domain of a link before you click on it. Avoid super-long links like this because they are often used to mask the domain name.
After clicking to go to https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/, you will be taken to what looks like an invitation to join a Telegram group. But in reality, it is a fake Telegram invitation.
A real Telegram invitation will have a link like this – https://t.me/XXXXXXXX. But this scam page has the link – https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/my.php.
Also, a real Telegram invitation can detect if you are using Windows / Mac or Android / iOS, and suggest that the right download for your device.
The invitation also has a glaring typo – the link says Massage Now, rather than Message Now. Hilarious!
In any case, a real Telegram invitation will not ask you to Message Now. Rather, it will allow you to either View In Telegram, or Preview channel in the web browser itself.
If you click on Join Group, you will be taken to this Telegram login page. Even though it offers you a list of countries to select from, the only option is Malaysia.
WARNING – THIS IS A SCAM PAGE. This is what is known in cybersecurity as a “phishing attack”.
First of all, Telegram invitations will never ask you to log into your Telegram account. It will simply launch the Telegram app and load the group for you.
Secondly, if you look at the link, it leads to the same scam domain, specifically https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/my.php.
Do NOT log into your Telegram account in this page.
If you log into your Telegram account using this phishing page, then the scammers will gain access to your Telegram account, and take it over for their own use.
They can then use your Telegram account to send the same scam message, or worse, cheat your family and friends of their money!
The lady in the viral video likely logged into this phishing page, thus giving the scammers control of her Telegram account. That was likely how they were able to message everyone on her contact list.
She also likely did not enable Two-Step Verification in Telegram, which would let her recover her account even after scammers have gained access.
That is why people who were hit by this scam had to call and inform their relatives and friends, or publicly post about it to warn all of their contacts.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to warn all of their contacts, and inevitably, someone will get cheated of their hard-earned money. That’s why these scams are so popular – they really work, and scammers are making a ton of money!
Help us fight against these scammers. SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
These PDRM parking fine emails are scam emails. This was confirmed by PDRM itself.
On 7 August 2023, the Cyber Crime division of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) posted an alert warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam.
These emails are designed to scare its victims into action. Hence, it offers a very cheap way to quickly “settle the problem”. However, if you take a breath, and analyse the email CAREFULLY, you will see many problems with it.
Letter is from PDRM : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you by email.
Letter is in English : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you in English.
Typo in the name : The fake email used My Bayar PDRM, instead of MyBayar PDRM.
Lack of name and personal details : The fake email refers generically to “Dear recipient“, without listing your full name and MyKad number.
Lack of vehicle details : The fake email doesn’t mention the vehicle make and plate number.
Lack of location details : The fake email does not mention where the offence occurred, or even when it occurred.
Fine is much too low : PDRM traffic fines are never as low as RM50. The cheapest fine is RM150 for Category 4 offences, but you can pay as low as RM70 within 15 days.
No such law : The fake email refers to the Road Traffic Act. There is no such act in Malaysia. The proper name is the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
No such section : If you look at the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 (PDF download), you will see that there is no such thing as Section 2016-691.
The email appears to be from My Bayar PDRM (typo in the name), but if you inspect the email address, you will see that it was sent by “in-to-no-reply@silverbackgames.xxx” or “hello@sooqr.com” or some other email address.
Obviously, this email did not originate from an official PDRM email address! This should immediately tell you that this is a fake or scam email!
If you click on the Pay My Fine link in the scam email, you will be taken to a fakeMy Bayar PDRM website (with the same typo in the name).
You may notice that you now have 7 days to pay the RM 50 fine, instead of just 5 days in the email. Odd, isn’t it?
Also odd is the fact that the page does not mention your name, your MyKad number, your vehicle type and model, or even its plate number! The page also doesn’t mention where the offence took place, or the time you were caught committing said offence.
Do NOT proceed after this point… This is a scam website!
But if you have itchy fingers, and click on the Pay The Fine button, you will be asked to pay for the RM50 fine using your debit or credit card.
Needless to say, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS!!!
If you provide these scammers with your debit / credit card details and TAC / OTP numbers, they will be able to charge ANY AMOUNT they want to your credit card, or withdraw ANY AMOUNT they want from your bank account!
It’s even worse if you are asked to log into your bank account to pay the fine. DO NOT DO THAT!
If you provide them with your bank login and password, as well as OTP/TAC number, these scammers will be able to transfer money out of your bank account!
Please note – this is a scam! This is a phishing attack to gain access to your credit card and/or bank account.
Regardless of how you get any notification from PDRM about any traffic offence you may have committed, you should always check the status through these official MyBayar PDRM options:
Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Please watch out for the Media Prima Digital / Nielsen fake job scam! Don’t forget to warn your family and friends!
Media Prima / Nielsen Job Scam : How They Reel You In…
Scammers are targeting people through WhatsApp, offering an easy way to make extra money through a part-time job you can do online.
I am Shirley , a permanent employee at Media Prima Digital Company in the recruitment department. The HR department sent me this number and asked me to contact you to get you to a job opportunity.
I just want to share some work-from-home freelance job information offer .You don’t have to spend a lot of time on the job.I can explain if you are interested
The job appears to be very simple – just use your Instagram account to follow Media Prima Digital’s brand partners, to boost their follower count and exposure.
Our job is to use Instagram to follow our various partner brands and work with Malaysian brand influencers to increase their exposure. We hire freelancers to work with the hope of earning extra income every day.
You don’t have to do any marketing for the brand, you just have to subscribe Brand. The salary will be paid daily using TnG or Bank transfer.
Best of all, the scammers are promising that you can make easy money doing nothing more than help Media Prima Digital boost their brand partners on Instagram…
This job is like freelancing. You can do it from anywhere and anytime if you can use social media. RM 110-550 per day if you can do it energetically without even a little worry. You can earn up to RM 3,300-16,500 per month.
Wow! That’s more than what many people earn in Malaysia, so why the heck not, right? Just use Instagram to help big brands “cheat” on their follower counts. Unethical, but not illegal, right? And easy money to make.
The scammer will let you try one or two tasks to show you just how easy it is to make quick money. Wow – you can earn RM10 just by following one Instagram account? Easy!
To get paid, the scammer hands you over to the actual fake job syndicate on Telegram…
Why Telegram? Telegram is popular with scammers because it not only offers end-to-end encryption, it won’t expose their actual telephone numbers.
Go to telegram and add to our receptionist. Use this username @AD or you can easily add her using this Link. https://t.me/KL999654
After successfully adding her send her a message. (I’m a new member.) code: JZ 450032 (ML-OS)Please send me a screenshot to confirm after sending code message to her.
She will invite you to join our working group where you can accomplish many tasks and earn more salary.
This “receptionist” will quickly pay you the RM10 (the bait), to “prove” that this is a genuine operation. She will then explain what you need to do to earn RM200 to RM300 a day. That’s more than what most people make in a day!
The finance department is sending money to you, please inform me when you receive it! Now let me give you a detailed description of our part-time work
The main job is to help Instagram users follow their page. You get RM2 for completing one task. RM80+ commission per day depending on your hours. The daily income is between RM 200 and RM 300, as long as you have enough time to do it, you can join
You will get RM2-RM18 commission for completing the task and an additional RM80 salary, which will be calculated based on your working hours today, ending at 8pm
Complete a task for RM2, accumulate RM10 and you can automatically receive commission. The more tasks you do, the more commissions you earn and the higher your salary
Update the task every 20 minutes and send me screenshots when you’re done so I know how much you’ve accomplished. The timeout task has expired and does not need to be completed. Do the latest task in the group
Only RM2 per task? But okay, they are also offering a daily commission. You work it out, and decide – what the heck, you can still get a decent sum every day. So you agree to participate.
After you chug along, accumulating a small but nice sum over several hours, they hit you with the scam… you have to invest your money for the next job.
Subscribe to Tasks: In order to thank you for your support to our company we hereby announce the welfare task and strive for the quota for everyone Subscription Rule (2-4 orders) This task is based on market demand, we are recruiting customers to transfer subscription to increase transaction flow. Increase market turnover. 5 to 10 minutes to complete the task, such as subscribe RM100, get RM130, 30% profit. =========================== MYR 100 Cash back MYR 130 (Newbie subscription) MYR 200 Cash back MYR 260 MYR 300 Cash back MYR 390 MYR 600 Cash back MYR 780 MYR 1000 Cashback MYR 1300
This is when your receptionist will pressure you into at least taking the “newbie subscription” of “just RM100”. She will assure you that you will instantly get RM30 profit.
In the meantime, people in the Telegram group will publicly announce that they are buying subscriptions of RM300, RM600, etc. These are likely just accounts run by the scammers.
If you hesitate, the receptionist will tell you that you cannot proceed without subscribing to this task. If you refuse, you will also lose the money you earned earlier. This is how they trap you.
If you jump right into it, the group will likely pay you the first time, to tempt you into investing more the next time around. That’s when they take your money for good.
Don’t think that you can’t really lose much on such fake job scams. One university student recently explained how he lost over RM22,000 in a similar job scam.
