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 friend!
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 not 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!
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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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 MPH giving away free books, because it has achieved 500,000 fans in Malaysia, or because its bookstores are closing down?!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Watch Out For MPH Free Books Scam!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim MPH is giving away free books because it has either achieved 500,000 fans, or is shutting down its bookstores!
📢📢 Sorry everyone, I have to say goodbye to everyone Due to the continuous decline in store performance, the store cannot continue to operate normally 👋👋So the head office decided to close the store and give away the remaining financial and stock books in the store to everyone for free. I hope everyone has to help! 📣📣Finally, thank you again for your long-term support and trust. The book donation activity is the only feedback activity we can do at present! limited quantity available. (free shipping available)
🎉To celebrate MPH Books breaking 500,000 fans in Malaysia, thank you for your support 👋MPH Books specially prepares best-selling books on financial planning and stocks to give to everyone for free. I hope everyone has to help! limited quantity available. (Free shipping)
I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I have to say goodbye to everyone! Bookstore can no longer operate as in-store sales continue to decline Therefore, the company decided to close the store and sell the remaining financial stock books in the store. Financial stock books are given to everyone for free. hope to everyone help! limited quantity available. (free shipping available) thanks always
This MPH free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May 2023, so please alert your family and friend!
Fact #1 : MPH Did Not Close Bookstores In 2023
MPH closed many of its physical stores since June 2020, as it shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns to an online store with a “digitally-driven omnichannel business model”.
MPH has not announced closing down any further bookstores in 2023.
Fact #2 : MPH Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
MPH is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert on May 9, 2023:
⚠️𝐅𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓!⚠️
Hey readers, we noticed that irresponsible parties have been impersonating the MPH brand by creating fake pages and ads to confuse and lure our customers to share their data.
Please note that MPH is not associated in any way with these pages and we DO NOT run any free book giveaways nor do we request customers to PM us your personal details.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our followers and customers for updating us about these pages. We sincerely thank YOU for your continuous support!
Please do NOT be naive. MPH is a business, not a charity. Just because it hits 500,000 fans in Malaysia, it’s not going to give away its books.
Heck, why should it give away books even if it’s closing down its bookstores? It would be more logical for MPH to offer discounts to clear its books, so it won’t lose so much money.
In fact, MPH itself pointed out in its scam warning – “we DO NOT run any free book giveaways“. Why should they? They are a corporation whose business is not make money, not a charity to give you free books!
Fact #4 : Giveaways Were Not Posted In Official Website / FB Page
If MPH was really giving away free books, it would have posted the offer on:
These scams are being run off fake Facebook pages that are brand new, and have nothing to do with the real MPH:
MPH Group Publishing
MPH Book
Fact #5 : MPH Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
MPH offers a multitude of contact options by 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 librarian Gek Tiang’s Whatsapp message ”Pm“ to get free stock books (free shipping) Whatsapp: https://xxxx.xx/601170131707
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/601170131707
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!
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.
Did the FBI just warn people to avoid using the restaurant menu QR code, because it can hack your phone?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : FBI Says Restaurant QR Code Can Hack Your Phone!
People are sharing a Daily Mail article, or screenshots of it, which claims that the FBI just warned people not to use any restaurant menu QR code because it can allow hackers to steal your data!
Here is an excerpt from the Daily Mail article. Feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Why you should ALWAYS ask for a physical menu: FBI warns hackers are planting fake QR CODES in restaurants that steal your data when you click the link
Scammers are making fake QR codes to place on top of real ones
This is letting them access smartphones and steal personal data
QR codes have become the new default for accessing restaurant menus across the US post-Covid — but scammers are seizing upon the new practice.
The FBI warns thieves are creating fake QR codes and planting them at eateries, retail shops and even parking meters.
Instead of taking you to an online menu or checkout, the links instantly download malware onto your device, stealing your location and personal information
The FBI has urged consumers to look out for typos or misplaced letters in URLs accessed through QR codes and ask restaurants for a physical menu.
Truth : FBI Did Not Say Restaurant QR Code Can Hack Your Phone!
This appears to be a “misunderstanding” of an actual FBI warning about QR codes. Here is what you need to know about the risks of scanning a QR code for a restaurant menu.
Fact #1 : FBI Issued QR Code Warning In January 2022
I could find no reference to a recent QR code warning by the FBI, and oddly enough, The Daily Mail did not provide a source or link to the FBI warning its article was referring to.
The FBI only released one public service announcement (PSA) about QR codes, and that was Alert Number 1-011822-PSA which was released on January 18, 2022.
If that was the source for the Daily Mail article, then it’s more than a year old, and not recent as the article appears to suggest.
Fact #2 : FBI Warned About General QR Code Risk
The FBI advisory was a general warning about the risks of tampered QR codes. Specifically, it warned about cybercriminals tampering with both digital and physical QR codes.
The FBI is issuing this announcement to raise awareness of malicious Quick Response (QR) codes. Cybercriminals are tampering with QR codes to redirect victims to malicious sites that steal login and financial information.
Cybercriminals tamper with both digital and physical QR codes to replace legitimate codes with malicious codes. A victim scans what they think to be a legitimate code but the tampered code directs victims to a malicious site…
Fact #3 : FBI Advisory Did Not Mention Restaurant / Menu
Interestingly, the entire FBI advisory did not once mention restaurants or menus, and that makes a lot of sense.
It is odd to focus on the risk of using QR codes for online menus in restaurants, when they are used in so many other ways today – from making mobile payments, as mobile tickets, login tokens, etc.
Any security risk involving restaurant menu QR codes would also apply to QR codes used for other purposes. So it really doesn’t make sense for the FBI to “pick on” restaurant menu QR codes.
QR code (which is short for Quick Response code) is not nefarious or malicious in nature. The FB advisory specifically pointed that out – “QR codes are not malicious in nature“.
The QR code is merely a type of two dimensional barcode that was invented in 1994 by the Japanese company, Denso Wave, to track automotive parts. It has since been adopted for other purposes because it is more efficient and can support more than just numbers. For example, Version 40 QR code can contain up to 7,089 numbers or 4,296 characters.
Ultimately, a QR code is nothing more than a series of numbers or characters – data which can be used for a variety of purposes, including providing a link to an online restaurant menu.
Fact #5 : QR Code Can Be Tampered With
It is true that QR codes can be tampered with. In fact, the FBI advisory was issued after Texas police departments discovered fraudulent QR code stickers on parking meters in San Antonio and Austin. Drivers who scanned those fake QR codes were taken to a scam website. instead of the real payment website.
Hence, the FBI issued that warning to remind people to check the URL link to make sure that it is the intended website, and not a phishing page with a similar link. For example, the fake website may use www.quikpay.com when the real website is www.quickpay.com.
To completely avoid this risk, avoid using QR code to access a payment website. Always go directly to the payment website on your smartphone’s web browser by keying in the link yourself. Genuine payment labels with a QR code will often include a direct URL link for you to use as a safer alternative.
While scammers can place fraudulent QR codes over genuine ones at restaurants, bars, and other eateries, this is a very unlikely attack vector.
That’s because restaurants often use QR codes to redirect you to an online system to order food and drinks for your table. Imagine if you scan a fraudulent QR code and are asked to key in your credit card details. That would be absurd, and you would surely complain to the waiter since you haven’t even ordered your food!
In most cases, you are not expected to pay at the table using QR code. You either pay using cash / credit card / mobile payment using QR code at the payment counter. Even if that QR code is compromised, the cashier would notice it immediately as any payment made using that QR code would not reflect in the restaurant’s point-of-sale (POS) system.
And payment only occurs after dining – a fraudulent QR code that leads you to a fake website won’t allow you to actually order anything, since it’s not connected to the real restaurant and its ordering system. That’s why this attack vector is highly improbable.
In any case, many restaurants now generate temporary QR codes on disposable paper stubs to avoid this risk. The QR code is only valid for your dining session. The next person to dine at the same table will receive a different QR code.
Fact #7 : QR Code Can Potentially Inject Malware
It is possible for QR code to inject malware into the smartphone that you are using to scan. In fact, there are apps like QRGen that allow scammers / hackers to easily generate malicious QR codes. However, it isn’t quite as simple as the article makes it out to be.
For one thing – malware and exploits are limited to specific operating systems or phone models. For example, an Android exploit / malware won’t work on iPhones. Or an exploit / malware that makes use of an Android 11 vulnerability won’t work on newer / updated Android smartphones since they would have patched the exploit.
Second – any malware will require considerable amounts of code to load. The scammer / hacker will have to use an enormous QR code like the version 40 example below, or it will need to convince you to download and install the malware package itself.
Genuine restaurant menu QR codes are simple – like the version 1 / version 10 examples above, because they only serve a link to their online menu / ordering system. If you see a large and complex QR code like the version 40 example, avoid scanning it, and ask the restaurant staff to verify its authenticity.
Restaurant menu QR codes would also never ask you to download or install anything. They only serve to load a link to an online menu / ordering system, so if you are asked to download or install anything, do NOT proceed, and notify the restaurant.
These tips also apply to other businesses that use QR codes to show you a menu, discounts, offers, information, etc.
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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.
Did 6 robbers just attack and stab a man at the Segambut KTM station in Kuala Lumpur?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-05-07 : Added PDRM’s statement, as well as my clarification on the actual robbery. Originally published @ 2023-05-06
Claim : Robbers Just Attacked Man At Segambut KTM Station!
People are sharing a video on WhatsApp, and social media, which claims to show a man get attacked and stabbed by 6 robbers at the Segambut KTM station.
Truth : That’s Not Video Of Robbers Attacking Man In Segambut!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Video Was Recorded In 2022
While people are claiming that it just happened, but that’s not true. This video was recorded at around 10:30 PM on Sunday, 20 February 2022.
This is visible in the original CCTV video. The viral version being shared now intentionally cuts that out, so you won’t know it’s more than a year old!
Fact #2 : The Viral Robbery Happened In Brazil
The claim that this violent incident happened at the Segambut KTM station is utter nonsense.
Anyone who has been to any MRT / LRT / KTM station in Malaysia would readily point out that none of them have turnstiles like what’s seen in the viral video.
The incident actually happened at the Boiúna BRT station in Taquara, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Fact #3 : Victim Was Topping Up His Travel Card
Some people on social media claimed that the man was being robbed after he withdrew money from the ATM machine. That’s not true.
The victim was topping up his travel card at the BRT station, when two robbers came up the ramp to snatch his backpack.
When he fought back, a third robber hiding nearby came to assist the first two robbers. Then three more robbers jumped over the turnstiles from inside the station, and two of them proceeded to stab the victim with knives.
All six men then ran off, as the man stumbled backwards over the turnstile into the station.
Some people on social media claimed that the victim died from the stabbings. That’s not true.
The man was injured during the robbery, but was taken to the Albert Schweitzer State Hospital in Realengo for treatment.
Fact #5 : Five Of The Robbers Were Arrested
Five of the robbers were detained by members of the public – two adult males aged 20 and 19, as well as three teenagers – two aged 17, and one aged 16.
Police officers later arrived to arrest the five robbers, and prevent the mob from lynching them. They also seized two knives that were used in the attack.
Fact #6 : Other People Were Robbed Too
This unfortunate man was not the only victim of this gang of. robbers that night. The BRT Operational Control Centre (CCO) raised the alarm when it spotted the gang robbing passengers.
BRT agents rushed to the scene, to find the victim who was just stabbed. Three of the victims later identified the five arrested robbers.
Fact #7 : PDRM Confirmed It’s Fake News
On Sunday, 7 May 2023, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) confirmed that the viral robbery video occurred in Brazil, not Segambut in Kuala Lumpur as alleged.
Sentul police chief Assistant Commissioner Beh Eng Lai said that the 41-second video clip titled “Segambut. Public transport at night” was in fact footage from an incident in Brazil last month.
Note : As I shared above, the robbery actually happened last year, not last month. This was confirmed by Brazilian news reports, as well as the timestamp of the actual CCTV video.
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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.
Did US meat inspectors find human meat in several McDonald’s factories across the United States?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Human Meat Found In McDonald’s Factories!
People are sharing a video which purportedly shows meat inspectors discovering human meat in McDonald’s factories across the United States. Here is a transcript of the video :
Oklahoma City – first, horse meat, then the mysterious “pink slime”. Now, human meat?
A shocking discovery has been made in an Oklahoma City McDonald’s meat factory and other McDonald’s meat factories nationwide.
Meat inspectors reportedly found, what appeared to be, human meat stored in the meat factory freezers of an Oklahoma City meat factory, and human meat already in trucks right outside the factory ready to be shipped to McDonald’s restaurants.
Health inspectors immediately demanded inspection in various McDonald’s meat factories across the country, and horrifyingly found human meat in about 90% of the factories inspected thus far.
The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has seized McDonald’s production and shipping, and will call for more meat factory inspections, and restaurant inspections.
The FBI is also investigating the factories. FBI agent Lloyd Harrison told Huzler reporters “The worst part is that it’s not only human meat, it’s child meat. The body parts that were found across the US factories were deemed too small to be adult body parts.”