There’s one trick that this scammer is using. He let me start with a small investment, then proceed with stages. They force me to continue because I want to rescue the money that I put in in the previous task. So it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
So please AVOID such online job offers, and help us fight these scammers – SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
PDRM is warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam! Here is what you need to know about the MyBayar PDRM scam!
PDRM Warning : Watch Out For MyBayar Scam
On 7 August 2023, the Cyber Crime division of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) posted an alert warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam.
The MyBayar PDRM scam starts with an official-looking email that warns motorists that they have been caught contravening the law, and offers a cheap RM50 fine if paid within 5 days:
Last notice of contravention before prosecution
Dear recipient,
We are writing to draw your attention to a recent traffic violation in Malaysian jurisdiction.
Our traffic enforcement staff have observed your vehicle parked in a no-parking zone. This contravenes section (no. 2016-691] of the Road Traffic Act.
As a result of this infringement, a fine of MYR 50 has been imposed. This fine must be paid within 5 days of the date of this notification to avoid further legal consequences.
Failure to pay the fine within the allotted time may result in legal proceedings being taken against you, which could lead to increased fines, penalties and the possible suspension of your driving license.
Many people who received the MyBayar PDRM email might be shocked to find out that they were caught committing a traffic violation, and then relieved that it was only RM50 if they paid quickly.
That’s how the scammers trap their victims – by offering a cheap RM50 fine, when we all know that fines for traffic offences are at least RM150, and can go all the way up to RM1,000!
Those who received this fake MyBayar PDRM email would be tempted to quickly pay the cheap RM50 fine, before it becomes a lot more expensive!
But if you take a closer look at the email, you will spot some problems with it:
Weird English : The email title of “Last notice of contravention before prosecution” is nonsensical.
Typo in the name : The fake email used My Bayar PDRM, instead of MyBayar PDRM.
Lack of name and personal details : The fake email refers generically to “Dear recipient“, without listing your full name and MyKad number.
Lack of vehicle details : The fake email doesn’t mention the vehicle make and plate number.
Lack of location details : The fake email does not mention where the offence occurred, or even when it occurred.
Fine is much too low : PDRM traffic fines are never as low as RM50. The cheapest fine is RM150 for Category 4 offences, but you can pay as low as RM70 within 15 days.
No such law : The fake email refers to the Road Traffic Act. There is no such act in Malaysia. The proper name is the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
No such section : If you look at the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 (PDF download), you will see that there is no such thing as Section 2016-691.
The email appears to be from My Bayar PDRM (typo in the name), but if you inspect the email address, you will see that it was sent by “in-to-no-reply@silverbackgames.xxx” or “hello@sooqr.com” or some other email address.
Obviously, this email did not originate from an official PDRM email address! This should immediately tell you that this is a fake or scam email!
If you click on the Pay My Fine link in the scam email, you will be taken to a fakeMy Bayar PDRM website (with the same typo in the name).
You may notice that you now have 7 days to pay the RM 50 fine, instead of just 5 days in the email. Odd, isn’t it?
Also odd is the fact that the page does not mention your name, your MyKad number, your vehicle type and model, or even its plate number! The page also doesn’t mention where the offence took place, or the time you were caught committing said offence.
Do NOT proceed after this point… This is a scam website!
But if you have itchy fingers, and click on the Pay The Fine button, you will be asked to pay for the RM50 fine using your debit or credit card.
Needless to say, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS!!!
If you provide these scammers with your debit / credit card details and TAC / OTP numbers, they will be able to charge ANY AMOUNT they want to your credit card, or withdraw ANY AMOUNT they want from your bank account!
It’s even worse if you are asked to log into your bank account to pay the fine. DO NOT DO THAT!
If you provide them with your bank login and password, as well as OTP/TAC number, these scammers will be able to transfer money out of your bank account!
Please note – this is a scam! This is a phishing attack to gain access to your credit card and/or bank account.
Regardless of how you get any notification from PDRM about any traffic offence you may have committed, you should always check the status through these official MyBayar PDRM options:
Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Maybank just announced that all of its online, mobile and card services are up and running after going offline earlier today! Here is what you need to know…
Maybank Online + Card Services Finally Up + Running!
At 3:46 PM on 7 August 2023, Maybank sent out an alert that all of its online, mobile and card services are temporarily unavailable
Maybank2U web banking services
M2U and MAE mobile banking apps
debit and credit card usage
The only good news is that ATM and counter services appear to be unaffected by this downtime.
This announcement came hours after people started complaining that they could not log into the Maybank website.
As of 4 PM, none of Maybank’s online or mobile services are working. Neither will you be able to use your Maybank debit or credit card to make payments.
Update @ 4:30 PM : Maybank just announced that it restored Maybank2U web, the MAE app, and both debit card and credit card services!
Earlier : Maybank Online + Card Services All Down!
The Maybank downtime appeared to occur at around 1 PM or so, with Maybank initially asking users to switch to the MAE mobile app:
Good day and any inconvenience is much regretted. Based on our checking, the MAE app is operating fine at the moment.uled maintenance to improve your experience and will be back up shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience.
However, some Maybank users soon pointed out that their MAE app wasn’t working either!
Be Right Back!
We’re experiencing communication error. Please try again later.
That’s when Maybank support staff claimed that they were experiencing “intermittent slowness” on their MAE app and Maybank2U web platforms:
Kindly be informed that we are experiencing an intermittent slowness on our MAE App & M2U web platforms. We are working to resolve the matter as soon as possible. Our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused. Thank you for your patience and continuous support.
It was only about two hours later that Maybank finally admitted that all of its mobile and online banking services were down, as well as its debit and credit card services.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Find out how a university student just lost over RM22,000 in an online job scam!
Please SHARE this article to warn your family and friends to avoid such online job scams!
Online Job Scam Are Targeting The Poor + Desperate!
Online job scams have been around for a long, long time. But fake job syndicates have become more active recently, probably because more people are getting laid off, and inflation is eating into our money.
Online job scams come in a variety of ways, but most commonly, you get unsolicited messages through WhatsApp or iMessage, offering you the opportunity to make a lot of money through part-time work, in the comfort of your own home.
This is especially appealing to people who are currently jobless and desperate. Or in this recent case – a university student who is just starting out in life.
I am Shirley , a permanent employee at XXXX Company in the recruitment department. The HR department sent me this number and asked me to contact you to get you to a job opportunity.
Hello! I am Miss Aisyah Binte Ahmed, from The Recruitment Dept. at YYYY Digital, Malaysia. Our company is hiring part-time and full-time online Employees. Can I briefly share the details with you?
How A University Student Lost RM22K In Online Job Scam!
I had earlier written about how fake job syndicates cheat people of their hard-earned money, but I didn’t realise that these scammers are also targeting university students!
A university student recently shared how he quickly lost over RM20,000 to an online job scam, despite being warned that it could be a scam!
How They Reel The Student In…
These online job scams always start by offering their victims an EASY way to make A LOT of money!
It all started two days ago, when an unknown person asked me if I’m interested in a part time job. I usually don’t decline offers like this because I’m also a student looking for internship or job opportunities.
He gave me simple tasks, like subscribing to YouTube channels and get RM10 for each subscription. I was interested as money did really go to my account.
Then, I was added into a group. They would give these free tasks of subscribing to YouTube channels.
These scammers also know that people are now wary of scams, and will always demonstrate their willingness to pay… at least in the beginning.
And occasionally will provide merchant tasks throughout the day, which you bank in a certain amount of money to them, which was said to help improve crypto merchant’s reputation or some sort, then they’ll return you a good amount of earnings after the task is completed. It takes around half an hour to do so. So for these two days I earned around RM500.
This is how the scammers establish trust with their victims, and convince them to “invest” to get even more money!
The “merchant tasks” is when they start scamming you, and the scam occurs very quickly. You may think that you’re earning a lot of money, but you will never see a cent of it.
So here’s where the fishing begins. A merchant task has started. A rule was stated that I must complete all the tasks given or I will not get the money that I banked in before.
It doesn’t matter how little you “invest” in this “merchant task” scheme. Once you are in, they will quickly use your “earnings” to force you to keep paying them!
I chose the least risk package, give RM300 to get RM360. Then, I was required to continue the next task. Same, I chose the smallest amount RM2000 to get RM2600. Again, need to continue the next task, I chose the smallest RM5000 to get RM7000. Then, RM15000 to get RM19500.
Then, RM40000 to get RM52000. At this point, I still haven’t realize it’s a scam. All I’m focussed on is I need to take back the money that I banked in, so I’m just thinking about completing the tasks given.
By The Time He Realised… It Was TOO LATE!
Because the university student was so engrossed in getting back the money he “invested” earlier, he didn’t realise that he was giving the scammers more and more money… until it was much too late.
There’s one trick that this scammer is using. He let me start with a small investment, then proceed with stages. They force me to continue because I want to rescue the money that I put in in the previous task. So it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Unfortunately, by the time the university student realised his mistake, it was much too late… He had already lost over RM22K!