The situation brings up many unanswered questions. How long have they been using human meat? Where did they get the children from? Were they already dead when brought into factories?
Investigators and inspectors are currently being deployed for intensive investigations all around the US. Here is another clip, when earlier McDonalds was caught!
Truth : No Human Meat Was Ever Found In McDonald’s Factories!
This is another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on social media and WhatsApp groups, and here are the reasons why….
Fact #1 : No Human Meat Was Ever Found In McDonald’s Factories
Let me be very clear – no human meat was ever found in McDonald’s factories or restaurants.
If this actually happened, it would have been worldwide news, and McDonald’s would have been shut down for good. Many McDonald’s executives and their suppliers would also face criminal charges.
Yet, there has been ZERO mention of this on any legitimate news website. There is also no mention of such an incredible find in any USDA or FBI press releases.
Needless to say, McDonald’s factories and restaurants continue to operate normally. That’s because this never happened. No human meat was ever found in McDonald’s factories or restaurants.
Fact #2 : Human Meat Patty Picture Was From Resident Evil 6 Promo!
The pictures of “human meat” used in the fake video was misappropriated from a Resident Evil 6 promo in London.
Back in September 2012, Capcom created a pop-up butchery called Wesker & Son (Wholesale Meats) in Smithfield Meat Market.
Once at the butchery, members of the public will be invited to sample and purchase a dizzying array of edible human limbs including hands, feet and a human head, which will be available to buy directly from the shop.
As well as these specially created products, gamers will be able to buy ‘Peppered Human & Lemon Sausages’ and ‘J’avo Caught Human Thigh Steaks’ along with some specially made pots of Red Herb and Green Herb.
All proceeds from the sale of the meat will be donated to the Limbless Association, which provides information and support to the limb-loss community.
Fact #3 : Story Was Created By A Fake News Website
This fake story created by a content aggregation (copy and paste) website called Huzlers, that also creates fake stories to go viral. This particular Huzlers article was written by Pablo Reyes Jr, and published on April 7, 2014 – more than 9 years ago!
To give their fake story a “veneer of satire”, they added a tagline below the writer’s name – “Believe half of what you see and nothing you read online“.
The truth is – they intentionally created the fake story to trigger you into sharing their article, so they can go viral and make money from the increased page views.
Fact #4 : McDonald’s Sells Billions Of Burgers Every Year
Let me just point out that McDonald’s sells over a billion pounds of meat every year, just in the United States. That means their suppliers have to slaughter thousands of cows every day to keep up with the demand.
Children are much smaller than cows. Those suppliers would need to slaughter tens of thousands of children a day to replace the cows. Does that really make sense to you?
The American continent would run out of children to slaughter within a year! And how does killing children for burgers make economic sense, never mind common sense?
Fact #5 : Pink Slime No Longer Used In McDonald’s Food
The fake story and video used a picture of pink slime, claiming that it was also used in McDonald’s foods.
That’s also false, because by the time the fake story was written (in 2014), McDonald’s stopped using “pink slime”, which is really Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB).
Q : Have you ever used so-called ‘pink slime’ in your burgers?
A : Yes, we used Lean Finely Textured Beef between 2004 and 2011. We do not use this today.
Despite its gross sounding name and look, LFTB is simply beef that has been separated from the fat in beef trimmings. LFTB technology recovers meat that would otherwise be wasted and thrown away.
Think of LFTB as low-fat beef paste. Regular ground beef consists of about 30% fat, while LFTB only has about 5% fat.
Fact #6 : Pink Slime Picture Not From McDonald’s Factory
The picture used in the fake story and video isn’t from a McDonald’s factory. However, it should be pointed out that LFTB looks like that – pink-coloured paste.
The pink colour comes from the ammonia hydroxide – an antimicrobial agent used to treat LFTB and prevent bacterial growth.
Fact #7 : Ammonia In LFTB Isn’t Toxic
Even though McDonald’s no longer uses “pink slime” in their burgers, I should point out that the amount of ammonia used in LFTB isn’t dangerous.
The amount of ammonia present in Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB) is actually comparable to ammonia levels present in existing foods :
Food
Ammonia Level
American Cheese
813 ppm
Unblended LFTB
400-500 ppm
Ketchup
411 ppm
Onions
342 ppm
Blended Beef Patty
with 15% LFTB
200 ppm
Ground Beef
101 ppm
Everything published by Huzlers should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
Please help us fight fake news websites like Huzlers – SHARE this fact check out, and SUPPORT our work!
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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.
Malaysian telcos have started banning SMS links, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams! Here is what you need to know!
Malaysian Telcos Ban SMS Links To Prevent Scams!
On Tuesday, 2 May 2023, four Malaysian telcos – Maxis, Celcom, Digital and U Mobile started banning SMS links, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams.
From this day onwards, users will be blocked from sending or receiving SMS with a link. MCMC had earlier issued the directive to all telcos on February 14, 2023, but the ban on SMS links is only now being implemented.
The ban on SMS links is currently not mandatory for all telcos, and is being implemented in phases. Currently, the ban is limited to SMS between individuals.
Businesses using short codes like 6XXXX, 2XXXX and 1XXXX will eventually be banned from including a URL link in their SMS messages. They will be given time to switch to other methods to send promotional messages with links to their customers.
The MCMC has issued a directive to all telcos to block sending and receiving of SMS with URL link. The objective is to prevent users from becoming victims of online scams
MCMC issued the directive to all service providers on Feb 14 and is currently assessing the progress. For now, the block is still not mandatory.
The blocking of person-to-person SMS with URL links will take effect from 2 May 2023. For SMS sent by business via short codes such as 6XXXX, 2XXXX and 1XXXX, this will be done later and specific notification to business users will be sent.
Malaysia Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said in February 2023 that blocking such SMS links will ensure that people won’t click on them and possibly end up as a scam victim.
Only SMS Links Banned, Links Via Other Platforms Still A Risk
While this measure is really helpful in helping to prevent scams, the ban is limited to SMS links. Scammers can still send links through instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.
That does not mean that links are inherently bad. Links in messages, even SMS messages, are mostly safe.
Perfectly Fine
Clicking on a link to read an article / terms and conditions of a promotion
Clicking on a link to enrol in a promotion which does not require you to log into any website
Clicking on a link to check in for a flight, or get a travel update
However, they can be used to send you to a phishing website which is designed to look like a genuine bank / payment website. Hence, it is critical that you should NEVER log into any website through a link.
NEVER DO THIS
Clicking on a link to log into a bank website
Clicking on a link to make a purchase or payment
Clicking on a link to log into any account / email
Phishing attacks work by tricking you into going into a fake website that looks like the real website. But you still have to log into the fake website to give the scammers your login details.
If you click on a link, and you are asked to login – this is likely a phishing attack. But don’t worry – as long as you refuse to log into any website after clicking on a link, the phishing attack fails.
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.
Jho Low paid a cool $20 million for a single photo with the Obamas, but guess how much he paid to influence the Trump Administration?!
Jho Low Paid $20 Million For Photo With The Obamas!
On Tuesday, 18 April 2023, Prakazrel “Pras” Michel – a member of the Fugees, together with Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean, testified in his own defence against charges of criminal conspiracy, foreign lobbying and campaign finance crimes.
Pras Michel stands accused of conspiring with fugitive Malaysian financier, Jho Low, to influence the Obama and Trump administrations. During his trial in Washington, D.C., Pras Michel revealed how Jho Low hired him to be a “celebrity surrogate” in order to finagle that photo with the Obamas.
Michel described Jho Low as a “wealthy man willing to do anything, spend any type of money” to get his photo with President Barack Obama, but that Low’s reputation made him “too hot” get an invited to fundraising events. He himself witnessed Low’s wild lifestyle, which was filled with celebrities, models, night clubs, and free-flowing cash.
My understanding is that the campaign thought he was too hot. They didn’t want the optics at that time. At that point, Jho Low was a party guy – Vegas, champagne, parties with Paris Hilton. The campaign just didn’t want that.
Michel told Low that he would try to help him get that photo with the Obamas, but for a price.
I basically asked for US$1 million to begin to think about how I would get this photo. I was going to try.
Jho Low would end up paying Pras Michel $20 million over nine months, before the fugitive tycoon finally got his wish – a photograph with President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama, at the 2012 White House Christmas party!
The photo with the Obamas may have cost Jho Low $20 million, but prosecutors claim that Pras Michel pocketed $18 million of the money, and funnelled $2 million into Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
Jho Low Paid $70 Million To Influence Trump Administration!
If you are shocked by how much Jho Low paid to get that single photo with Barack and Michelle Obama, you will be shocked by how much he paid to influence the Trump Administration!
Prosecutors alleged that Jho Low paid Michel, 50, another $70 million to lobby the Trump Administration to drop its civil and criminal investigation of Low in the 1MDB scandal, as well as have Miles Guo Wengui, a Chinese billionaire dissident, extradited to China!
Jho Low was indicted in 2021 together with Pras Michel by a federal grand jJury, but remains at large and is believed to be in China.
The indictment issued Thursday by a grand jury in Washington accuses Low and Michel of conspiring with Broidy, a woman named Nickie Lum Davis and others “to engage in undisclosed lobbying campaigns at the direction of Low and the Vice Minister of Public Security for the People’s Republic of China, respectively,” according to the Justice Department.
The goals of those campaigns were “both to have the 1MDB embezzlement investigation and forfeiture proceedings involving Low and others dropped and to have a Chinese dissident sent back to China.”
If convicted, Jho Low faces a maximum penalty of five to 10 years in prison, per count, while Pras Michel could face a range of maximum penalties from five to 20 years in prison, per count.
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Did the US try to send 7,000 Drosophila insects into China to destroy their crops?!
Take a look at viral claims, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : US Sent 7,000 Insects To Destroy Crops In China!
People are sharing a video of a Chinese news report about Chinese custom officials discovering 66 containers of some 7,000 insects in a parcel shipped from the US.
They allege that this is evidence of American sabotage – that the US sent those insects to destroy crops in China. The video is often shared with such messages :
The video showed China🇨🇳 Port Custom, checked a luggage claimed to contain clothing. But when scanned through & upon suspicion, Custom Officers opened up the bag. They found there were more than 60 bottles containing the larvae of Drosophila, some 7k of it. If these bottles of larvae Drosophila were successfully smuggled into China & the matured Drosophila spread throughout the whole China. It will destroy all the fruits plantation/orchards. The matured ones multiplies & spread very fast. The luggage is from USA🇺🇸. The acts of inhumanity in infecting & destroying China🇨🇳 food chain. Evilness knows no boundries.
China customs found 7000 insects sent from the USA. Out to destroy crops in China.
An evil country on the way down trying to pull others down too with sickening and rather despicable tactics ! 🤬🤬🤬
In addition to claiming that these insects are dangerous to crops, some pro-CCP or Chinese-sponsored websites are promoting the claim that these insects had their genes edited to become “more infectious”, like a “super mosquito”.
They also point out that each of these insects can reproduce every 10 days, laying 400 eggs in their lifetime to quickly produce a swarm that will destroy fruits in China, by corrupting them with bacteria and fungi.
Truth : US Did Not Send 7,000 Insects To Destroy Crops In China!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by pro-CCP netizens and websites, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : The Incident Happened In July 2022
First, let us establish what we know about this case.
Sometime in early July 2022, Qingdao customs officers examined a package sent from the United States. Its declaration form claimed that the parcel contained clothes.
When they opened it up, they found two pieces of clothes inside, with 66 sealed tubes containing eggs, larvae, pupae and adult insects.
After analysing them, Qingdao custom officers estimated that the 66 tubes contained roughly 7,000 fruit flies, specifically of the species Drosophila melanogaster.
Fact #2 : Drosophila megalogaster Is Present Worldwide
Drosophila melanogaster is known as the common fruit fly, which is commonly present across the world. Yes, this fruit fly is already present in China.
Despite originating in Africa – it is now present on all continents across the world, including islands.
Fact #3 : Drosophila megalogaster Can Lay Up To 2,000 Eggs
The Chinese media promoting this story can’t even get their facts right, claiming that these fruit flies lay up to 400 eggs in their lifetime.
Drosophila melanogaster females are far more productive than that – they can lay up to 100 eggs a day, and up to 2,000 eggs in a lifetime.
Fact #4 : Drosophila megalogaster Do Not Cause Fruits To Rot
Drosophila melanogaster is not an economic pest, even though no one welcomes them in their home.
It is often confused with Tephritidae – a different family of insects that are also called fruit flies, some of which are economic pests that destroy fruits.
Unlike Tephritidae fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster do not destroy fruits. They are attracted to fruit that is already rotting, but do not cause fruits to rot.
The claims that the US sent Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies to destroy crops in China is nonsense.
Fact #5 : Drosophila megalogaster Is Commonly Used For Research
Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies are very popular in scientific research, for many reasons :
they are easy and cheap to care for, requiring little equipment and space
they have a rapid life cycle of 10 days, allowing several generations to be studied in a few weeks
each female can produce many offspring, laying up to 2,000 eggs in its lifetime
they have simple genetics, with only four pairs of chromosomes
their genome was completely sequenced and published in the year 2000
Scientists do not mention this as a reason for using Drosophila melanogaster, but I think it is important to note that it is not a pest, so accidental release of these fruit flies would not pose any danger of any form or kind.
Fact #6 : Drosophila megalogaster Is Commonly Shipped Worldwide
Because it is a model organism for research, Drosophila melanogaster is bred and shipped internationally to researchers worldwide.
The College of Agriculture and Life Science at Cornell University, for example, breeds and sellsDrosophila melanogaster fruit flies, which they ship internationally including China.
Fact #7 : 2021 Seized Shipment Was Meant For Chinese Research Institute
This wasn’t the first time China seized live Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies in such tubes.
In June 2021, Chinese custom officials found 58 tubes containing more than 1,000 of these fruit flies in an imported parcel addressed to a Chinese research institute.
They seized the parcel because its contents were not declared, and it lacked an import permit.
Fact #8 : China Requires Quarantine For Live Insects
China forbids live insects from being mailed or carried into the country, without special quarantine or approval.
However, quarantine is a problem for Drosophila melanogaster because it has such a short lifespan of just 50 days.
Hence, it is possible that Chinese researchers are trying to circumvent the quarantine by importing live Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, without an import permit which would require quarantine.
It is also possible that these fruit flies are being imported as a live food source for people’s pet fish, frogs and other animals.
Fact #9 : Cornell University Warned About Chinese Import Permit
Cornell University specifically warned Chinese researchers trying to purchase these fruit flies that :
As of November 1, 2014, we can only offer free replacements for shipments of live flies to China that were accompanied by an import permit.
That suggests that they lost shipments to China in the past, because they lacked import permits.
This is really nothing more than yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛).
All of the wumao articles that I looked at so far have proven to be false… in every instance. So please watch out for such false claims. Here is just the latest dozen,.
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JPJ just announced a lorry ban, and that seven major offences will be non-compoundable for the Hari Raya 2023 festive season!
Hari Raya 2023 : Traffic Offenders Will Be Sent To Court!
On Friday, 14 April 2023, the Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) announced that seven traffic offences will be non-compoundable throughout the Hari Raya 2023 festive season.
Motorists who commit these seven offences from 18 to 27 April 2023 will no longer be allowed to just pay a fine, but will instead be referred to the courts.
JPJ also announced that lorries and other heavy vehicles will be banned from the roads during the Hari Raya 2023 festive season to reduce traffic congestion. The ban on heavy vehicles will last four days:
two days from April 20 to 21
two days from April 24 to 25
Category 1 : Banned From Road At All Times
Car carrier, tipper, dumper, tipping (over 7,500 kg), low loader, pole trailer, bulk cement tanker, platform trailer, timber lorry, wheeled heavy machinery and tractor
Lorry carrying cement, steel, stone, sand, soil, and other construction material, amang (tin dung), tin, coal and other minerals.
Category 2 : Allowed Only From Midnight To 8 AM
Container lorry carrying goods, except container lorry carrying goods from port / airport to industrial zones in the same state, and vice versa.
Lorry carrying electronics and electrical goods / industrial materials from port / airport to industrial zones in the same state, and vice versa.
Lorry carrying oil palm and rubber produce from plantation to industrial zone.
Cargo lorry without load.
Category 3 : Allowed Only From 6 PM To 8 AM
Limited to 25 km from construction site, subject to operating hours allowed on certain roads
Mobile crane, and cement mixer
Exceptions : Wheeled heavy machinery and mobile crane are allowed if they are required for emergency work.
All other vehicles not mentioned above, or carrying goods not mentioned in the schedule above, are allowed to travel at any time.
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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 UN report call for the decriminalisation of sex between adults and children?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : UN Report Calls For Decriminalisation Of Sex Between Adults + Children
People are sharing an article which claims that a UN report just called for the decriminalisation of sex between adults and children!
Here is an excerpt from the long article, for your reference. Please skip to the next section for the facts!
UN report calls for decriminalization of all sexual activity, including between adults and children
A new report from the United Nations has called for all forms of drug use and sexual activity to be decriminalized globally.
Written by the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), UNAIDS and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the report was released on International Women’s Day, with the goal of guiding “the application of international human rights law to criminal law.” Called the “8 March principles,” the report calls for offenses related to “sex, drug use, HIV, sexual and reproductive health, homelessness and poverty” to be decriminalized.
The United Nations experts say that criminalizing offenses related to these issues constitute an attack on human rights.
While on the surface, it may seem relatively uncontroversial, the report calls for sex between adults and minors to be decriminalized, so long as the minors “consent”:
Minors, of course, cannot truly consent to sex with an adult — something these so-called experts should know. The report also calls for all criminal laws relating to sex work to be abolished, which could easily serve to aid traffickers, pimps, and abusers. In turn, this serves the abortion industry as well, which has aided traffickers and abusers by failing to report suspected abuse and returning victims to their abusers after their abortions. Decriminalizing sex work, sex crimes against minors, and abortion would only serve to doubly suit traffickers and abusers, who are known to use abortion as a means to cover up their crimes.
What UN Report Said On Between Adults + Children : Nothing
This is just another example of FAKE NEWS, here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : The Report Was Released In March 2023
The UN report in question was released on 8 March 2023 by UNAIDS. You can download a PDF copy to read for yourself.
The International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) along with UNAIDS and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) officially launched a new set of expert jurist legal principles to guide the application of international human rights law to criminal law.
The ‘8 March principles’ as they are called lay out a human rights-based approach to laws criminalising conduct in relation to sex, drug use, HIV, sexual and reproductive health, homelessness and poverty.
Ian Seiderman, Law and Policy Director at ICJ said, “Criminal law is among the harshest of tools at the disposal of the State to exert control over individuals…as such, it ought to be a measure of last resort however, globally, there has been a growing trend towards overcriminalization.”
“We must acknowledge that these laws not only violate human rights, but the fundamental principles of criminal law themselves,” he said.
Fact #2 : The Report Was Written By The ICJ
I should point out that the report was written by the International Committee of Jurists (ICJ), which is not part of the United Nations, and is a separate and independent body. So technically, it is not a UN report.
Composed of 60 eminent judges and lawyers from all regions of the world, the International Commission of Jurists promotes and protects human rights through the Rule of Law, by using its unique legal expertise to develop and strengthen national and international justice systems. Established in 1952 and active on five continents, the ICJ aims to ensure the progressive development and effective implementation of international human rights and international humanitarian law; secure the realization of civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights; safeguard the separation of powers; and guarantee the independence of the judiciary and legal profession.
Before we get to the crux of the issue, it is important to note these definitions.
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child broadly defines a child as an individual aged 0-18 years, but over time, the UN and the WHO formally defined adolescence as the ages of 10-19.
Fact #4 : Report Referred To Adolescent Sexual Activity
The ICJ / UN report in question referred to adolescent sexual activity, and not child sexual activity.
In the Foreword on Page 2 and the Introduction on Page 7, it was mentioned twice that the report referred to “consensual sexual activities, including in contexts such as sex outside marriage, same-sex sexual relations, adolescent sexual activity and sex work“.
This is repeated for the third time in Part III of the document, where it called for the decriminalisation of “consensual sexual activities, including in contexts such as sex outside marriage, same-sex sexual relations, adolescent sexual activity and sex work“.
Therefore, Principle 16 – Consensual Sexual Conduct, where the report called for the decriminalisation of consensual sexual conduct clearly refers to adolescents, and not children at large.
Fact #5 : Adolescents Are Having Sex
The decriminalisation of consensual sexual activity involving adolescents is critical, because the truth is – many adolescents are having sex.
In its 2013 study of young adolescent sexual activity, the Guttmacher Institute noted that by the time they turn 16, about ⅓ of adolescents have had sex, increasing to nearly half (48%) by 17 years of age, and 61% when they turn 18.
If minimum age of consent laws are not adjusted accordingly, these adolescents may be criminally penalised, throwing their lives and future into jeopardy.
Fact #6 : Age of Consent In Many States / Countries Is Less Than 18
It should be pointed out that most US states set the age of consent at 16, with Arizona, North Dakota, Oregon and Virginia setting theirs at 15. So adults in most US states are already legally allowed to have sex with children / adolescents, as per UN definition.
Similarly, many countries have age of consent lower than 18, which again, legally means that adults are already allowed to have sex with children / adolescents, as per UN definition.
In all those US states and countries, adolescents who are younger than 18 are already considered to be capable of consent, even though the UN still considers them as “children”.
This has nothing to do with the United Nations, but was decided by individual governments in different states and countries around the world.
Fact #7 : Report Mentioned Minimum Age of Consent
Principle 16 – Consensual Sexual Conduct did not call for the abolishment of any minimum age of consent, which is what those viral claims implied. Rather, it said that such criminal laws should not be biased in favour of any sex / gender, or age of consent to marriage.
In other words – what’s good for the gander is good for the goose too. The law should be applied equally – if the age of consent is set at 16 years, then it must apply to both males and females alike.
With respect to the enforcement of criminal law, any prescribed minimum age of consent to sex must be applied in a non-discriminatory manner. Enforcement may not be linked to the sex/gender of participants or age of consent to marriage.
Fact #8 : Report Never Mentioned Sex Between Adults + Children
Nowhere in the report is there any mention of sexual activity between adults and children. The report also did not call for the decriminalisation of sexual activity between adults and children.
The word “adults” is only mentioned three times in the report, all under a single section:
Principle 17 – Sex Work
The exchange of sexual services between consenting adults for money, goods or services and communication with another about, advertising an offer for, or sharing premises with another for the purpose of exchanging sexual services between consenting adults for money, goods or services, whether in a public or private place, may not be criminalized, absent coercion, force, abuse of authority or fraud.
Criminal law may not proscribe the conduct of third parties who, directly or indirectly, for receipt of a financial or material benefit, under fair conditions – without coercion, force, abuse of authority or fraud – facilitate, manage, organize, communicate with another, advertise, provide information about, provide or rent premises for the purpose of the exchange of sexual services between consenting adults for money, goods or services.
Fact #9 : Report Only States That Underage Sexual Conduct May Be Consensual
The report did not call for the decriminalisation of sexual activity between adults and children. It only pointed out that any sexual activity involving individuals under the legal age of consent may be consensual in fact, even if they are not consider consensual in law.
In that context, it calls for the enforcement of such minimum age of consent laws to take into account the possibility that adolescents may be matured enough to engage in consensual sexual conduct, and have a right to be heard.
Moreover, sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law.
In this context, the enforcement of criminal law should reflect the rights and capacity of persons under 18 years of age to make decisions about engaging in consensual sexual conduct and their right to be heard in matters concerning them.
Pursuant to their evolving capacities and progressive autonomy, persons under 18 years of age should participate in decisions affecting them, with due regard to their age, maturity and best interests, and with specific attention to non-discrimination guarantees.
In other words – the report did not call for the abolishment of minimum age of consent, but asked that law enforcement take into account the opinions / testimonies of the adolescents in question, rather than just applying the law blindly.
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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.
MSI users are at risk of rogue BIOS / firmware updates, after hackers got hold of its source codes, private keys and BIOS firmware!
MSI Hit By Ransomware Attack + Data Theft!
On 7 April 2023, MSI (Micro-Star International) was hit by a ransomware attack, in which the hackers allegedly exfiltrated 1.5 terabytes of source codes, BIOS firmware, private keys and other data from its servers.
In its terse regulatory filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), MSI admitted that it was hacked, but did not detail the circumstances or nature of the attack.
After detecting some information systems being attacked by hackers,MSI’s IT department has initiated information security defense mechanism and recovery procedures. The Company also has been reported the anomaly to the relevant government authorities.
MSI claimed that the attack had “[no] significant impact our business in terms of financial and operational currently“, but said that it was “enhancing the information security control measures of its network and infrastructure to ensure data security.”
In a public statement, MSI also urged users to only obtain firmware / BIOS updates from its official website, and refrain from using other sources.
Stolen Data Exposes MSI Users To Rogue BIOS / Firmware Updates!
The MSI ransomware attack and data theft appear to be committed by the Money Message ransomware gang, which has threatened to release the 1.5 terabytes of critical data that it exfiltrated from MSI servers.
While MSI has apparently restored files encrypted by the ransomware, exposure of the private keys and source codes, will likely allow Money Message or other threat actors to develop rogue BIOS or firmware updates.
Installing rogue BIOS / firmware updates will give the malware the access level of a super-low-level rootkit, giving it full control over your computer, with the ability to spy on almost everything you do. Such malware will also be extremely difficult to detect and remove. After all, it boots up before the operating system!
These days, rogue BIOS or firmware updates are much less of a problem because they are usually digitally-signed by the vendor, MSI in this case. Even if threat actors distribute Trojanised downloads for MSI users, they cannot create the right digital signatures for those files.
However, now that MSI’s private keys have been stolen, they can be used to create rogue BIOS or firmware updates with authentic digital signatures! MSI users downloading and installing those updates will never know the difference.