At that time, I have not enough money in my bank to fork out RM40k. So I panic and find my friend to lend me some money.
Luckily my friend as a sideliner noticed that this is a scam and stopped me. I woke up finding that evervthing was too late. Just like that, two days, RM22300, gone.
As the university student later realised, many of the people in the group are part of the online job scam syndicate. Their job is to give the victims the perception that this is a legitimate job with many people participating.
During merchant tasks, I’m asked to leave the big group and will be joining a small group of 3-4 members. One of the scary parts in this operation after I realize it’s a scam is that, all the group members in the group are actually controlled by the same person.
Out of the 4 members, two might be playing rich vips who will play the highest package, pressuring you to play with more money, the other person looks like a newcomer like me and plays along with me, choosing the lowest package.
Precautions Were Useless
The university student was actually warned by his parents that it could be a scam. He even prepared for the possibility he could be scammed:
Some Precautions | Made While Attempting This:
I was being very careful with this. I shared with my parents on the first night. My parents did warned me about it being a scam, but didn’t stop me from it since I’m earning something. They just ask me to be extra cautious.
I have two bank accounts, so I moved most of my savings such that I have a “small” account and a “big” account, to prevent losses if anything goes wrong.
I also created a new chat account with another phone number solely for this “part time job”. I also made a plan and promise to only invest my earnings, so I cannot touch my savings.
But as German Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke once said, “No plan survives contact with the enemy“, and the student’s precaution was useless when he got “emotionally invested” in getting his money back, and ended up taking out all of his saving from the “big account”!
I believe we always read about news of scams in Malaysia, asking why are they so dumb, why they fall into these type of scams. Until I’m in their shoes. I was being very cautious taking the above steps and always remind myself to not be greedy, play only the least risk.
The worse part is, when I’m within that situation and cannot think straight. I even use my savings from my “big” account, just because I want to rescue the money I put in.
The university student is now “emotionally depressed” and “thinking about suicide” over the loss of so much money. But do the scammers care? No, they couldn’t care less if people commit suicide over the loss of their hard-earned money.
He has also contacted his bank fraud hotline, and lodged a police report. Unfortunately, he is unlikely to ever recover any of the money he lost. But I hope he understands that his life matters more to his family than money, and he can always make back the money as long as he lives.
Please SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Please watch out for the wedding invitation scam, and find out why you should NEVER install any APK file from strangers!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Wedding Invitation Scam Gone Viral!
A new scam has gone viral on social media in Malaysia – the wedding invitation scam. In this scam, scammers contact their victims on WhatsApp, pretending to send them an APK file as a wedding invitation!
Here is the Malay version of the scam messages, and their English translations.
Dengan rasa kesyukuran, Menjemput Tuan ZAITON OTHMAN Ke Majlis Perkawinan Anak Kami Sila Klik instal Apk untuk dapatkan kad kahwin digital kami ⬇️⬇️ Sila klik instal nampak kad kahwin digital kami 🙏, agar nak tau Siapa 😀
With gratitude, Inviting Mr. Zaiton Othman to our Son’s Wedding Please click install Apk to get our digital wedding card ⬇️⬇️ Please click install to see our digital wedding card 🙏, to know who this is 😀
This is yet another example of a Mobile Application Scam, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : APK Is Android Installation File
First, it is important to know that APK files are not used to deliver wedding invitations, or photos and videos.
Short for Android Package Kit, an APK file is used to install software in Android devices. Think of it as the Android equivalent of an EXE installation file for Windows software.
Fact #2 : You Should Never Install APK File, Unless You’re An Expert
APK files, by definition, are merely installation files for Android devices. They can be used for legitimate purposes, as well as nefarious purposes.
However, legitimate Android apps are mostly delivered through proper mobile app platforms like Google Play Store and the HUAWEI App Gallery, where they are often scanned for malware before people are allowed to download and install.
Therefore, you should never download and install an APK file outside of legitimate mobile app platforms, unless you are an expert who needs to “sideload” an APK for a specific reason.
Now, this does not mean that only Android devices are vulnerable. Apple is slated to offer the ability to sideload apps too with iOS 17.
Fact #3 : Scammers Use APK Files To Install Malware
In most, if not all, cases where you receive an APK file from a stranger on WhatsApp, Telegram, through email or social media platforms, it is likely to contain malware.
Scammers use APK files containing malware to gain access to your phone. After you install these malware APK files, scammers can do anything – read your messages, steal your photos and videos, gain access to your TAC / OTP alerts, etc.
Fact #4 : APK File Scam Not Limited To Wedding Invitations
These mobile application scams are not just limited to wedding invitations, or offers to deliver illicit photos and videos. Scammers have also convinced their victims to install these APK malware files to :
book cheap temporary maid / cleaning services
book cheap air-conditioning services
book exclusive restaurants
receive special discounts
make investment transactions
Fact #5 : Scammers Use Social Engineering + Stolen Data
It is important to remember that scammers will use a combination of social engineering and stolen / purchased data to convince you to install their APK malware.
They may know your name, your MyKad number, your address and your telephone number. They may even know who is in your family, and even have your bank account or credit card details. All that information can be purchased from unscrupulous sources.
In some cases, scammers have taken over social media accounts and used them to trick the account holder’s family and friends into installing such APK malware files.
No matter who tells you to do it – even if they are your family member or friend, NEVER download and install an APK file.
Fact #6 : Bank Negara Malaysia Warned About Mobile App Scam
Bank Negara Malaysia has long warned consumers about such mobile application scams.
Be wary of clickable hyperlinks that redirects you to a site, or downloads an application to your phone. Banks will no longer send you any clickable hyperlinks via SMS!
Only download applications from your smartphone’s official application platforms (e.g. Google Play Store, [Apple] App Store, Huawei App Gallery).
Fact #7 : PDRM Confirmed This Is A Scam
On Monday, 19 June 2023, PDRM Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) Director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf warned the public about this wedding invitation scam:
This new tactic asks for an individual to open the link prepared to receive the wedding invitation. However, that’s the trick to steal information from the public and to make online transfer. The public are advised to avoid getting caught up in any message from questionable sources.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
WATCH OUT for scammers pretending to be Jomo Kwame Sundaram offering stock advice on Facebook!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Jomo Kwame Sundaram Stock Advice Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim that famed Malaysian economist, Jomo Kwame Sundaram, is created a WhatsApp group offering free stock investment advice!
I am Jomo Kwame Sundaram A prominent Malaysian economist. On June 14th, I said in the stock exchange group: There have been abnormal transactions in the Southeast Asian stock market in the past two days Indonesian stock market soars on the 15th, with huge volatility Now the local exchange has access to supervise the stock movement Next, Malaysia’s stock market will also experience abnormal fluctuations Please pay attention to: ADVCON, KPSCE, ICON, MBL these stocks Related stock abnormal information, I will continue to send in the group If you haven’t joined the stock exchange group Please join in time, I will share the stock information I have for free Master stock information and avoid losing money in the stock market
I am Jomo Kwame Sundaram A prominent Malaysian economist. This is my one and only page on Facebook As of May 2023, there will be an outflow of RM2.39 billion from the Malaysian stock market This is the result of a large amount of foreign funds manipulating the Malaysian stock market Since the collapse of the three largest U.S. banks in March, About $76 billion has been withdrawn from U.S. stocks into stock markets around the world If you do not grasp the stock inside information in time Investing in the stock market can make you lose money I created a stock exchange group Share the insider information about the stock market that I can grasp for free Hope these stock information can help you
Jomo Kwame Sundaram Stock Advice Scam : What You Need To Know!
These Jomo Kwame Sundaram stock investment scams are being promoted heavily on Facebook in 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Jomo Kwame Sundaram Reported These Fake Ads
These fake Jomo Kwame Sundaram stock advice advertisements have been promoted on Facebook for several months now. On April 15, 2023, Jomo himself posted about this scam:
*Warning Letter from Jomo Kwame Sundaram*
I regret to inform you that someone is impersonating me. They have established an official website in my name, with many old photographs and other material to give this impression.
I am presented as an education and investment consultant, neither of which is true. There is even a contact telephone number for my supposed assistant.
I have reported the impersonation to Facebook and MCMC with no indication of any action so far. This happened several years ago as well when there was an earlier effort of this type.
I have never given investment advice, and have no intention whatsoever of doing so. It is highly irresponsible for anyone to claim they know the future. Whatever I do on economic and other matters is free for the public, and I urge you not to pay money to anyone who claims to be advising you in my name.
As I have been giving lectures in Tsinghua University in the past week, when this problem began, I did not realize how quickly the problem was growing and failed to act more promptly.
Please warn your friends and loved ones.
Thank you for your cooperation.
jomo
Unfortunately, as many people have discovered, Meta / Facebook does not appear to care about these fake ads. You can report them till kingdom come, but they will just keep running on Facebook as long as these scammers pay for them!
Fact #2 : Jomo Kwame Sundaram Is A Renown Economist
Jomo Kwame Sundaram is a world-renown economist, who writes extensively on economic policies. However, as he explained above, he is not an investment consultant!