The biggest risk right now is with PC hardware enthusiasts who enjoy installing unofficial firmware updates to gain access to special settings. That is precisely why MSI is urging its users to only download files from its official website.
Of course, this assumes that the MSI download servers are secure, and have not been compromised. If the threat actors have access to the MSI download servers, they can insert Trojanised downloads with proper signatures, and MSI system administrators may be none the wiser!
Let’s hope that this incident forces MSI to take a much closer look at its cybersecurity measures, and run penetration tests to ensure that its download servers are secure. Otherwise, some threat actors will likely hit pay dirt with MSI users!
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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
MSI just got hit by a massive ransomware attack, but even worse – it lost a ton of critical data to the hackers!
MSI Hit By Ransomware Attack + Data Theft!
On 7 April 2023, MSI (Micro-Star International) was hit by a ransomware attack, in which the hackers allegedly exfiltrated 1.5 terabytes of source codes, BIOS firmware, private keys and other data from its servers.
In its terse regulatory filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), MSI admitted that it was hacked, but did not detail the circumstances or nature of the attack.
After detecting some information systems being attacked by hackers,MSI’s IT department has initiated information security defense mechanism and recovery procedures. The Company also has been reported the anomaly to the relevant government authorities.
MSI claimed that the attack had “[no] significant impact our business in terms of financial and operational currently“, but said that it was “enhancing the information security control measures of its network and infrastructure to ensure data security.”
In a public statement, MSI also urged users to only obtain firmware / BIOS updates from its official website, and refrain from using other sources.
Hackers Demand $4 Million From MSI To Not Release Stolen Data
The MSI ransomware attack and data theft appear to be committed by the Money Message ransomware gang.
While MSI has apparently restored files encrypted by Money Message’s ransomware, the gang now has access to about 1.5 terabytes of critical MSI data.
According to BleepingComputer, chats between Money Message and an MSI representative show the gang demanding a ransom payment of $4 million. Otherwise, Money Message will release the stolen files.
To show that they did indeed steal those MSI files, Money Message posted screenshots of what they describe was MSI’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) databases and files containing software source code, private keys, and BIOS firmware.
If Money Message releases MSI confidential data, it may not just be embarrassing for the Taiwanese company, it could allow other threat actors to use the source code and private keys to create malware targeting their customers.
In light of that, MSI users should only download and install software or BIOS firmware from the official MSI website.
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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 phishing attack that will allow scammers to take over your Telegram account!
Scam Alert : Watch Out For Telegram Phishing Attack!
Scammers are now targeting Telegram users with a phishing attack that is designed to trick them into giving up their accounts! The Telegram phishing attack works like this:
Step 1 : The scammer gains control of your friend’s Telegram account, and sends this message to you:
Dear Telegram users. The system detects that this account is abnormal and has potential security risks.
To ensure that you can log in to your account normally, you need to invite friends for auxiliary verification
The risk control account has not been verified. The system will cancel the account after 24 hours!
Personal Information Authentication：[link removed]
Step 2 : The scammer, masquerading as your friend, asks you to help him/her verify his/her Telegram account by clicking on the link.
There are security risks in my account, and I need friends to help me verify it. Please click on the official link to help me verify it and follow the prompts. thank you
Step 3 : If you click on the [removed] link to help your friend, you will be taken to a website that looks like an official Telegram website. DO NOT DO THIS.
Step 4 : You will be asked to log into your Telegram account on the fake website. DO NOT DO THIS.
Step 5 : The fake Telegram website will ask you to key in your Login code, or take and upload a screenshot of your Telegram. DO NOT DO THIS.
Step 6 : If you continue, the scammer will be able to take over your Telegram account, and use it to scam your friends by asking them for money, etc.
The scammer will also have access to your Telegram chats, and all associated media including photos and videos, which could potentially be leaked or used to extort you or other people.
A phishing (pronounced as fishing) attack is a social engineering attack, that uses your trust for an institution (like a bank), authority (Telegram), or someone you know, to give up your login details.
Here are some ways you can protect yourself against any phishing attack on Telegram, or other platforms.
Verify Identity Before Trusting
Many people fall for phishing attacks because it is human nature to trust your friends and to help them. However, on instant messaging apps, you don’t actually know if it’s really your friend on the other end!
So if a friend messages you on Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc to ask for help, ALWAYS verify their identity before proceeding.
If possible, call or message your friend on the phone, or via a different platform (use WhatsApp if the request came on Telegram, for example).
But if you are unable to call your friend, try asking the other person something that only your real friend would know:
Do NOT ask questions like “Are you really Sarah??“
Do NOT ask questions that can be answered by reading previous chat messages.
Ask something that only you and your friend would know, like “Hey Sarah, what was that restaurant we went to last week?“
Ask a fake question that your friend would readily know is not true, like “Hey Sarah, are you coming over tonight?“
If the other person cannot answer or gives you the wrong answer, he/she is not your friend, and that account has likely been taken over by a scammer.
Whenever you see a link being shared, always check if it leads to a legitimate website, or attempts to masquerade as a real website, by substituting characters in the link.
This Telegram phishing attack, for example, uses a link to telegram.0rg.ee. The real Telegram domain name is telegram.org. This is called domain spoofing.
If you see an attempt to impersonate a legitimate website by using a similar-looking domain name, do NOT click on it.
Never Login Via A Link
It is common for people to share links on Telegram, and in Telegram groups. Heck, we share links to our article in the Tech ARP Telegram group!
Clicking on links in Telegram, WhatsApp, emails, etc. is not dangerous, because most lead to legitimate websites that do NOT require you to log in.
What is dangerous is logging into any website through a link. I cannot hammer this enough – NEVER LOG INTO ANY WEBSITE through a link!
Phishing attacks work by tricking you into going into a fake website that looks like the real website. But you still have to log into the fake website to give the scammers your login details.
If you click on a link, and you are asked to login – this is likely a phishing attack. But don’t worry – as long as you refuse to log into any website after clicking on a link, the phishing attack fails.
Turn On Two-Step Verification
All banking platforms, and many mobile apps now offer two-step verification to prevent scammers from taking over user accounts. However, this is often an optional feature that you must manually enable.
Telegram has a two-step verification feature, which prevents scammers and hackers from hijacking your account by requiring a secret password that only you will know.
It is important to publicise phishing attacks, whenever they happen. If people are alerted, they are less likely to fall for such attacks.
However, scammers and hackers can quickly change the way their phishing attack works, so it is important that people understand how phishing attacks work in general.
You can help prevent phishing attacks by sharing this articles, and other cybersecurity warnings, with your family and friends.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this cybersecurity 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.
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.
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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.
Nestle confirmed that the viral MILO Malaysia contest a scam in a 30 March 2023 statement on their website:
Nestlé Malaysia Notification on Scams
We have been alerted of a MILO Ramadan Contest offering cash prizes to the public upon completion of a questionnaire. Please be informed that this is a scam which aims to mislead the public.
Nestlé views this matter seriously and has reported it to the relevant authorities.
If you have received a post or message on this, or know anyone who has:
DO NOT share the post DO NOT provide any personal details (e.g. bank account numbers) DO NOT make any payments
This is yet another example of a survey scam, that scammers have been using for years:
Now, let me show you how to spot these scams next time!
If you spot any of these warning signs, DO NOT PROCEED and DO NOT SHARE!
Warning Sign #1 : Bad Grammar
Most of these scammers do not have a good command of the English language, so if you spot bad grammar, stay away.
Proper contests or events sponsored by major brands like Nestle will have at least one PR or marketing person who will vet the text before allowing it to be posted.
Warning Sign #2 : Offering You Free Money Or Gifts
Please do NOT be naive. No one – not even large companies like Nestle – is going to give you money or free gifts just to participate in a survey!
Nestle is a corporation whose business is to make money, not a charity to give you free money.
Warning Sign #3 : Not Using The Real MILO Domain
A genuine Nestle or MILO marketing campaign would use their real domains – www.milo.com.my or www.nestle.com.my.
Or they would run it off the official MILO Malaysia page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/MiloMalaysia/.
If you see nonsensical domains like findinggreedy.cn, consequentlybewilder.cn, merefamily.top, 0yjjg61.cn, 1eaf1rnbeef.top, ldxqw.bar, etc. that’s a sign it’s a SCAM!
Warning Sign #4 : Asking You To Forward The Offer
No brand will insist that you must share the offer with 5 groups or 20 friends on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
Do not click to forward their offer to your family and friends. They will not appreciate being scammed with your help!
Warning Sign #5 : Asking You To Download + Register An App
If you click through and joined the fake survey scam, you will eventually be asked to download and register for an app.
This is VERY DANGEROUS. Never agree to download and register for any unknown app from a website.
Always download your apps from an official App Store like Google Play Store (for Android smartphones) and Apple App Store (for iPhones).
Please help us fight scams like this and SHARE this article out!
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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.
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)
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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.
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.
SBF has just been accused of bribing Chinese officials with “at least $40 million” to unlock frozen trading accounts in China! Here is what you need to know…
SBF Accused Of Bribing Chinese Officials With $40 Million!
Sam Bankman-Fried, better known as SBF, has just been hit with fresh charges by US officials, who accuse the crypto-preneur of authorising a bribe of “at least $40 million” (about £32.5 million) to unlock frozen trading accounts in China!
In the updated indictment (PDF download), SBF was said to have approved the $40 million bribe after Chinese authorities froze Alameda Research trading accounts that were holding roughly $1 billion or £811 million worth of cryptocurrencies.
… in or about 2021, SAMUEL BANKMAN-FRIED, a/k/a “SBF”, the defendant, authorised and directed a bribe of at least $40 million to one or more Chinese government officials.
The purpose of the bribe was to influence and induce one or more Chinese government officials to unfreeze certain Alameda trading accounts containing over $1 billion in cryptocurrency, which had been frozen by Chinese authorities.
SBF now faces a total of 13 criminal charges, including this new additional charge. He could potentially be jailed for more than 100 years if convicted.
How SBF Allegedly Bribed Chinese Officials With $40 Million!
In early 2021, Chinese authorities froze some Alameda Research accounts on two of China’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, freezing approximately $1 billion in cryptocurrency stored in those accounts.
At that time, SBF believed that the accounts were frozen as part of an ongoing investigation into another company that was trading with Alameda Research.
At least, SBF and others working for him tried “numerous methods” to unfreeze those accounts, including:
retaining lawyers in China to lobby for the Alameda accounts to be unlocked,
communicating with the Chinese cryptocurrency exchanges, and
opening new accounts on those Chinese cryptocurrency exchanges using several individuals unaffiliated with FTX (the “Fraudulent Accounts”) and then attempting to transfer cryptocurrency from the frozen accounts to those Fraudulent Accounts.
After months of failed attempts to unlock those frozen accounts, SBF and unnamed partners discussed and “ultimately agreed” to a multi million dollar bribe to unfreeze those accounts.
The indictment specifically called out SBF for authorising and directing the “illicit transfer of cryptocurrency” to “induce and influence one or more Chinese government officials to unfreeze the Accounts”.
Following SBF’s authorisation and instructions, Alameda Research employees transferred cryptocurrency worth about $40 million from the Alameda main trading account to a private cryptocurrency wallet in November 2021, after which the Accounts were unfrozen.
After confirming that the accounts were unfrozen, SBF then authorised the transfer of “additional tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency to complete the bribe“.
Thanks to the unfreezing of its accounts, Alameda was able to continue funding its trades, and continue what the government says was a fraud upon its customers and investors for another year.
FTX and Alameda would later implode in November 2022, with SBF arrested in December and charged with defrauding FTX customers, investors and lenders, as well as conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and defraud the Federal Election Commission.
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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.
Truth : Viral Video Does NOT Show Pension Riot Damage In France!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS shared on WhatsApp, Telegram and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is An Old Video
First, let me just point out that the viral video clip was recorded in Paris, but is not new.
The original video was recorded on Saturday, 24 December 2022, and is therefore unrelated to the 2023 protests over pension reforms in France.
It appears to have been recorded and posted by Rémy Buisine, a French journalist.
Fact #2 : The Riot Occurred After Attack On Kurdish Cultural Center
The riot captured in the video video occurred one day after a man opened fired at the Ahmet-Kaya centre – a Kurdish cultural centre on Rue d’Enghien in the 10th arrondissement of Paris. The gunman also fired at a hairdresser’s and a restaurant on that street. One woman and two men were killed, and at least three other people were seriously injured.
The gunman was a 69 year-old retired train driver who has been described as a “white supremacist” who had recently been released from detention while awaiting trial for a sabre attack on two Sudanese refugees at a refugee camp in Paris a year ago.
In response, the Kurdish Democratic Council in France (CDK-F) called for people to gather at the Republic Square for a protest. Protesters later clashed with riot police near the scene of the shootings.
Fact #3 : This Riot Was Much Smaller Than 2023 Pension Reform Protests
This December 2022 riot appears to be very violent, with several cars overturned and at least one car on fire. However, it was a short-lived riot, and involved only hundreds of Kurds near the location of the shooting in Paris.
The 2023 pension reform protests are much larger, involving over a million strikers and demonstrators all over France, and has been ongoing since January 19. While they set fire to garbage and damaged some storefronts, there appears to be less violence and damage.