He has better things to do than to offer you free stock investment advice! In May 7, he just published an article called “Inflation phobia, myths and dogma exacerbate policy responses” in the Review of Keynesian Economics.
Fact #3 : One Victim Lost RM480K To Investment Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar investment scam, and lost almost RM480,000 (about US$104,000).
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Warning – both Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift and Bursa Malaysia are NOT giving out free stock investment advice or books!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Bursa Malaysia Stock Investment Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim that Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift and/or Bursa Malaysia are giving free investment advice, or free books on stock investing!
Hi everyone, I am Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift The Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia Bhd. Since 2023, the Malaysian stock market has been relatively sluggish🤕🤕🤕 This may be because many stock market investors do not understand stock market trading I have been blindly following the investment, resulting in a lot of losses I have also received many letters from investors recently: Ask if I have improved my trading skills? Here I recommend a few stock books to everyone! This can effectively improve your trading skills 💖💖💖 I also prepared 2,000 stock books for everyone📖📖📖 Free gift to Malaysian stock market investors, yes, it’s free! Please add my assistant’s wapp, she will mail you books for free👇👇👇
I am Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift The Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia Bhd. In the past 3 months, I have received many letters from stock market investors They mainly explained the following issues: 1. Want to learn stock market investment, but don’t know where to start? Including opening an account and understanding stock market information, etc.! 2. Veteran investors have certain technical experience, but cannot grasp real-time information, and often miss the best buying or selling points? 3. For retail investors, if you can’t find a team to keep warm, you will never get the first wave of stock market dividends! 4. Novice stockholders want to sign up to learn stock diagnosis techniques. There are so many analysts in Malaysia. I don’t know what to choose? 5. Many stockholders are locked up after entering the market. Do you know how to get out? 6. The global epidemic is over and the economy is recovering. How will the stock market go in the second half of this year? The above questions are the feedback from our Malaysian stock market investors. I will create a Malaysian stock market investor exchange group Answer questions about the stock market online for free in the next 3 days If you also encounter the above problems, please join my classroom study 👇👇👇
Bursa Malaysia Investment Scam : What You Need To Know!
These Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift and/or Bursa Malaysia free book / investment group scams are being promoted heavily on Facebook in 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Bursa Malaysia Reported These Ads As Fake
Bursa Malaysia is aware of these fake advertisements on Facebook, posting this scam alert on May 17, 2023:
[SCAM ALERT] Don’t be fooled by Facebook ads or pages that offer stock advice. Scammers are known to impersonate Bursa Malaysia representatives to lure you into their fake investment schemes. If you have come across ads or pages like this, be sure to report it to Bursa2U along with a screenshot and source link at bursa2u@bursamalaysia.com or call Bursa Malaysia’s Help Centre at +603-2732 0067. Remember to check the Securities Commission Investor Alert List at http://sc.com.my/investor-alert before investing. Contact the National Scam Response Centre hotline 997 if you have been a victim of scam.
[AMARAN SCAM] Jangan terpedaya dengan iklan atau halaman Facebook yang menawarkan nasihat saham. “Scammer” seringkali menyamar sebagai wakil Bursa Malaysia untuk memujuk anda ke dalam skim pelaburan palsu mereka. Jika anda menjumpai iklan atau halaman seperti ini, pastikan anda melaporkannya kepada Bursa2U berserta tangkapan skrin dan sumber pautan ke bursa2u@bursamalaysia.com atau hubungi Pusat Khidmat Bursa Malaysia di talian +603-2732 0067 . Semak Senarai Amaran Pelabur Suruhanjaya Sekuriti di http://sc.com.my/investor-alert sebelum melabur. Hubungi talian hotline Pusat Respons Scam Kebangsaan 997 jika anda menjadi mangsa penipuan.
#StayAlert #ScamAlert #TakNakScam #JanganKenaScam
Fact #2 : Bursa Malaysia Is Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. Bursa Malaysia is not only the stock exchange of Malaysia, it is also a public listed company, whose focus is to make money, not a charity to give you free books or advice!
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift is not only the CEO of Bursa Malaysia Berhad, he is also the director of its subsidiary companies. He certainly has more important (and profitable) things to do than to create a WhatsApp group to answer YOUR questions or advice YOU on what stocks to buy!
Fact #3 : Bursa Malaysia Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
Bursa Malaysia offers a multitude of contact options by snail mail, online forms on their Bursa2U portal, email or telephone.
What it does not have is a WhatsApp account. So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” using WhatsApp, or ask you to join the Bursa Malaysia WhatsApp group, be warned!
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift (fake) : I’m sorry because too many people have privately messaged me, please click to add administrator 👇whatsapp👇, send “PM” to join our company’s free communication group! https://wa.me/6019527xxxx
The real Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift, and Bursa Malaysia, will never ask you to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for investment advice, stock tips, or to buy and sell stocks, etc.
Fact #4 : One Victim Lost RM480K To Investment Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Find out how to disable the Debit Card feature of your Maybank ATM card, and why you should do that right away!
Maybank ATM Card Is Also Visa payWave Debit Card
Many Maybank customers may not know this, but your ATM card is not just an ATM card – it doubles as a Visa payWave debit card as well.
Since Maybank introduced its first combined ATM + Visa Debit card in March 2008, it has progressively migrated all existing ATM cards to the new combined card.
Today, all Maybank ATM cards are effectively Visa payWave debit cards, even though we may not have applied for the debit card or payWave functions.
Maybank ATM Card : Why You Should Disable Debit Card Feature!
Banks are promoting the use of debit cards, because they charge an interchange fee for every debit card transaction. That is why banks are “forcing” these combined ATM + debit card onto customers.
However, debit cards only offer minimal fraud protection (if at all), as payments are considered to be directly withdrawn from your bank account. That is why personal finance experts always recommend using a credit card, instead of a debit card.
Even worse, these debit cards often include contactless payment technologies like Visa payWave or Mastercard contactless. This allows anyone to directly withdraw money from your account without even requiring the PIN number!
Transaction
Amount
Required Action
Above RM250
Tap and use PIN to approve
RM250 and below
Just tap. No PIN required.
Now, to be clear, the debit card and payWave feature will only be enabled after you perform at least one (1) successful PIN transaction at any point-of-sales terminal. But once that is done – both debit card and payWave features will remain activated.
This is one of the many reasons why money-savvy people do not use debit cards at all. It’s not only much safer to use credit cards, they also help build your credit rating and some benefits like cash back rebates, points, etc. There literally isn’t any benefit to using debit cards.
Unfortunately, many banks aren’t giving you the option of opting out. You may not want one, but you may not have a choice. The Maybank ATM card, for example, is a Visa payWave debit card which you cannot opt-out of. You cannot ask for a pure ATM card, and neither will Maybank disable the debit card or payWave features. I know. I asked.
Maybank ATM Card : How To Disable Debit Card + payWave!
To be clear – there is no way to actually disable the debit card or payWave functionality of your Maybank ATM card. But you can effectively disable both features by setting the debit card purchase limit to zero.
In this guide, I will show you how to do that using your Maybank2U online account, or at the Maybank ATM.
Maybank2U Online Account
Step 1 : Log into your Maybank2U account
Step 2 : On the right corner of the Maybank2U screen, click on the Settings option.
Step 3 : Click on the Cards tab, and it should show you the Manage Debit Cards section by default.
As you can see, by default, the Maybank ATM-debit card has a purchase limit of RM1,000 per transaction.
Step 4 : Click on the Edit icon, and you will be able to change the Purchase Limit, from RM0 all the way to RM10,000.
Step 5 : Select RM0.00 from the drop-down list, and the click the SAVE button.
Step 6 : Look for this yellow banner at the bottom of the screen, and click the REQUEST button to request the 6-digit SMS TAC on your registered mobile number.
Step 7 : Once you receive the 6-digit SMS TAC, key it into the box, and click on the CONFIRM button.
If you keyed in the correct SMS TAC, you should see this notice telling you that your new purchase limit has been set.
Now that you have successfully reduced your Purchase Limit to RM0.00, it doesn’t matter that Maybank refuses to disable the debit card or payWave function. They both just won’t be able to transfer any money from your account!
Maybank2U Online Account
Step 1 : Insert your ATM card and key in your PIN number.
Step 2 : Select Other Transaction in the main menu.
Step 3 : Select the Change Limit / Language / Maybank One option.
Step 4 : Select the Purchase Limit option.
Step 5 : Select No Purchase to prevent the card from being used to make any purchases.
Alternatively, you can select Preferred Limit. Then you need to key in RM 0.00, and then select Yes to confirm that decision.
After you set No Purchase or a Preferred Limit of RM0.00, the debit card and payWave functionality of your Maybank ATM card is effectively disabled.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Please note – Jeffrey Cheah and the Sunway Group are not giving away free books on stock investing, to help new investors!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Sunway + Jeffrey Cheah Free Books Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim that Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah and/or the Sunway Group are giving away free books on stock investing, to help new investors!
Hello everyone, I am Jeffrey Cheah, Chairman and Founder of Sunway Group Since 2023, the Malaysian stock market has been relatively sluggish🤕🤕🤕 This may be because many stock market investors do not understand stock market trading I have been blindly following the investment, resulting in a lot of losses I have also received many letters from investors recently: Ask if I have improved my trading skills? Here I recommend a few stock books to everyone! This can effectively improve your trading skills 💖💖💖 I also prepared 2,000 stock books for everyone📖📖📖 Free gift to Malaysian stock market investors, yes, it’s free! Please add my assistant’s wapp, she will mail you books for free👇👇👇
Investors, we have an exciting surprise for you! 🎁🎁
Sunway Group is launching a thrilling event to make your investment journey even more exciting – Stock & Book Bonanza!
Whether you are a novice or an experienced investment guru, we believe that knowledge is the key to your success. Therefore, we have carefully selected a series of captivating best-selling books on stocks. These books will serve as your guide on your investment path and open wider doors to wealth for you!
Sunway Group has prepared 1000 stock book sets (1000 books) 📚📖📖
We are offering them as a free gift to our dedicated investors.
Please click on the session and add the assistant’s wapp to send your address.
We will ship the stock books to the address you provide free of charge.
Quantities are limited, so it’s first-come, first-served! Don’t wait until the last moment to regret missing this opportunity!
Sunway / Jeffrey Cheah Free Books Scam : What You Need To Know!
This Sunway / Jeffrey Cheah free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May and June 2023, so please alert your family and friend!
Fact #1 : Sunway Group Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
The Sunway Group is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert:
SCAM ALERT
Please be alert of several scams using fake Facebook accounts, bearing the names “Sunway Investment” and “Sunway Global Investment”, claiming to be affiliated with Sunway entities.
These Facebook accounts have NO association with Sunway Group nor that of our chairman.
We urge all to be cautious and to not fall victim to these scams, and report these fake accounts to Facebook immediately.
Fact #2 : Sunway Group Is A Business, Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. The Sunway Group (Sunway Berhad) is a public listed company, whose focus is to make money, not a charity to give you free books!
Fact #3 : Giveaways Were Not Posted In Official Website / FB Page
If the Sunway Group was really giving away free books, it would have posted the offer on:
Fact #4 : Sunway Group Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
The Sunway Group offers a multitude of contact options by online forms, email or telephone number. What it does not have is a WhatsApp account. So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” by messaging a WhatsApp number, be warned!
Please add my WhatsApp message, send me your mailing information, and I will mail you stock books for you for free! My WhatsApp: https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
The Sunway Group will also not ask you to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for investment advice, stock tips, or to buy and sell stocks, etc.
Fact #5 : Scammers Will Try To Scare You
Scammers will try to scare you into contacting them, by telling you that stock is running out. Just ignore them!
There are only 3 free places left, which have been reserved for you, please add and leave a message as soon as possible Whatsapp : https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
There are many friends who have claimed it, please tell us whether you have added it successfully! If you do not add or reply, it means that you will give up the quota by default and automatically transfer it to the next friend. Thank you for your understanding!
Fact #6 : One Victim Lost RM480K To A Free Book Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Find out how fake job syndicates operate, and how they reel you into their scams, and cheat YOU of your hard-earned money!
Make sure you SHARE this article, to warn your family and friends to avoid the fake job scams!
Fake Job Scams : What Are They?
Fake job scams have been around for a long, long time. But fake job syndicates have become more active recently, probably because more people are getting laid off, and inflation is eating into our money.
Fake job scams come in a variety of ways, but most commonly, you get unsolicited messages through WhatsApp or iMessage, offering you the opportunity to make a lot of money through part-time work, in the comfort of your own home.
Good day YouTubers!! This is Alexa from Youtube Entertainment. We invite you to participate in our event by liking and subscribing to our channel and we will give you XXX. Please reply “YES” if you are interested. Thank you.
Hi, I’m the recruitment manager of XYZ company. XYZ invites you to do regular work at home.
You can easily earn [large amounts of money] with your mobile phone every day, and your salary will be settled on the same day.
Please add my WhatsApp to sign up. The number of places is limited, only for today.
Hey! You have been selected for a job. Daily salary XXXX to YYYYY. WhatsApp [number removed]. Reply YES to apply.
I personally have received many of such fake job offers, and have always ignored them. But when I saw a sudden surge of fake job offers, I decided to look into it. I also wanted to find out how they worked.
So I took a dive into two different fake job scams last week, and here was what I found…
How They Reel Their Victims In
It all starts with scammers tasked with “fishing” for victims. They will try to contact you by email, Facebook Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage. Regardless of the method, the hook is simple – we are offering you an EASY way to make A LOT of money!
Once you are suitably impressed, these “fishing” scammers will offer you a simple task to show you just how easy it is to make a lot of money. To entice me, the two scammers offered me a pretty good sum of money for a very simple task:
Syndicate A : Subscribe to this YouTube channel, and send me the screenshot to receive XXXX.
Syndicate B : Like this YouTube video, and send me the screenshot to receive YYYY.
The Fishing Scammer Hands You Over To The Syndicate
After you complete that task, the fishing scammer then hands you off to the actual fake job syndicate, ostensibly for payment. You are asked to contact the company secretary / account manager on Telegram, with a “payment code”.
From what I surmise, the “payment code” is actually the fishing scammer’s referral code – they get paid for every victim they send the syndicate.
This will be your last contact with these fishing scammers. They are off to reel in more victims!
The syndicate secretary / account manager will ask you to register your details with them, but they are not too particular with any details, except for your phone number. If you give them the fake number, they will know because they will check with the fishing scammer using their referral code. But feel free to give them other fake details – they won’t care.
The fake job syndicate will then send you the payment for that “test” job, using a mule account. If you ask them why they are sending you the money through a different company account or even a random person’s account, they will tell you that they have many bank accounts because of daily transaction limits.
Syndicate Baits You With Simple Tasks
The syndicate will then add you to their Telegram channel offering multiple tasks per day. Instead of YouTube channels or videos, you are tasked to very simple tasks like:
open a link to a product page on an online shopping platform
take a screenshot of that product page
post that screenshot to the Telegram group
share that screenshot with your syndicate agent
You will breeze through the first three tasks easily, and the fake job syndicate will pay you promptly.
Fantastic, isn’t it? What could go wrong? After all, there are hundreds of other people participating in the same tasks, and getting paid!
At this point, you have done some calculations, and realise that you can easily make good money every day doing these simple tasks.
That’s when the fake job syndicate offers you the opportunity to make some serious cash. But there’s one catch – you need to PAY them to get access to jobs with serious money.
For every dollar you prepay, the fake job syndicate promises that you will get that back PLUS 10% to 30%, within minutes. Just in case you are worried about losing your money, hey, they are offering a refund. Honest!
And how can they offer you so much money for so little work? The syndicate throws in the magic word – cryptocurrency! Of course! That’s the only way anyone can make tons of money easily, with both eyes closed!
To convince you that they are legit, you will see many people posting screenshots of their payments to the Telegram group. They will also publicly announce how much they are investing. In some cases, they also post excitedly about how much money they already made, and how much they plan to make today.
This is just a charade to make you believe that people are really making money through this scheme. Most of these “participants” appear to be bot accounts, with a few sock puppet accounts. If you monitor these accounts over time, you will see them change names. I even spotted one of these fake participants (mercado livre in the screenshot above) become the Telegram group admin!
The genuine victims are those asking questions in the group like “We have to prepay?” But oddly enough, no one else in the group (except the Telegram group admin) will respond. That’s not how real people behave.
And if you check their receipts, you will notice some discrepancies in their receipts, which suggest that they were edited:
transfers within the same bank were labelled as transfers “to other banks”.
account numbers are too short / long for that particular bank
The others are possibly genuine receipts (by people who were scammed earlier), with their dates and times changed.
I managed to get in touch with two victims of this scam, who claimed that once they deposited the prepaid amount, they were ghosted and removed from the Telegram group.
So that appears to be the scam – they bait you with a bit of money, until you are convinced that they are real. Then once you prepay them for the “big job”, they dump you right away.
Your assigned syndicate agent will block you, and you will get kicked off the Telegram group, which often disappears after scamming a few victims. Often, you will find your Telegram conversations with them mysteriously deleted. By then, it’s much too late – you have already lost your money.
To ensure they don’t lose money, they will price the introductory offer low enough to entice victims, but high enough to cover their costs and then some. But they will inevitably score some big fish, which is why the fake job scam persists.
Now that you know how the fake job scam works, please DO NOT get trapped into it! NEVER pay to get a job. It is just a scam!
Please SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Was Mr Burns from The Simpsons inspired by billionaire British baron banker, Jacob Rothschild?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Mr Burns Was Inspired By Jacob Rothschild!
People are sharing a photo comparison the claims to prove that Mr Burns from The Simpsons was inspired by Jacob Rothschild, who has a net worth of 500 trillion and is the most powerful man in the world!
The Most Powerful Man In The World!