Fact #4 : This Is Just Another Example Of Pro-Russia Propaganda
This appears to be yet another example of fake news created to mock France for its support of Ukraine, and mislead people about the carnage Russia is wreaking in its invasion of Ukraine.
Here is just the latest dozen the other Russian and Chinese propaganda articles and videos that I looked at so far:
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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.
Viral Donald Trump Arrest + Escape Photos Explained!
The truth is these viral Donald Trump arrest photos are fake, and were generated by artificial intelligence, and is really based on a famous Hollywood movie!
Fact #1 : They Were Generated Using Artificial Intelligence
First, let me just confirmed that all those viral photos of police officers trying to arrest Donald Trump are fake, and were generated by artificial intelligence.
They were created by Bellingcat founder Eliot Higgins using the text-to-image generator, Midjourney, which works like other AI image generators – DALL-E and Stable Diffusion.
Eliot Higgins specifically pointed out in his tweets that they were not real, and that he created them:
Making pictures of Trump getting arrested while waiting for Trump’s arrest.
If you look closely, many of those Donald Trump arrest photos have graphical anomalies that will tell you that they were generated by AI. Just take a look at this one iconic photo:
Donald Trump’s head is abnormally large, with misplaced hair, and half an ear that is misplaced under his jawline.
The police officer’s hand is missing a finger.
Donald Trump appears to be wearing a belt with a baton attached!
Not highlighted here, but the caps of the police officers have nonsensical text.
Based on those anomalies alone, this photo was very likely created using a text-to-image generator.
Fact #3 : Eliot Higgins Got Banned From Midjourney
After Eliot Higgins shared his work on Twitter, he apparently got banned from Midjourney.
Apparently doing a viral thread about Donald Trump using Midjourney images is enough to get you banned from Midjourney, oops.
Fact #4 : The Photo Story Was Based On Shawshank Redemption
While most people only shared the photos of Donald Trump getting arrested, Eliot Higgins actually posted about 50 photos, all of which tell a story he called “Trumpshank Redemption“, because it was based on the legendary 1994 movie, Shawshank Redemption!
At least I still have ChatGPT 4, so here’s the Trumpshank Redemption for those of you who have stuck around this long.
Here was a mini-script he wrote for TrumpShank Redemption, interleaved with some of what I felt were his best AI-generated prison photos.
INT. TRUMPSHANK PRISON – NIGHT
A dark, imposing prison stands tall in the night. The year is 1994. A bus arrives, carrying a group of prisoners, including DONALD TRUMP, a wealthy businessman convicted for tax fraud and various other crimes. The prisoners are led by the cruel WARDEN NORTON and his sadistic chief guard, CAPTAIN HADLEY.
Trump works as an assistant librarian under the watchful eye of the old, wise inmate, BROOKS. He uses his business acumen to expand the library and improve the educational opportunities for the inmates.
TRUMP (voiceover)
I knew that to make Trumpshank great again, I needed to start with the library. Knowledge is power, after all.
INT. PRISON CELL – NIGHT
Trump carefully chips away at the wall behind his Ivanka poster with his rock hammer.
Unlike in Shawshank Redemption though, Eliot has Donald Trump running straight for the nearest McDonald’s (Minonad – another AI screw-up LOL) in Trumpshank Redemption. Donald Trump is well-known for his love of McDonald’s burgers.
But honestly, Eliot jumped the shark when he had Donald Trump actually “run”. The former US President infamously started his campaign going down an escalator, and had to slowly walk down a ramp as President.
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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.
Did an organised gang of American racists just attack a Chinese business in the United States?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : American Racist Gang Attacked Chinese Business!
People are sharing this video of a gang of hooded individuals ransacking a Chinese business establishment in the United States, as an example of hate crime by American racists against Asians and the Chinese in particular.
Organised gangs in US destroy Asian owned businesses
No Evidence American Racist Gang Attacked Chinese Business!
This video has gone viral on WeChat and WhatsApp, which are commonly used by Chinese netizens and the Chinese diaspora. It has also been posted on social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter.
This incident happened very recently, and is a developing story, but here is what we know so far…
Fact #1 : Viral Incident Happened On March 4, 2023
Let’s start with some basic facts on what happened.
At around 8:20 PM on March 4, 2023, a group of about 20 masked individuals took an elevator to the third floor of a corner mall in College Point, Queens, New York City.
Wearing masks and hoodie sweatshirts, they stormed into the Fish Village restaurant, flipping tables and chairs smashing dishes and utensils, while customers were eating. They also broke a window during the minute-long mayhem.
They then quickly left the Fish Village restaurant, as quickly as they entered. The attackers did not use weapons, or take any property with them.
Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident, but restaurant manager Tony Hu said that they suffered about $20,000 worth of damages. The restaurant also have to comp the 30 or so customers who had their dinners so rudely interrupted.
From the time they entered to the time they left, it only took a minute. They didn’t say a word. We have no idea what was happening. I was behind the register and was in shock. Then I ran to call 911, but by the time I got through, they were already gone.
Fact #2 : Attackers Were Asian / Hispanic Teenagers
While some people are claiming that this was evidence of a hate crime by White racists or black hooligans attacking Asian / Chinese businesses, that’s not true according to the restaurant manager, Tony Hu.
Hu, who does not speak English, told CBS News that the attackers were Asian or Hispanic teenagers. Some people even labelled them as “kids in hoodies”, while others pointed out that it does not appear to be a hate crime:
I frequent this building, it has a bunch of high end Chinese restaurants, hotel, has a gated parking lot and this restaurant is on the 3rd floor
Makes me think it is a targeted attack, not a random flash mob
Other people suggest that the attack may have been a warning by Asian organised crime.
Big Trouble in Little Chinatown. The Triad Gangs are Back in business. This is typical Triad extortion scheme. Pay $20,000 per month to the Triad or else.
These were Asian people behind those masks. This was extortion or gang activity, which is prevalent in Asians communities. But the NYC Media paints ADOS/Black faces as the culprits of all crime in our city
The New York Police Department is investigating this incident as Criminal Mischief, and not a hate crime.
Fact #3 : Police Are Still Not Able To Identify The Attackers
Despite knowing that they were being recorded on video, the attackers did not assault the person recording them. This is likely because they were fully covered up with face masks, and hoodies.
And their tactic appears to be working, making it impossible for law enforcement to identify them. The New York Police Department is still investigating the incident, and has not yet made any arrests.
Two days later, mayor Eric Adams called on New Yorkers to remove their face masks when entering businesses, to cut down on crime.
Let’s be clear. Some of these characters going into stores that are wearing a mask, they’re not doing it because they are afraid of the pandemic.
They’re doing it because they’re afraid of the police, and we need to stop allowing them to exploit the safety of the pandemic by wearing masks, committing crimes.
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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.
Is the International Criminal Court (ICC) preparing to launch the Nuremberg 2 trials for COVID-19 crimes against humanity?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : ICC Launching Nuremberg 2 Trials For COVID-19 Crimes!
People are sharing a NewsPunch article that claims that the International Criminal Court (ICC) preparing to launch the Nuremberg 2 trials for COVID-19 crimes against humanity!
Here is an excerpt from the very long article, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
VIP Elite Panic As Nuremberg 2.0 Trials for ‘Crimes Against Humanity’ Becomes Reality
Preparations are underway for crimes against humanity trials at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, according to an ICC insider who reveals that key figures from the globalist establishment are set to be sacrificed on the altar of public outrage for their crimes in the elite’s failed Covid plandemic.
The globalist elite have made the last three years hell for the majority but we have held strong, maintained our dignity, and exposed their lies, one by one. Now our abusers have been backed into a corner they are being forced to admit to the lies they’ve spun. And they want us to forgive and forget.
But that’s not going to happen. It really isn’t. The people are waking up. And since they are waking up and realizing the nightmare of the last three years was created intentionally by the globalist elite, the people are rising up and demanding justice.
This has led to an understanding on the part of the elite that they need to throw a few of their own under the bus in order to placate the masses. And while it will be gratifying to see key players from the Covid plandemic face justice on charges of crimes against humanity, it is worth keeping in mind that we have been here before when the Nazi leadership of the Third Reich were put on trial at Nuremberg.
In all, 199 defendants were tried, 161 were convicted, and 37 were sentenced to death for crimes against humanity and war crimes. But the death of these key players of the Third Reich did not mean the end of Nazism. It was simply a ruse for the elite to retain control. Ultimately the Nazis just rebranded and tried again under a new disguise.
Nazi scientists and doctors were exported to the United States and Europe was overrun by globalist organizations featuring children and grandchildren of the Nazi leadership. Schwab, Soros and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are just a few examples of globalist leaders with direct ties to the Nazi leadership that was supposedly eradicated at Nuremberg. And these globalist leaders are continuing their work in a new disguise.
Given the failures of Nuremberg, we have to learn from history and make sure this time the real criminals are held accountable for crimes against humanity. The evidence to convict is already out there. We have been methodically building our case against our abusers, building files of their slip-ups and admissions, ever since they became arrogant enough to think they could deprive us our our freedoms and subjugate the entire human race.
There is plenty of evidence to prove that major players knew exactly what they were doing all along. That includes Bill Gates, Anthony Fauci, Klaus Schwab, and Big Pharma CEOs including Stephane Bancel of Moderna and Albert Bourla of Pfizer. There will be no “I was just following orders” defense for these characters at Nuremberg 2.0.
There is also plenty of evidence that politicians in every World Economic Forum-infiltrated country knew exactly what was going on too. And the evidence continues to emerge. This week in the UK, journalist Isabel Oakeshott passed more than 100,000 leaked Whatsapp messages to the Telegraph, revealing that senior government ministers discussed when to “deploy” the next variant to “frighten the pants off” the public.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s private messages reveal the British government “deployed the new variant” to intimidate people into getting the vaccine. Tell me how this is any different to the behavior of terrorists?
Make no mistake, the people are waking up. The Biden government paid influencers to shill for the vaccine during the Covid years as part of the elite’s brainwashing campaign, but those lies didn’t stand the test of time. Russell Brand appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast this week and they combined to red pill millions of people about the evils of Bill Gates, including truth bombs about his work in Africa.
Damning stuff that we at the People’s Voice have been reporting on for years. But Rogan and Brand weren’t finished with Gates yet. And remember, millions upon millions of people are watching this content. Gates’ evil works are slowly but surely being exposed to the whole world.
Gates is just one player in the game. Don’t forget about the CEOs of the Big Pharma cartel companies.
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel was caught admitting to his friends at the World Economic Forum that his company produced 100,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine doses in 2019 – before the pandemic started.
In the revealing footage from the World Economic Forum, Bancel also let slip that he had foreknowledge of a little something called the Covid pandemic. Make no mistake, this is proof, from the horse’s mouth, that Moderna and the Big Pharma cartel were complicit in planning the pandemic so they could push the global elite’s depopulation drug on the masses.
And you might remember that Dr Ugur Sahin, the CEO of BioNTech, the biotechnology company that worked with Pfizer to develop their Covid vaccine, admitted on camera that he did not get jabbed with a Covid vaccine.
Truth : ICC Is Not Launching Nuremberg 2 Trials For COVID Crimes!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by NewsPunch, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : NewsPunch Is A Fake News Website
Like Real Raw News, NewPunch is a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.
It was founded as Your News Wire in 2014, before being rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news spread on Facebook that year.
Their articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from NewsPunch. Here are some of their fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:
Fact #2 : No Evidence Of ICC Preparing To Launch Nuremberg 2 Trials
There is ZERO EVIDENCE that the International Criminal Court is preparing to launch any Nuremberg-like trials for COVID-19 crimes against humanity, whatever that means.
NewsPunch certainly offered no evidence to back up its claims that the ICC is preparing to launch Nuremberg 2 trials for COVID-19 crimes.
The official ICC website also has no reference or mention of COVID-related crimes.
Fact #3 : ICC Tweet Does Not Exist
A quick check for the ICC tweet that figured so prominently in the NewsPunch graphics, show that the tweet does not exist.
Not only did the International Criminal Court not tweet that, no one else on Twitter did so. The tweet was completely fabricated, as far as we can tell.
Fact #4 : ICC Tweet Appears To Be Fabricated
A closer examination of the ICC tweet shows many suspicious aspects. For example:
the official International Criminal Court account has a grey tick, not a blue tick.
the fake ICC post lacks a date stamp
real ICC posts often include a link to an official ICC statement
Based on those indications, it is more likely than not that the ICC tweet was fabricated.
Twitter started implementing a grey tick for government, official, or multilateral organisations, on 20 December 2022. That means this “fake tweet” was created before that time.
Fact #5 : ICC Has No Jurisdiction Over Non-Member Countries
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands, and the only permanent international court with the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
However, the ICC only has jurisdiction in States (countries) that have signed and ratified the Rome Statute. Many major countries refuse to ratify the Rome Statute, and are therefore not under ICC jurisdiction.
The United States, Russia and Israel signed the Rome Statute, but have declared that they no longer intend to ratify it. China, India, Pakistan, Singapore, among other countries, completely refuse to sign the Rome Statute.
It would therefore be impossible for the ICC to prosecute citizens or residents of non-Member countries, which include many of those who conspiracy theorists claim would be charged in Nuremberg 2 trials, like Bill Gates, Dr. Anthony Fauci, George Soros, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, and Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel.
Fact #6 : “New Variant” Message Happened Before Vaccines Were Readily Available
The claim that UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock messaged that the British government “deployed the new variant” to intimidate people into getting the COVID-19 vaccine is nonsense.
Even if the leaked WhatsApp message is genuine, Matt Hancock sent it on 13 December 2020 – just 5 days after the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine was administered in the UK.
At that time, Matt Hancock wanted to reveal the new (at that time) Kent variant of COVID-19 to “scare” people into complying with the lockdown. It had nothing to do with COVID-19 vaccines, which was in very short supply at that time.
The next day, he announced the Kent variant of COVID-19, and four days later, the UK government scraped its plans to relax COVID-19 measures for Christmas.
Fact #7 : Moderna Did Not Make COVID-19 Vaccine In 2019
The claim that Moderna made 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2019 – before the pandemic happened, was an (intentional?) misunderstanding of what CEO Stephane Bancel said at Davos 2023.
At that time, Bancel said that Moderna made 100,000 vaccine doses for the whole of 2019. However, it was the entire year’s production of vaccines for cancer, the Zika virus, a flu vaccine, and vaccines against other respiratory viruses.
China only announced its novel coronavirus outbreak on 31 December 2019, and only released the first draft of its genome on 11 January 2020. So it would not be possible for Moderna to develop any COVID-19 vaccine in 2019, much less manufacture 100,000 doses.
Fact #8 : Dr Ugur Sahin Received COVID-19 Vaccine In 2021
The claim that one of the inventors of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine – Dr. Ugur Sahin, refused to receive his own mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 is utter nonsense that was debunked in 2021.
It was based on a 22 December 2020 interview by DW News that was edited to show Dr Ugur Sahin appear to admit that he did not take his own vaccine.
The truth is – the interview occurred before COVID-19 vaccines were rolled-out in Germany, and therefore, he would not be eligible to receive one.
Dr. Ugur Sahin was fully vaccinated by early 2021, and received his booster dose sometime in November 2021.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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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.
Did a Philippines court issue an international arrest warrant for Bill Gates for premeditated murder?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Philippines Issued Arrest Warrant For Bill Gates!
People are sharing a NewsPunch article, which claims that a Philippines court issued an international arrest warrant for Bill Gates for premeditated murder!
It’s rather long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
Bill Gates Arrest Warrant Issued in Philippines For ‘Premeditated Murder’ Linked To Vaccine Roll Out
A Philippines court has issued an international arrest warrant for Bill Gates, as part of an investigation into the Covid-19 vaccination roll-out in the territory.
Excess deaths have spiked in the aftermath of the vaccination drive in the Philippines with hundreds of thousands of citizens dying unnecessarily and many more injured and maimed, according to prosecutors.
The judge said Gates, as the founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is “wanted in connection with hundreds of thousands of deaths, a number which cannot be estimated at present and is certain to increase exponentially in time.”
The Philippines had already banned Gates from entering the country in 2016, and has asked Interpol to relay the arrest warrant as a “red notice” to other police forces around the world, a request that has so far gone unmet.
The Heinous Crimes Court in Manila issued the order for the arrest of Gates under article 248 of the revised penal code (RPC), which carries a minimum prison term of 20 years and one day.
The news was immediately met with a superinjunction issued by the Gates Foundation which prevents media in relevant jurisdictions reporting on the arrest warrant or the existence of the superinjunction until the case is resolved.
The Philippines has a history of court action against international agencies pushing vaccines in the territory.
In 1995, the Philippines accused the UN agency UNICEF of waging a secret sterilization campaign in the territory. The state won a court order halting a UNICEF tetanus program that was using tetanus vaccine secretly laced with an abortion drug. Anti-hCG-laced vaccines had also been found in at least four other countries.
A Gates Foundation spokesperson declined to comment on the arrest warrant on Thursday, telling local radio: “This is a misunderstanding that we are going to have ironed out.
Truth : Philippines Did NOT Issued Arrest Warrant For Bill Gates
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : NewsPunch Is A Fake News Website
Like Real Raw News, NewPunch is a FAKE NEWS website that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.
It was founded as Your News Wire in 2014, before being rebranded as NewsPunch in November 2018. A 2017 BuzzFeed report identified NewsPunch as the second-largest source of popular fake news spread on Facebook that year.
Their articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from NewsPunch. Here are some of their fake stories that I personally debunked earlier:
Fact #2 : Philippines Court Did Not Issue Arrest Warrant For Bill Gates
To be clear, there is no active arrest warrant for Bill Gates in the Philippines, or any other part of the world.
For one thing, no legitimate media outlet in the Philippines, or internationally, has reported such an arrest warrant. If an arrest warrant was issued for a billionaire and celebrity like Bill Gates, you can be sure it would have been reported far and wide.
A judge in the Philippines can issue an arrest warrant, but only if a public prosecutor files for one in an actual court case.
There are also no court cases involving Bill Gates, or the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in the Philippines. So how can any judge issue an arrest warrant?
Fact #3 : No Such Thing As International Arrest Warrant
There is no such thing as an international arrest warrant. Arrest warrants issued by courts in the Philippines are limited to that country.
In the event the person is overseas, the police may file an Interpol Red Notice. However, an Interpol Red Notice is not an international arrest warrant.
Fact #4 : Bill Gates Was Not Involved In Philippines Vaccination Program
Bill Gates was never involved in the COVID-19 vaccination program in the Philippines, which was run by the government itself, under the Philippine National Vaccination Program and Implementation Plan.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was also not involved in the COVID-19 vaccination program in the Philippines. Even if the Foundation was involved in some kind of crime, it would have been charged in court, not Bill Gates himself.
Fact #5 : Murder Is Premeditated By Definition
It is odd for any court to issue an arrest warrant for premeditated murder, since murder is by definition, premeditated. Accidentally killing someone is called “manslaughter”
It would be like saying that you need a towel to wipe “wet water”, when a normal person would simply say “water”.
Fact #6 : Bill Gates Was Never Banned From Philippines
As far as I can ascertain, Bill Gates was never banned from entering the Philippines in 2016, or anytime in his life.
Fact #7 : Heinous Crimes Court Does Not Exist
There is no court in the Philippines, or anywhere else in the world, that is known as the Heinous Crimes Court.
The claim that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation issued a super-injunction is ludicrous. Only a court can issue a super-injunction.
Even then, super-injunctions do not prevent the media from reporting on any court case. It only blocks the publication of WHY an injunction was obtained, and the reporting that an injunction was obtained.
Fact #9 : Bill Gates Was Only Arrested In 1977
Interestingly, Bill Gates was once arrested in 1977, for driving his Porsche far above the speed limit in New Mexico.
His mugshot went viral at that time, even though there was no social media back then. Quite a feat!
COVID-19 vaccines underwent massive clinical trials, and were only approved after they were proven to be safe and effective.
In addition, they were constantly monitored after they received their approvals, which picked up rare side effects after they were administered to billions of people.
Anti-vaccination activists have often claimed that those who received the vaccine would die. Yet, the opposite was true – the vaccines are not only safe, they are effective in protecting people from getting hospitalised or dying from COVID-19.
Even prominent antivaxxer Steve Kirsch is healthy and well, despite being fully-vaccinated against COVID-19!
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!
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.
You may have seen celebrities endorsements of BitiCodes or Biti Codes circulating on Facebook and Instagram, but they are all FAKE.
Find out why there are so many fake celebrity endorsements of Biticodes / Biti Codes, and how they are doing it!
BitiCodes / Biti Codes : Fake Celebrity Endorsements
BitiCodes or Biti Codes claims to be “the crypto industry’s most accurate AI auto-trading app“, which “works by automatically placing trades… using trading bots to strengthen your chances of making a profitable trade.”
If you never heard of it, you won’t be alone, because it’s mainly promoted via advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, etc. They are also promoting it through Google Ads like these examples, which will often appear in completely legitimate websites.
Clicking on those advertisements will lead to legitimate-looking articles from local or crypto publications, often with a celebrity endorsing Biticodes / Biti Codes.
Here in Malaysia, people will see Biticodes being endorsed by the likes of local politicians like Lim Guan Eng or Dr. Mahathir. But those in the cybersecurity industry will quickly realise that these articles are familiar because they are almost exact copies of scam articles used in the previous Bitcoin Revolution scam.
Looking for reviews of Biticodes or Biti Codes is pointless, because they appeared to have paid for advertorials in legitimate media outlets, which are (intentionally?) wrongly listed as “reviews”. Only at the very bottom do they include a disclaimer that it was a sponsored post.
Outlook India
Biticodes Reviews : Today we’ll be talking about one platform called Biticodes that you can use to make an extra source of income. It’s safe, and you do not need to worry about anything. It may help you earn good money in very less time.
Disclaimer :This is sponsored review content posted by us. All the information about the product is taken from the official website (and not fact-checked by us). Contact customer care phone number given on product’s official website for order cancellation, return, refund, payment, delivery etc. related issues. Must consult any financial specialist before investing in BitiCodes Auto-Trading Software.
Tribune India
Biticodes is real or scam review 2022 : With an astonishing success rate of 90%, BitiCodes has what it takes to be your go-to platform for cryptocurrency trading. It can execute multiple deals per second – a rate that even the most experienced cryptocurrency traders would be hard-pressed to match.
Disclaimer :The views and opinions expressed in the above article are independent professional judgment of the experts and The Tribune does not take any responsibility, in any manner whatsoever, for the accuracy of their views. Biticodes are solely liable for the correctness, reliability of the content and/or compliance of applicable laws. The above is non-editorial content and The Tribune does not vouch, endorse or guarantee any of the above content, nor is it responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified.
In other words, those are NOT legitimate reviews, and the media outlets did not even test Biticodes / Biti Codes. Their disclaimers show that their “reviews” were paid content, written by Biticodes / Biticodes.
Avast Explains How BitiCodes Scam Works
In an August 2022 article, the cybersecurity company explained how the BitiCodes (also known as TeslaCoin) scam works:
The scam encourages people to pay to create an account and invest into a fraudulent crypto investment platform. There are two ways the campaign reaches potential victims: Through Facebook ads and email. Ultimately, victims can end up losing at least $250.
At the bottom of the page is a webform requesting site visitors to enter their name, email address, and phone number in order to register for the platform. The victim receives an email from a bot sparking a conversation in the victim’s language.
After a brief example exchange, the bot sends a link to a payment gateway, and asks the victim to transfer $250 in order to activate their trading account. Another scenario involves the bot emailing potential victims with steps to login to a cryptocurrency broker page, and after a few more emails, the bot sends a link to a payment gateway, asking the victim for a $250 initial investment.
I also investigated the articles and the BitiCodes website, and noticed that they are all using highly-suspicious domains and links:
celesteal.xyz/biticodes for the BitiCodes website (registered 23 Nov. 2022)
thedailypressbriefing.com/my for the BTC-News website (registered 29 Jan. 2023)
saveontaxesthisyear.tax for the BTC-News website (registered 6 Feb. 2023)
As you can see, the domains are not only completely unrelated to the article / websites, they are almost brand new! And if you go to their domain root, nothing loads. That is not how legitimate websites function. If you do a WHOIS lookup, you will discover that the owners of these domains are hidden.
Regardless of whether BitiCodes / Biti Codes itself is legitimate, you should avoid any article that do not tally with the official website, or with irrelevant domains.
Don’t fall for the scam. Avoid these BitiCodes / Biti Codes advertisements and fake celebrity endorsements.
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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.
Now, let me show you how to spot these scams next time!
If you spot any of these warning signs, DO NOT PROCEED and DO NOT SHARE!
Warning Sign #1 : Bad Grammar
Most of these scammers do not have a good command of the English language, so if you spot bad grammar, stay away.
Proper contests or events sponsored by major brands like Tenaga Nasional will have at least one PR or marketing person who will vet the text before allowing it to be posted.
Warning Sign #2 : Offering You Free Money Or Gifts
Please do NOT be naive. No one is going to give you money or free gifts just to participate in a survey!
Tenaga Nasional isn’t going to give you FREE money, just because it’s their anniversary.
They are a corporation whose business is to make money, not a charity to give you free money.
Warning Sign #3 : Not Using The Real Jaya Grocer Domain
A genuine Tenaga Nasional campaign would use their real domain – www.tnb.com.my.
Or they would run it off the official Tenaga Nasional page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/TNBCareline/.
If you see nonsensical domains like merefamily.top, 0yjjg61.cn, 1eaf1rnbeef.top, ldxqw.bar, etc. that’s a sign it’s a SCAM!
Warning Sign #4 : Asking You To Forward The Offer
No brand will insist that you must share the offer with 5 groups or 20 friends on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
Do not click to forward their offer to your family and friends. They will not appreciate being scammed with your help!