Mr Burns from The Simpsons is based off Jacob Rothschild
network 500 trillion
Owners every central bank in the world
Financed both sides of every war since Napoleon
Truth : Mr Burns Was Not Inspired By Jacob Rothschild!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by conspiracy theorists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : That Is Not A Photo Of Jacob Rothschild
Let me start by simply pointing out that viral photo is not a photo of Jacob Rothschild.
The source for this photo appears to be a 2014 Imgur post, which claims that the man is a French teacher in an elementary school.
My wife has always claimed her elementary school French teacher looked exactly like Mr. Burns. She wasn’t wrong.
This appears to be corroborated by people in the comments, which further suggest that his name is Mr. Buchilli or Mr. Buchili, possibly from the York Street Public School in Ottawa, Canada.
UrbanGentleman : LOL Mr.Buchili [dont remember how to spell his name] – as funny as this is, he was actually a great french teacher.
nanchang : Do you remember what his full name was and what school he taught at? My aunt thinks that he was her French teacher too haha
Bitchmasterz : Oh snap just found my 8th grade French teacher Mr.Roy @ York St. School 1983.
nadur82 : Mr.buchilli !!!!!!!
Fact #2 : Mr Burns Was Not Based On Jacob Rothschild
The Mr Burns character, appearance and mannerisms were NOT based on Jacob Rothschild. They were based on several different people, and none of them are Jacob Rothschild.
Matt Groening based the Mr Burns character mostly on his high school teacher, Mr. Bailey, as well as oil tycoon, John D. Rockefeller and his grandson, David Rockefeller.
But when it comes to appearance, animator David Silverman modelled Mr Burns after Fox founder, Barry Diller, with a body of “a praying mantis”.
In no way was Mr Burns based on Jacob Rothschild’s character, appearance or mannerism.
Fact #3 : Jacob Rothschild Does Not Have 500 Trillion Dollars
The 4th Baron Rothschild, Jacob Rothschild is a very wealthy man, but he is far from being the richest man in the world.
As of 2023, Jacob Rothschild’s net worth is estimated to be over $44 billion dollars. That is a lot of money, but far from the top billionaires which all have over 100 billion dollars.
Needless to say, neither Jacob Rothschild nor the world’s richest people, have a trillion dollars, never mind 500 trillion dollars!
Fact #4 : There Is Less Than 22 Trillion Dollars In The World
It is impossible for any person, or even country, to have 500 trillion dollars, because there is less than 22 trillion dollars in the world today!
The US Federal Reserve estimates that, as of January 2023, there is anywhere from $2.3 trillion to $21.27 trillion, depending on how you define “money”:
M0: Referred to as the monetary base, M0 includes all the money in circulation, including money banks hold in reserve. According to the Federal Reserve, there was about $2.3 trillion in circulation as of January 2023.
M1: It includes all the M0 money supply, adding the money held in travelers’ checks, demand deposits, other types of checkable deposits and negotiable orders of withdrawal. As of January 2023, the seasonally adjusted stock of M1 totaled $19.64 trillion.
M2: It includes all of the currency from the M1 money supply, and expands to include mutual funds, smaller time deposits, money market securities and other types of time deposits. M2 currencies are usually less liquid than M1, meaning you can’t convert M2 money into cash as easily. The total stock of M2 was $21.27 trillion in January.
Fact #5 : Napoleon Died 115 Years Before Jacob Rothschild Was Born
Jacob Rothschild was born Nathaniel Charles Jacob Rothschild on 29 April 1936 – almost 115 years before Napoleon died on 5 May 1821.
Unless Jacob Rothschild has a time machine, it is simply impossible for him to have financed any war since Napoleon’s death.
Fact #6 : Central Banks Are Generally Owned By The State
With the exception of the United States Federal Reserve, and the European Central Bank, all other central banks are owned by the state – the countries which created them.
The US Federal Reserve has 12 regional banks, with stock owned by member banks. However, it is governed by a board appointed by the President of the United States, and confirmed by the US Senate.
The European Central Bank, on the other hand, are owned by the central banks of all countries in the European Union, which are each owned by their respective countries.
Neither Jacob Rothschild, nor the Rothschild family, own any central bank.
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is the Kenanga Investment Bank giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate its 50th anniversary?!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Watch Out For Kenanga Free Books Scam!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim Kenanga Investment Bank is giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate its 50th anniversary!
good news 🎉 good news 🎉 good news 🎉
Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad,
Now it is the largest independent investment bank in Malaysia Established in 1973, it is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary 🎉🎉🎉
Kenanga Group will give away 2,000 stock books for free If you are interested in the stock book, you can get it for free Please click on the messenger to get the book for free 📖📖📖
The number of books is limited, and the activity will stop after the gift is completed 👇👇👇
Hi everyone, this is Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad
Now it is the largest independent investment bank in Malaysia
Established in 1973, it is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary 🎉🎉🎉
During these 50 years, we have helped countless stock investors make profits in the stock market
In order to thank investors for their support all the way, 💝💝💝🎊🎊🎊
We will give out the first gift for stock market investors 🎁🎁🎁
Kenang Group has prepared 5000 stock books (1000 sets) 📚📖📖
Free gift to investors who support Kenang Group all the way
Please click on the session, add the assistant’s wapp, and register the mailing address
We will mail the book to your registered address for free
The number of stock books is limited, while supplies last 💝💝💝
This Kenanga free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Kenanga Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
Kenanga is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert on May 12, 2023:
Once again we would like to remind our clients and the public to be careful of scammers impersonating our brand to provide fraudulent product and services.
We are not offering any free books/e-books or make anyone join a WhatsApp group.
If you received any of this communication recently, stop responding and report the page/numbers immediately.
If you have been scammed, contact the National Scam Response Centre hotline 997.
Fact #2 : Kenanga Is A Business, Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. Kenanga is an investment bank – a business, not a charity. Just because it is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, does not mean it’s giving anything away.
Even if it wanted to celebrate its anniversary by giving away books, it would be giving them to clients, not to the public!
Kenanga is a public-listed company, whose focus is to make money, not a charity to give you free books!
These scams are being run off fake Facebook pages that are brand new, and have nothing to do with the real Kenanga.
Fact #4 : Kenanga Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
Kenanga offers a multitude of contact options by online forms, email or telephone number. What it does not have is a WhatsApp account. So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” by messaging a WhatsApp number, be warned!
Please add my WhatsApp message, send me your mailing information, and I will mail you stock books for you for free! My WhatsApp: https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
Fact #5 : Kenanga Will Not Ask You To Join WhatsApp Groups
Just to be clear, Kenanga states that it will never ask anyone to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for investment advice, stock tips, or to buy and sell stocks, etc.
Scammers will try to scare you into contacting them, by telling you that stock is running out. Just ignore them!
There are only 3 free places left, which have been reserved for you, please add and leave a message as soon as possible Whatsapp : https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
There are many friends who have claimed it, please tell us whether you have added it successfully! If you do not add or reply, it means that you will give up the quota by default and automatically transfer it to the next friend. Thank you for your understanding!
Fact #7 : One Victim Lost RM480K To A Free Book Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Many Facebook users are getting hit by the Facebook Ads and Facebook Pay scams! Here is how you can prevent it from happening to you!
Facebook Ads + Pay Scam Hits Many Bank Customers!
Many bank customers are complaining that they are being charged for fraudulent Facebook Ads advertisement campaigns!
They discovered that their debit cards were charged for Facebook advertisements that they never approved. Some have also stated that their credit or debit cards were used to purchase goods and services using Facebook Pay.
Stephanie Wong : I found out the money deducted from my bank acc through multiple continuous transactions yesterday, then I called Maybank customer service immediately. They helped me to cancel the card but then the thing happened again this morning.
@ruffleseed : I heard tens of millions of Ringgit were reported misappropriated through @facebook on multiple bank over the past few weeks.
Delete your phone number from Facebook now and do not let @messengerhandle your SMS. @MyMaybankhas yet to answer us re: this intrusion.
@ItsNeoah : Banyak kali kena kat credit card ambank. Alhamdulilah call ambank dia mintak isi dispute form then tgok next cycle bil dah takde. Letih ngan scammer ni.
Translation : [My] Ambank credit card got hit many times. Alhamdulillah, after calling Ambank, they asked me to fill out a dispute form, then when I checked the next bill cycle [the charges] was removed. Tired of this scammer.
Here are some ways to prevent getting hit by the Facebook Ads scam, whether you are a bank customer in Malaysia or other countries.
Do NOT Use Debit Cards
First, you should NEVER use a debit card if you can help it. You should certainly not use a debit card online, or register it on any online or mobile payment platform, whether it’s for Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Facebook Pay.
It doesn’t matter if Bill Gates or Elon Musk or BTS endorses debit cards. DO NOT USE DEBIT CARDS!
You should certainly never use your debit card to fund Facebook advertisements. Always use a credit card, which offers you some protection against such fraudulent transactions.
Disable Your ATM Card’s Debit Card Function
Even if you have never requested for a debit card, you likely already own one – your ATM card likely doubles as a debit card! Banks have been forcing customers to take on debit cards, often by making ATM cards double as debit cards.