Warning Sign #5 : Asking You To Download + Register An App
If you click through and joined the fake survey scam, you will eventually be asked to download and register for an app.
This is VERY DANGEROUS. Never agree to download and register for any unknown app from a website.
Always download your apps from an official App Store like Google Play Store (for Android smartphones) and Apple App Store (for iPhones).
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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.
The painting of a young woman breastfeeding an old man in prison has gone viral.
Take a look at the viral claim and find out what the facts really are!
Viral Claim About Woman Breastfeeding Old Man In Prison
This photo of a classical painting is being shared on WhatsApp, social media platforms like Facebook, and even Reddit, together with this claim:
This painting of a young woman breastfeeding an old man in a prison cell was sold for 30 million Euros. The painting may look perverse but the story behind is from historical records.
The poor man was sentenced to “death by starvation” for stealing a loaf of bread during the reign of Louis XIV in France. The woman was his only daughter and the only visitor to his cell. She was allowed to visit him daily but was frisked thoroughly such that no food was taken in.
When after 4 months the man still survived with no weight loss, the authorities were perplexed and started spying on her in the cell and to their utter astonishment found her to breastfeed her father to the fullest sharing her baby’s milk. The judges then realizing the compassion and love of the woman for her father, pardoned the father and set him free.
This piece of history brings into focus how deep is a woman’s compassion in our daily lives that men often tend to overlook.
Roman Charity : Why Woman Breastfed Man In Prison!
As inspiring as the story is, this is yet another example of FAKE NEWS, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : That’s Roman Charity By Jules Joseph Lefebvre
The photo is of an oil painting on canvas called La Charité romaine (Roman Charity) by French painter, Jules Joseph Lefebvre.
Fact #2 : Roman Charity By Lefebvre Was Never Sold
The La Charité romaine (Roman Charity) painting by Jules Lefebvre was never sold for 30 million Euros.
It was purchased by the French government in 1864 for 1,500 francs, and displayed at the Melun Museum in 1865.
The French government later donated the painting to the Melun City Hall at 16 rue Paul-Doumer, where it can be seen in the wedding hall.
In the photo taken by Stephane Asseline in 2003, you can see the words Donné par l’état (Donated by the state) engraved into the frame.
Fact #3 : Roman Charity Is A Story Of Cimon And Pero
The real Roman Charity story is about Cimon who was convicted of a serious but unspecified crime, and sentenced to die of starvation.
Even though the prison guards were instructed not to provide him with water or food, Cimon surprisingly survived for more than a month. He was weak but not close to dying. The claim that he survived for more than FOUR months though is a tall tale.
One day, the guards reportedly discovered that his daughter Pero (some accounts describe her as his wife) had been breastfeeding her father. She had been allowed to visit her father once a day, and was able to feed him with her breast milk, keeping him alive that way.
What happened after that is not known. Some say that Pero’s love for her father convinced the court to pardon and release Cimon. But others claim that she was given a death penalty for what she did.
Fact #4 : There Are Many Roman Charity Paintings
There are actually many paintings showing a young woman breastfeeding an old man in prison, all variations of the Roman Charity story.
These four examples from Peter Paul Rubens (1612), Jan Janssens (1620-25), Dirck Van Baburen (1623) and Pieter van Mol (1640), all predate the Jules Lefebvre painting by over 200 years.
Arguably, the Jules Lefebvre painting of Roman Charity is more famous because it was the first depiction of Pero with a baby.
The original versions of the tale did not mention that she brought her baby to prison while visiting her father. So it isn’t surprising to see that earlier works only showed Pero and Cimon alone.
Fact #5 : Roman Charity Story Predates King Louis XIV
The story that the old man was sentenced to death by starvation for stealing bread during the reign of King Louis XIV is nonsense.
The story of Roman Charity goes way back to the days of Ancient Rome. It was first told in Factotum ac dictum memorabilium (Nine Books of Memorable Acts and Sayings of the Ancient Romans) by Ancient Roman historian Valerius Maximus.
A painting in the Temple of Pietas not only depicted the scene back then, wall paintings and terracotta statutes excavated in Pompeii suggest that it was common in the first century.
As I pointed out in the previous Fact, Western artists had already painted Roman Charity hundreds of years before Jules Lefebvre, or King Louis XIV’s reign from 1643 to 1715.
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The body camera and CCTV videos, as well as the 911 call, were just released, finally killing off MAGA and QAnon conspiracies about Paul Pelosi and David DePape!
Earlier : MAGA, QAnon Conspiracies On Paul Pelosi + David DePape
For months now, MAGA and QAnon personalities and supporters have promoted various conspiracy theories about Paul Pelosi and David DePape.
Some claimed that Paul Pelosi was having a lover’s tiff with his gay boyfriend, David DePape; while others claimed that DePape was a male prostitute that Pelosi hired.
Seattle Times even came up with a list of 21 American elected officials and candidates, and prominent personalities who spread conspiracy theories about Paul Pelosi and David DePape:
Elected Officials and Candidates
Sen. Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas : Amplified doubts that all facts were disclosed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Republican of Georgia : Suggested Paul Pelosi knew his attacker. Rep. Clay Higgins, Republican of Louisiana : Suggested the attack involved male prostitution Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, Republican of Louisiana : Raised doubts about the details of the attack. State Sen. Wendy Rogers, Republican of Arizona : Suggested the attack might have been staged. State Rep. Anthony Sabatini, Republican of Florida : Suggested the Pelosis are hiding vital information. Rep. Claudia Tenney, Republican of New York : Amplified a conspiracy theory about an extra marital gay affair. Mary Williams Benefield, Republican statehouse candidate of Georgia : Suggested the attack might have been staged. Royce White, Republican statehouse candidate of Minnesota : Claimed the attack involved an extramarital gay affair.
Prominent Figures
Donald J. Trump, former US President : Suggested the attack was staged. Devin Nunes, former representative of California : Repeated a false report that the attacker was in his underwear. Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter and Tesla : Amplified a conspiracy theory about male prostitution. Tucker Carlson, Fox News host : Raised doubts about the details of the attack. Peter Hegseth, Fox News host : Raised doubts that all facts were being disclosed. Megyn Kelly, talk show host : Raised doubts that all facts were disclosed. Glenn Beck, conservative commentator : Raised doubts about the details of the attack. Dinesh D’Souza, conservative commentator : Claimed the attack involved an extramarital gay affair. Ryan Fournier, founder of Students for Trump : Claimed details about attacker were fabricated. Sebastian Gorka, former Trump adviser and podcast host : Raised doubts about the details of the attack. Michael Savage, talk show host : Raised doubts that all facts were disclosed. Roger Stone, Trump associate : Suggested the attack was staged.
On Saturday, January 28, 2023, all those MAGA and QAnon conspiracy theories were dismissed as utter nonsense with the release of the body camera and CCTV videos, as well as the 911 call.
The evidence now definitively prove that all those MAGA and QAnon conspiracy theories about Paul Pelosi and David DePape were complete fabrication.
They were released after a state court judge ruled on Wednesday, January 25, 2023, that there was no reason to keep them secret.
The San Francisco district attorney earlier refused to release them, forcing a coalition of news agencies to sue for access to the evidence.
Police Body Camera Video
The police body camera video showed Paul Pelosi and David DePape holding onto a hammer, when after Pelosi opened the door. Neither man were wearing underwear, as some conspiracy theorists have alleged.
When the officer asked them to drop the hammer, DePape wrest the hammer from Pelosi and proceeded to attack him with the hammer. The actual hammer hit on Paul Pelosi’s head occurred out of the camera’s view.
After police officers wrestled David DePape to the ground, Paul Pelosi can be seen lying face down on the floor, apparently unconscious in a pool of what appears to be his own blood.
WARNING : GRAPHIC VIDEO!!!
This is the official police body camera video showing David DePape attacking Paul Pelosi!|
The surveillance video came from a Capitol Police CCTV camera that was installed at the Pelosi household.
There was not Capitol Police present, as Speaker Nancy Pelosi was away – their protection unfortunately did not extend to her husband.
David DePape is seen arriving at the back of the Pelosi house with two backpacks, before proceeding to use a hammer to smash the glass door six times, before attempting to break in.
After failing to gain entry, DePape proceeded to whack the glass door with his hammer ten more times, before using his shoulder to smash his way through.
He can then be seen ducking through the glass door – he appears to have broken just two glass panels.
This video clip shows David DePape smashing his way into Nancy and Paul Pelosi's home.
The 911 call, which runs almost 3 minutes, showed Paul Pelosi trying to alert the operator to the danger he was facing without triggering David DePape who was listening to the call, and even chimed in.
Here is my rough transcript of what was said in that 911 call between Paul Pelosi and David DePape on one end, and the 911 operator on the other end.
Operator : This is San Francisco Police. Do you need help?
Pelosi : There is a gentleman here waiting for my wife to come back. Nancy Pelosi. He’s just waiting for her to come back. She’s not going to be here for a day, so I guess we’ll have to wait. Is the Capitol Police around? They’re usually here at the house protecting my wife.
Operator : Okay, do you need Police, Fire, or Medical, for anything?
Pelosi : Uh, I don’t think so. I don’t think so. There’s the, um… Is the Capitol Police around?
Operator : No, this is San Francisco Police.
Pelosi : They’re usually here at the house protecting my wife.
Operator : No, this is San Francisco Police.
Pelosi : No, I understand. Uh, okay, well, uh. (speaking to DePape) I don’t know. What do you think?
DePape : I think everything’s good.
Pelosi : He thinks everything’s good. I’ve got a problem, but he thinks everything’s good.
Operator : Okay, call us back if you change your mind.
Pelosi : No, no, no, this gentleman just came into the house, and he wants to wait for my wife to come home. And so, uh… Anyway.
Operator : Do you know who the person is?
Pelosi : No, I don’t know who he is. He’s telling me not to do anything.
Operator : What is your name?
Pelosi : My name is Paul Pelosi. Anyway, this gentleman says that… he’s telling me to put the phone down, and to do what he says. Okay?
Operator : Okay, what’s the gentleman’s name?
Pelosi : I don’t know.
DePape : David DePape.
Pelosi : What’s that?
DePape : My name’s David.
Pelosi : His name’s David.
Operator : Okay, and who is David?
Pelosi : I don’t know. (to DePape) What’s that?
DePape : I’m a friend of theirs.
Pelosi : I don’t… He said he’s a friend, but as I said, I don’t know…
Operator : But you don’t know who he is?
Pelosi : No, ma’am.
Operator : Okay.
Pelosi : He’s telling me I’m being very leading, so I have to stop talking to you, okay?
Operator : Okay. You sure? I can stay on the phone with you just to make sure everything’s okay.
DePape : No, we want you to…
Pelosi : He wants me to get the hell off the phone. Okay?
Operator : Okay.
Pelosi : Thank you.
Operator : Okay, bye.
As you can tell by now – Paul Pelosi had no idea who David DePape was, and you can hear how he’s trying to convey to the 911 operator the danger he was in, without tipping off DePape.
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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 David DePape, who attacked Paul Pelosi with a hammer, a male prostitute he hired the night before?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Updated @ 2023-01-28 : Added the bodycam and CCTV surveillance videos on the night of the assault. Originally posted @ 2022-11-01
Claim : David DePape Was A Prostitute Paul Pelosi Hired!
The Santa Monica Observer went viral recently, after Elon Musk shared a story by its staff writer, Stan Greene, that claimed David DePape was actually a male prostitute that Paul Pelosi hired!
It’s a long, rambling article, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!
The Awful Truth: Paul Pelosi Was Drunk Again, And In a Dispute With a Male Prostitute Early Friday Morning.
As SF’s gay bars closed at 2 am, two gay men met in a bar and went home together. Happens every night in the City by the Bay. Except one of these two men, was married to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
I might disappear for telling you the truth. If I do, you’ll all know why. But here’s what really happened early Friday morning in San Francisco. IMHO–in my humble opinion.
According to SFPD “RP [Reporting Person] stated that there’s a male in the home and that he’s going to wait for his wife. RP stated that he doesn’t know who the male is but he advised that his name is David, and that he is a friend,” the dispatch official said. “RP sounded somewhat confused.”
It’s been a rumor for years in SF that Paul Pelosi is gay. David Depape is said to be a Castro Nudist. “The lunatic who allegedly assaulted Paul Pelosi is a Berkeley resident and a ‘Former Castro Nudist Protester’ and hemp ‘jewelry maker’ …sounds totally MAGA Republican to me. 🤣🤣” this from Twitter.
Ok, so here’s the theory, as related to me by a source: “Castro Nudists are a group of really radical gay male prostitutes that parade around naked with c–k rings. First of all, the Police did not come in response to an alarm. They come in response to a “wellness check”. So someone called them to check on Pelosi.”
“When he didn’t answer the phone, the cops broke the sliding glass door to get in. Pelosi was struggling with the suspect, who was in his underwear.
Pelosi owned the hammer. Not Depape. Or, the male prostitute was doing something Pelosi didn’t like.”