If possible, ask your bank to disable debit card function in your ATM card. But it is likely that they will refuse to do so – they make money from debit card transactions after all!
If your bank refuses to disable the debit card function in your ATM card, you can ask them to set the limit to ZERO. That will effectively block scammers from accessing your bank account!
Monitor Your Credit Card Transactions
Using a credit card to purchase products and services on online and mobile payment platforms offers you some protection against fraud, but you must always monitor the transactions and report any fraudulent transactions right away.
Depending on the country and card network, you usually have about 60 days to dispute credit card charges. So don’t wait. Report them as soon as you spot them! This will reduce the loss and reports you make, and speeds up the refund process.
If you register your credit cards for use with Facebook Ads or Facebook Pay, try to REMOVE them as soon as you are done.
Do NOT leave them registered to your Facebook Ads or Facebook Pay account, as a scammer or hacker who gains access to your Facebook account can make fraudulent purchases or run fraudulent advertisements using those credit cards without additional verification.
But if you have never registered your credit or debit cards with Facebook, or removed them after using, even if scammers hacked into your Facebook account or gained access through phishing attacks, they won’t be able to use your credit or debit cards!
Enable PIN For Facebook Pay
If you are using Facebook Pay, a scammer who gains access to your Facebook account could potentially use the debit or credit cards you registered earlier to make fraudulent transactions.
To prevent that, you should enable PIN confirmation for Facebook Pay:
Go to Settings in the Facebook website (not app).
Go to Account Settings, and select Orders and payments.
In the Orders and payments page, select Settings.
In the Security section, select Require PIN Confirmation.
You will be asked to enter a 4-digit number as your PIN.
Key in the 4-digit number again to confirm your PIN.
After that, you will be required to key in the 4-digit PIN whenever you make a payment, or change your bank account details, or connect your payment info with other Meta apps.
Once you’ve turned on two-factor authentication, you can get 10 recovery login codes to use when you’re unable to use your phone.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
If you are one of the many Maybank (MBB) customers who got hit by the Facebook Ads scam, here is how you can recover your money!
Facebook Ads Scam Hits Many Maybank Customers!
Many Maybank customers are complaining that they are being charged for fraudulent Facebook Ads advertisement campaigns!
They discovered that their debit cards were charged for Facebook advertisements that they never approved.
Stephanie Wong : I think i am a very cautious person as I did not link my card to any platform or make purchase through any unsafe website at ALL, but it still happens to me.
I found out the money deducted from my bank acc through multiple continuous transactions yesterday, then I called Maybank customer service immediately.
They helped me to cancel the card but then the thing happened again this morning.
@ruffleseed : I heard tens of millions of Ringgit were reported misappropriated through @facebook on multiple bank over the past few weeks.
Delete your phone number from Facebook now and do not let @messengerhandle your SMS.
@MyMaybankhas yet to answer us re: this intrusion.
Generally, you should NEVER use a debit card because it does not offer the protection a credit card does – money is withdrawn directly from your bank account, and the bank is not legally obliged to refund any money lost through scams.
However, Hafizah Ayko who was once a victim shared her experience on how she managed to recover money, even though the scammers used her debit card to run those fake Facebook advertisements.
To help you recover any money you may have lost to Facebook Ads scammers, I translated and “improved” her instructions for you:
Disable Your Debit / Credit Card
First, you need to quickly disable your debit or credit card. You can call up the bank, or in Maybank’s case:
Step 1 : Log into your Maybank2U account.
Step 2 : Go to Cards, and select Manage My Debit Card.
Step 4 : Select Block Debit Card. You will need to get a replacement card from any Maybank branch later.
If you feel that the above steps are too complicated, an alternative method would be to immediately transfer your money to another bank account, if you have one.
But please DO NOT transfer your money to another person’s account. Only transfer your money to another bank account that you own.
NEVER EVER transfer your money to a third party, especially they claim to be police officers or bank officers trying to help you. That is a scam!
Police departments and banks do NOT have special bank accounts to hold and protect your money during scams. And legitimate police and bank officers are NOT authorised to receive money, and will NEVER ask you to transfer money to their bank accounts.
Next, you need to immediately disable all advertisements that the scammer has set up using your Facebook account. The longer they continue to run, the more you are being charged for them!
Step 1 : Go to your Facebook account, and select See all.
Step 2 : Select Ads Manager.
Step 3 : You should see a bunch of fraudulent advertisements running. Turn all of them off.
You should also report the fraudulent transactions to your bank and request for a refund. This works for credit cards, but you should nevertheless give it a try even if the scammers hit your debit card.
Step 2 : Print or directly fill in the information into the PDF form.
Step 3 : Email the form to disputemgmt@maybank.com.my, together with any relevant screenshots, within 20 days from the closing date of the billing period.
Again, banks are not obliged to refund fraudulent charges to debit cards, as the money is withdrawn directly from your bank account. But there is no harm trying.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Many Maybank (MBB) customers are getting hit by the Facebook Ads scam!
Find out what’s going on, and what you can do to avoid this Facebook Ads scam!
Facebook Ads Scam Hits Many Maybank Customers!
Many Maybank customers are complaining that they are being charged for fraudulent Facebook Ads advertisement campaigns!
They discovered that their debit cards were charged for Facebook advertisements that they never approved.
Stephanie Wong : I think i am a very cautious person as I did not link my card to any platform or make purchase through any unsafe website at ALL, but it still happens to me.
I found out the money deducted from my bank acc through multiple continuous transactions yesterday, then I called Maybank customer service immediately.
They helped me to cancel the card but then the thing happened again this morning.
@ruffleseed : I heard tens of millions of Ringgit were reported misappropriated through @facebook on multiple bank over the past few weeks.
Delete your phone number from Facebook now and do not let @messengerhandle your SMS.
@MyMaybankhas yet to answer us re: this intrusion.
Danish Ihsan : Aku dah kena jugak, satu hari 2 transaction.. nasib sedaq awai, habis rm800.. kalau tak lagi banyak.. maybank dah tak selamat, tadi kat bank pun ada akak kena jugak transfer to others acc beribu2 jugak lah,. Solusi, jangan guna maybank buat masa sekarang..
Translation : I got with with 2 transactions in one day.. luckily, I realised early, but lost rm800.. if not it would have been more.. maybank is not safe, just now at the bank a lady transferred thousands [of ringgit] to other people’s account. Solution, don’t use Maybank for now..
Analysis : Facebook Ads Scam May Not Be Related To Maybank
Many of those customers are angry with Maybank over these fraudulent charges to their debit cards, which meant the money was directly withdrawn from their bank accounts.
However, on closer analysis, the scammers may not necessarily be taking advantage of leaked Maybank debit card information, or hacked Maybank itself…
Fact #1 : Other Bank Customers Are Affected Too
While most recent Facebook Ads scam cases appear to be affecting Maybank customers, other bank customers are reporting that they took were charged for those fraudulent advertisements.
@eeshepeeka : nohh laki cek pun kena last week tp kat CIMB. ada few transaction for 2 days nasib dia tolak sikit2. sekali deduct RM12+ sehari 3x ja. deduction description pun sama sebiji cam dlm gambaq tu. haiyaa
Translation : Well, my husband also got [scammed] last week but at CIMB. there were a few transactions for 2 days, but luckily [the scammer] deducted only small amounts. each time deducting RM12+ a day for 3 times. The deduction description is the same as the one in the picture. haiyaa
@ItsNeoah : Banyak kali kena kat credit card ambank. Alhamdulilah call ambank dia mintak isi dispute form then tgok next cycle bil dah takde. Letih ngan scammer ni.
Translation : [My] Ambank credit card got hit many times. Alhamdulillah, after calling Ambank, they asked me to fill out a dispute form, then when I checked the next bill cycle [the charges] was removed. Tired of this scammer.
Fact #2 : Most Of Them Ran Facebook Ads In The Past
In addition to analysing their stories, I also spoke to someone who knows several Maybank customers who got hit by the scam. From what I can ascertain, most of them ran Facebook Ads in the past.
Stephanie Wong : 3.) Did not run any ads recently, but few years ago
@wnn_tasha : I last pakai FB ad guna akaun ni tahun 2018. Silap tak remove payment method tu.
Translation : I last used FB ad using this account in 2018. My mistake for not removing the payment method.
They said that they paid for Facebook page a few years ago to boost their audience.
That said, at least two Maybank customers said that they have never registered any debit or credit card with Facebook:
Fahim Fahmi : Tak pernah ada link kad dengan FB atau social media yang lain
Translation : [I] never linked [any] card with FB or other social media
@ruffleseed : I have never set up payment methods on Facebook nor have I ever used Facebook ads.
Fact #3 : Scammer Likely Got Access To Those Facebook Accounts
What is interesting is that most of those who were affected by this Facebook Ads scam reported that their Facebook accounts were used to create and run those ads.
If their debit or credit cards were merely stolen, the scammers could have created a new Facebook account to use those stolen cards to run Facebook ads.
Fortunately, one of the victims “caught” the scammer logging into her account from the United States. This clearly shows that the Facebook Ads scam requires the scammer to gain access to their Facebook accounts.
It is likely that the scammers gained access to their victims’ Facebook accounts using phishing attacks, and simply used the debit or credit cards that those victims earlier registered with Facebook to run advertisements in the past.
Fact #4 : Facebook Auto-Fill Is Not The Problem
After these cases went viral, people blamed the Auto-Fill feature in Facebook, and shared videos and photos on how to disable it.
The truth is – this Facebook Ads scam very likely has nothing to do with Auto-Fill, which is a feature used in many other services and platforms.
Auto-Fill only makes it easier to fill in your debit or credit card details. It does not bypass any verification that is required to make a payment.
Now, this is important – you need to move fast to cut your losses, and recover the money. You can also improve your Facebook account security to prevent it from happening again.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Truth : Facebook Auto-Fill Does Not Open You To Scams
There appears to be a spate of scams involving Facebook Ads and Maybank users, but it does not appear to be related to the Facebook Auto-Fill feature, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Facebook Introduced Auto-Fill In 2013
Facebook started introducing Auto-Fill sometime in September 2013, and gradually rolled it out globally over the years, so this is not a new feature.
Fact #2 : Many App Use Auto-Fill
Facebook isn’t the only app or platform to use Auto-Fill. Many services and platforms use Auto-Fill to make it easier to fill up forms and make payments.
The Auto-Fill feature is used in most, if not all, e-commerce / online shopping / online payment platforms, to expedite payments. The idea is that if they make it easier it is for you to pay, you will tend to buy more!
Many apps and services also use Auto-Fill to help you fill onerous forms with common details like your full name, email address, address and telephone number.
Fact #3 : Facebook Does Not Automatically Have Your Details
Facebook enables Auto-Fill by default for forms and payment, but that does not mean it has access to your debit or credit cards, or even your personal details. You need to manually key in your Contact Info and/or Payment Info for Facebook Auto-Fill to work.
If you have never given Facebook your credit card details, there is no way for its Auto-Fill to automatically fill in the credit card details for any transaction. Even if a scammer gains access to your Facebook account, he/she cannot use Auto-Fill because you never keyed in your debit or credit card details in the first place!
I did a quick check on two cases involving Maybank that came up recently (first example) (second example), and noticed that both parties who reported that they got fraudulently charged for Facebook Ads never registered their credit card with Facebook at all!
So whatever may be going on, it does not appear to be a Facebook Auto-Fill issue. But just in case you are worried, here are the latest steps on how to disable Auto-Fill on the Facebook mobile app.
Tap on your icon at the upper right corner of the Facebook app to access the Menu.
Scroll down the Menu until you see the Settings & privacy group.
Tap on Settings.
Scroll down the Settings & privacy page, and tap on Browser.
Scroll down the Browser settings page to the Auto-fill section.
You can tap on the Contact info and Payment info to check what information you shared with Facebook.
To disable Auto-fill for contact information, unselect Auto-fill contact forms.
To disable Auto-fill for payment, unselect Auto-fill payment forms.
Even if you registered your credit card details with Facebook, and then use Auto-Fill to make a purchase, you will still need to authenticate that purchase.
Of course, it is possible to conduct a SIM swap attack, but that’s a different story altogether…
Fact #5 : Existing Facebook Ads Account Is A Risk
Those who have earlier registered a Facebook Ads account and ran advertisements may be at risk, because their credit cards would already be linked to their Facebook Ads account.
A scammer who gains access to their account (usually through phishing attacks) can easily create and run advertisements using their existing Facebook Ads account using the credit cards that have already been registered and approved earlier.
To minimise your risk, never ever use a debit card! Always use a CREDIT CARD, and always keep an eye on the transactions. Report to the bank once you see a fraudulent transaction.
But this has nothing to do with the Facebook Auto-Fill feature, and is not a concern if you never pre-approved your debit or credit cards with a Facebook Ads account.
Fact #5 : Existing Facebook Pay Account Is A Risk
Similarly, if you are using Facebook Pay, a scammer who gains access to your Facebook account could potentially use the debit or credit cards you registered earlier to make fraudulent transactions.
Again, you should NEVER use a debit card with Facebook Pay. Use a credit card, and always keep an eye on the transactions, and report to the bank once you see something fishy.
On top of that, you should enable PIN confirmation for Facebook Pay:
Go to Settings in the Facebook website (not app).
Go to Account Settings, and select Orders and payments.
In the Orders and payments page, select Settings.
In the Security section, select Require PIN Confirmation.
You will be asked to enter a 4-digit number as your PIN.
Key in the 4-digit number again to confirm your PIN.
After that, you will be required to key in the 4-digit PIN whenever you make a payment, or change your bank account details, or connect your payment info with other Meta apps.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
In this article, we will show you many types of TNG eWallet SMS phasing scam, so you can avoid them!
Watch Out For TNG eWallet SMS Phishing Scam!
People are getting these SMS messages that appear to be from TNG eWallet, but are really just phishing scams!
RMO TNG eWallet: Bantuan e-dompet kepada golongan B40&M40 RM1000 akan dikreditkan ke dalam TNG eWallet anda. Kemaskini maklumat dan semakan status di www.tngewalletbantuangov.com
RMO T’n GO Your account function has been closed. You need to confirm the device immediately. Follow my.tngwallc.com
RMO TNG Wallet: Permohonan GOpinjam anda telah diluluskan, RM3000 telah kredit ke TNG Wallet anda. Sila semak baki dan tuntutan anda di http://logtouchngo.cc
RMO GOV: Terima kasih atas sokongan anda dari kerajaan BN.Bantuan e-dompet kepada rakyatMalaysia berjumlah RM500 telah kredit ke TNG Wallet anda. Sila sahkan identiti dan semak baki anda di https://touchngoemy.top/
How TNG eWallet SMS Phishing Scam Works!
The many examples of the TNG eWallet phishing scam employ SMS spoofing technology to send you SMS messages that appear to be from the TNG eWallet team.
What most people don’t know is that – the TNG eWallet team will never send you any SMS messages to :
offer you money from government or other agencies
inform you that money has been credited to your eWallet
ask you to log into your eWallet account using a link
ask you to update your account information using a link
The TNG eWallet team warned users against clicking on any links sent by SMS, even if they appear to be genuine. Genuine TNG eWallet SMS messages will never have a link attached.
These links do not lead to the real TNG eWallet website (https://www.touchngo.com.my/), but use similar-looking fake domains, like:
If you see such domains, you should be alert that you are being targeted by a phishing scam. NEVER CLICK ON A LINK in any TNG eWallet SMS.
If you click on any of these links, you will be taken to a page that looks like a genuine TNG eWallet login page, but is really a phishing scam page.
If you key in your login details, as well as your phone number and One-Time Password (OTP), the scammers will have full access to your eWallet, and can freely transfer out your eWallet balance.
As many of us link our credit cards to the TNG eWallet, the scammers can also reload your eWallet using those credit cards, and transfer the money out.
So make sure you IGNORE any SMS message that asks you to click on a link, even if it appears to be from TNG eWallet.
Please help to fight financial scams, by SHARING this article with your family and friends!
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The CFTC just alleged that Sam Bankman-Fried (better known as SBF) hid $8 billion of Alameda liabilities in a “Korean friend” account on the FTX crypto exchange!
SBF Allegedly Hid $8B Liabilities In Korean Friend Account!
In the spring of 2022, Alameda Research experienced a large number of margin and loan recalls following a major downturn in the crypto markets. To meet its external debt obligations, the trading firm “greatly increased” its usage of customer funds.
By the middle of 2022, Alameda’s total fiat liability with FTX was around $8 billion. That was when, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) alleged, Sam Bankman-Fried (better known as SBF) directed his executives to move approximately $8 billion of Alameda liabilities into an unknown customer account, which he would later refer to as “our Korean friend’s account” and/or “the weird Korean account”.
The CFTC added that even though this was a sub-account under Alameda, it was labelled as “FTX fiat old” and did not have the usual @alameda-research.com email account identifier. Instead, it was stored in an internal account in the FTX database as “fiat@ftx.com”
This allowed the liabilities in that account to be hidden on FTX ledgers. Yet, the “Korean friend” account had the same privileges as Alameda’s other accounts, including exemption from liquidation characteristics.
The “Korean friend” account had privileges to execute a transaction on FTX, even if it did not have the funds to do so. It was accomplished through a piece of code labeled as “allow negative flag”.
Separately, Bloomberg reported on December 14, that a GitHub account under the name Nishad Singh (FTX’s former engineering director), created or annotated code linked to that “Korean friend” account.
Looking back at what SBF said about Alameda, the signs were there that Alameda Research was likely losing money hand over fist.
Back in September 2022, SBF said that they should have shut down Alameda Research a year ago – before it was hit by the crypto winter.
I only started thinking about this today, and so haven’t vetted it much yet. But I think it might be time for Alameda Research to shut down.Honestly, it was probably time to do that a year ago.
By the time he made that comment, SBF probably knew that it would be a matter of time before his house of cards came falling down…
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