“And then there was the press conference when they didn’t know the mic was on. During that, a reporter confirmed that the suspect was a gay Castro Nudist, but (authorities) told him he couldn’t use it.”
“Now tell me something. These people are worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Nancy is third in line to the Presidency. You don’t think they have the most amazing security? And by the way, when Pelosi was in that drunk driving accident, he had a young man with him, and that too was covered up by the police and the press.”
“How would (suspect Depape) have been able to break a window that without triggering an alarm? He didn’t. The police broke the window to gain entry. There was only one hammer, and it belonged to Pelosi. And only ONE cop quoted the perpetrator saying, “Where’s Nancy?” None of the other sources said that happened. “
“And one of them could easily have broken that window. Remember, there was no alarm triggered. How would (suspect Depape) have gotten into that house without doing that? The cops smashed the glass to gain entry.”
Who called 911 to initiate a wellness check? Either Nancy or her staff, who hadn’t hear from Paul all evening and suddenly it’s 2 am. Or a neighbor, hearing a fight at the Pelosi residence.
Truth : David DePape Was NOT A Prostitute Paul Pelosi Hired!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created to generate page views and money from gullible people.
Fact #1 : Santa Monica Observer Is Notorious For Fake News
Santa Monica Observer is a “content aggregator” (copy and paste) website that is known for creating fake news to generate more page views and money.
To look legitimate, they copy and paste news from legitimate news organisations. To drive traffic, they create fake news. Here’s a selection of fake claims they posted in the past:
Hillary Clinton died in 2016, and it was her body double who debated Donald Trump.
Trump appointed Kanye West to a high-level position in the Interior Department.
Bill Gates is responsible for the recent polio epidemic.
Fact #2 : David DePape Broke Into Paul Pelosi’s Home
Santa Monica Observerfalsely claimed that David DePape was a male prostitute who stayed overnight at Paul Pelosi’s home, but had a quarrel that resulted in the assault.
It’s a silly claim, because DePape admitted to police, in a sworn affidavit to the US District Court of Northern California, that he broke into the house through a rear glass door at around 2 AM on October 28, 2022.
DEPAPE stated that he broke into the house through a glass door, which was a difficult task that required the use of a hammer. DEPAPE stated that Pelosi was in bed and appeared surprised by DEPAPE. DEPAPE told Pelosi to wake up.
Santa Monica Observerfalsely claimed that Paul Pelosi owned the hammer that was used in the attack.
David DePape planned to take US Speaker Nancy Pelosi hostage, interrogate her, and possibly break her kneecaps. So he brought two hammers (one later found in his backpack), a roll of tape, white rope, one pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and a journal.
[L]aw enforcement searched DEPAPE’s backpack at the Pelosi residence, and they found, among other things, a roll of tape, white rope, one hammer, one pair of rubber and cloth gloves, and a journal.
Police would later find another two hammers, together with a sword, and another pair of rubber and cloth gloves at DePape’s own garage.
On January 28, 2023, CCTV surveillance video showed David DePape hitting the glass door at the back of the Pelosi house 16 times with a hammer, before smashing his way inside.
This video clip shows David DePape smashing his way into Nancy and Paul Pelosi's home.
Santa Monica Observerfalsely claimed that the police went to conduct a “wellness check” on Paul Pelosi after someone else called them.
The truth is – the San Francisco Dispatch received a 9-1-1 call from Paul Pelosi at 2:23 AM, after he managed to escape to the bathroom.
Pelosi told the dispatcher that there was a male whom he did not know in his home, and that the man who called himself David was going to wait for his wife – US Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
San Francisco Police Department officers responded to the Pelosi residence at 2:31 AM.
Fact #5 : Police Officers Did Not Break The Window / Door
Santa Monica Observerfalsely claimed that the police broke a window or sliding glass door to gain entry into the Pelosi residence.
The truth is – when the police officers arrived, they knocked on the door, and Paul Pelosi ran to the door to open it. That was when Pelosi and DePape got into a tussle over the hammer.
When the door opened, the officers saw both Pelosi and DePape grappling over the hammer, with DePape holding Pelosi’s forearm with his other hand.
When the officers asked them both to drop the hammer, DePape pulled it out of Pelosi’s hand and hit him on the head, knocking him unconscious.
On January 28, 2023, the police released the bodycam video of the officers who responded. You can see that Paul Pelosi opened the front door (which is a wooden door) for them, before he was assaulted by DePape with a hammer.
Fact #6 : David DePape Is Not Gay, Nor A Prostitute
Santa Monica Observerfalsely claimed that David DePape is a male prostitute. There is no evidence DePape is gay or a prostitute.
He is a hemp jewellery maker who once lived with a nudist activist, Oxane “Gypsy” Taub. She lived with him for many years, and was the mother of his children – two sons and a daughter.
DePape also had another child, with a different unnamed woman, according to his stepfather, Gene DePape.
Fact #7 : David DePape Espoused Right Wing Conspiracy Views
Santa Monica Observer and many US conservatives are trying to frame David DePape as a left wing Castro nudist liberal.
However, DePape’s blog and social media posts show that he is deep into right wing conspiracy theories like:
He posted that journalists who deny Donald Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 Presidential election “should be dragged straight out into the street and shot”.
He posted and referenced QAnon – the baseless conspiracy theory espoused by Trump supporters, that the US is run by a deep state cabal of child sex traffickers, pedophiles and baby-eating cannibals.
He also claimed that Jews helped finance Hitler’s political rise in Germany.
He was also a Trump supporter, calling for the disgraced former president to run for office again, and make Tulsi Gabbard his Vice President running mate.
Fact #8 : Paul Pelosi Was Alone During His Drunk Driving Accident
Santa Monica Observerfalsely claimed that there was a young man with Paul Pelosi when he hit a car while driving under the influence of alcohol.
The accident report showed that only the two drivers were involved in the accident. There were no passengers in both cars.
Everything that Santa Monica Observer publishes should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.
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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.
Both H&M and the police are investigating how a hidden camera was used to record videos of people in a fitting room and then sold online!
Hidden Camera Allegedly Used To Record Videos In H&M Fitting Room!
The H&M fitting room hidden camera scandal exploded on Wednesday, 11 January 2023, after a Twitter user called Nishea (@meleisgw) exposed a private group that was allegedly selling four videos showing couples inside a fitting room.
The video footage appeared to be taken from above the fitting room by a hidden camera, and the videos allegedly showed shoppers undressing and trying on clothes, as well as couples hugging and/or engaging in sexual activities.
The four videos have now leaked, and are being sold through social media and Telegram groups for about RM20 to RM30 (US$4.50 to RM6.80) for the full set. That may seem “cheap”, but it’s because so many people have them already.
If you are thinking of buying these videos, don’t. You are more than likely to get scammed. And will you report to the police that you were cheated of money while trying to buy illegally-recorded videos of people in a fitting room?
One of the victims reached out to Nishea, and confirmed that the incident happened at the H&M store in the Avenue K mall in October 2022. The victim also said that she used the furthest most stall on the left of the fitting room.
She verified her story by showing her receipt of her clothes purchase on that day, and a photo of herself wearing the same clothes. A second victim also reached out to Nishea after that.
Both H&M and the police are now investigating the case.
H&M Fitting Room Hidden Camera Under Investigation!
After the incident erupted on social media, H&M addressed the issue, stating:
In response to recent concerns about hidden cameras in H&M fitting rooms, we have conducted an inspection of the fitting rooms in all H&M stores in Malaysia and are working to ensure that there are no security breaches that will compromise the privacy of our customers, as their safety is of utmost importance to us. All findings to date have been reported to the police, and investigations are currently ongoing.
The security manager of the Avenue K mall also lodged a police report over the matter at the Dang Wangi police station.
Assistant Police Commissioner OCPD Noor Delihan Yahya said that the police searched the H&M store but did not find any camera, and believe that the footage could have been recorded in a different location.
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is now investigating the case under Section 509 of the Penal Code for intentionally insulting the modesty of any woman by word, through sound, gesture, or object.
Here is our English translation of their press release on the matter.
On 11/01/2023 at approximately 0900hrs, one (1) 11-second video was uploaded by the owner of the Nishae Twitter account which shows the video recording from a hidden camera of the dressing room of a shopping center in the link https://twitter.com/meleisaw/status/1612094210810998785.
On 09/01/2023 at approximately 1638hrs, the Criminal Investigation Department of the Dang Wangi police headquarters, Kuala Lumpur received a police report regarding the incident. Preliminary investigations are underway to identify the date and location of the incident. The act is an offense under Section 509 of the Penal Code.
H&M Fitting Room Hidden Camera : Past Incident In China
This isn’t the first time H&M shoppers were targeted by hidden cameras in its fitting rooms.
Back in July 2017, a shopper called Chu spotted a hidden camera while changing her clothes inside a fitting room in the H&M store in Zhongshan, the south Guangdong province in China.
The camera was linked to a white plastic box behind the curtain on the other side of the door. The police later claimed that several other fitting rooms were also suspected to be fitted with hidden cameras.
However, I should point out that hidden cameras are a risk everywhere, not just in H&M fitting rooms, or any fashion outlet for the matter. It’s a risk in public toilets and even hotel rooms.
What we should learn about this is to be more aware of what’s around us in any room that is accessible to the public, even if it has a door and a lock.
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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 criminals using new push pocket tactics to target foreigners and tourists in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : KL Criminals Are Using New Push Pocket Tactics!
People are sharing this message about the new Push Pocket crimes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!
It’s a long message, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts.
Genuine message posted by a law firm in Malaysia. If you’re going to KL, take note!
PUSH-POCKET IN KUALA LUMPUR
I am sure you all have heard of ‘pick pocket’. A new trend ‘push pocket’. Read on.. for your own good.
A few days ago a new type of crime has surfaced in town. It goes something like this:-
Somebody slips a hand-phone into your pocket, sometimes it could be just a wallet with an identity card and a few ringgit.
A few minutes later, the ‘owner’ comes up and confronts you, the ‘thief ‘. He makes a big commotion that you stole his stuff.
You, caught unaware, are then pulled aside by the ‘owner’ for a settlement. You are intimidated and threatened that if you do not pay up the police will be brought in. If you pay up, this ‘owner’ lets you go. If not, the police are brought in.
Another strange thing is that there always seems to be a ‘witness’ to your ‘theft’.
I am told this often happens to foreigners at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) or even at LRT trains. Given that you’re ‘guilty until proven innocent’ as far as the Malaysian police are concerned, I understand some poor people are in jail forthese ‘offences’.
At the KLIA, the ‘owner’ throws his hand-phone and wallet with the few ringgit notes into the luggage trolley of a just arrived passenger. The drama unfolds a few minutes later. The real culprit has easily convinced our Malaysian police to arrest the real victim (if he has not paid up the ‘settlement’ demand). This is a very serious matter.
This is another form of extortionists operating in broad daylight. They are disgusting criminals who will do anything to rob and steal. The sickening part of the whole scenario is that unless you pay the ‘quoted settlement’ money, they will put you in real trouble by calling the police.
The real culprit gets back his hand-phone and wallet but the real victim ( i.e.. could be any one of us) is thrown into the police lock up and charged in court.
So do be very careful, otherwise you may end up as a ‘thief’ as you have no way to prove your innocence.
Pass it on….. Let more people be aware of such things around them.
Truth : KL Criminals Are Not Using New Push Pocket Tactics!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Push Pocket Is A Form Of Extortion
The so-called Push Pocket tactic is nothing new. It is a type of extortion scam, in which the criminal accuses the victim of being a thief – in a reversal of the usual pickpocket tactic.
A similar kind of tactic, called Zig-Zag, was reportedly being used in airports in Thailand, where tourists were allegedly accused of shoplifting in duty-free shops, and had to pay fees to avoid arrest.
Fact #2 : Viral Push Pocket Message Date Back To 2008
This viral message about the push pocket scam in Kuala Lumpur isn’t new. As far as I can tell, it dates back to at least 2008, when it was even shared on TripAdvisor by worried tourists.
It was given some prominence when The Star asked people to “beware of the push pocket scam” in October 2009. Since then, it has been reposted regularly in forums, on social media platforms, and WhatsApp groups.
Fact #3 : PDRM Has Received No Reports On Such Scams
After the message went viral again in January 2023, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) chimed in on the controversy on January 4, 2023.
PDRM secretary, Deputy Commissioner Datuk Norsiah Mohd Saaduddin said that checks showed PDRM has never received any report about such scams.
The public are urged to not fall for messages that have no basis and are not verified. Sharing or spreading such news can cause unrest and worry amongst the public.
Frankly speaking, it is improbable for such crimes to be committed, at least in airports and LRT or MRT stations, because they are covered by CCTV cameras. Malaysia is also not a lawless country, where police officers are blatantly corrupt and turn a blind eye to such crimes.
If a foreigner is accused of stealing from a local resident, the police in Malaysia will investigate and the CCTV footage will show that the foreign tourist did not steal anything.
And if there’s no CCTV footage, it doesn’t mean the foreign tourist gets jailed automatically. That means there is no evidence the foreign tourist stole the item, and therefore, the police have no right to arrest him/her.
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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.
