Be warned – your eWallet account may be blocked, if you attempt to transfer your free RM100 eMADANI credit! Here is what you need to know…
eMADANI : 10 Million Malaysian Citizens To Get Free RM100!
On 27 July 2023, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that the Malaysian government will give a special, one-off RM100 eWallet credit.
On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, the government announced that the eMADANI programme will benefit some 10 million Malaysian citizens and 2 million businesses, with a total budget of RM 1 billion.
The eMADANI programme is a new initiative that is designed to stimulate the micro, small and medium enterprises (PMKS), as well as promote cashless payments, and alleviate inflationary pressures on the rakyat.
From 4 December until 20 February 2023, eligible Malaysians can register and receive RM100 in one of these four eWallets:
MAE
Setel
ShopeePay, and
Touch ‘n Go eWallet
Please note that these four eWallet providers will also be offering additional incentives in the form of vouchers, cashbacks, discounts, reward points, and coins. So be sure to “shop around” for the best offers, before deciding on which eWallet to use!
eWallet May Be Blocked If eMADANI Credit Is Transferred!
On Monday, 4 December 2023, the Malaysia Ministry of Finance issued a statement warning that your eWallet may be blocked if you attempt to transfer your free RM100 eMADANI credit out!
This is partly because the eMADANI programme is meant to promote the digital economy, and the use of cashless payments in Malaysia.
The RM100 eWallet credit must be spent physically in retail stores and businesses using the the eWallet of your choice, except:
peer-to-peer transfers
cash redemptions
bill payments through the eWallet
government fee payments through the eWallet
telco postpaid payments and prepaid reloads through the eWallet
game payments through the eWallet
parking and toll payments
investment activities through the eWallet
e-commerce or online transactions
On top of that, the Ministry is aware of online scams offering “cash out” services to people. To avoid people being tricked into transferring their eMADANI credit out, the Malaysian government may order the blocking of eWallet accounts used in such activities, as well as the eMADANI credit involved.
So please make sure you do not transfer your RM100 eMADANI credit out of your eWallet. Do not fall for scams offering you the option to “cash out” the money. Instead, use the eMADANI credit to purchase at retail stores.
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Can scammers hack your phone if you answer their calls, or call back?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Scammers Can Hack Your Phone If You Call Back!
People are sharing this advice about scammers hacking your phone if you answer their calls, or call back!
Very Very Urgent …
Please pass this message to your family and friends NOW.
People have been receiving calls from Tel: +375602605281 Tel: +37127913091 Tel: +37178565072 Tel: +56322553736 Tel: +37052529259 Tel: +255901130460 or any number starting from +371 +375 +381
These guys only ring once and hang up. If you call back,they can copy your contact list in 3sec and if you have a bank or credit card details on your phone, they can copy that too…
+375 code is for Belarus. +371 code is for Lativa. +381 Serbia. +563 Valparaiso. +370 Vilnius. +255 Tanzania.
Don’t answer or Call back.
Also, Don’t Press #90 or #09 on your Mobile when asked by any caller.
It’s a new trick which is use to access your SIM card, make calls at your expense and frame you as a criminal.
URGENTLY FORWARD this message to as many friends as you can to stop any intrusion!!
Truth : Scammers Cannot Hack Your Phone If You Call Back!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is Old Fake News
First, let me just point out that this fake message isn’t even new. It has been circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms since April 2020, if not earlier.
Fact #2 : This Hoax Is Based On One Ring / Wangiri Scam
This hoax appears to be based on the 2019 FCC warning about the “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam, where scammers use robocall devices to give victims a miss call, in hopes that they would call back and get charged for Pay-Per-Call services.
The Federal Communications Commission is alerting consumers to reported waves of “One Ring” or “Wangiri” scam robocalls targeting specific area codes in bursts, often calling multiple times in the middle of the night. These calls are likely trying to prompt consumers to call the number back, often resulting in per minute toll charges similar to a 900 number. Consumers should not call these numbers back.
Recent reports indicate these calls are using the “222” country code of the West African nation of Mauritania. News reports have indicated widespread overnight calling in New York State and Arizona.
Generally, the One Ring scam takes place when a robocaller calls a number and hangs up after a ring or two. They may call repeatedly, hoping the consumer calls back and runs up a toll that is largely paid to the scammer.
Consumer Tips: · Do not call back numbers you do not recognize, especially those appearing to originate overseas. · File a complaint with the FCC if you received these calls: www.fcc.gov/complaints · If you never make international calls, consider talking to your phone company about blocking outbound international calls to prevent accidental toll calls. · Check your phone bill for charges you don’t recognize.
This scam, however, does not involve hacking any phone. It only requires you to call back the number, which is a Pay-Per-Call service.
Once you call back, you will get charged a premium rate, as the scammers try to keep you on the line for as long as possible.
Fact #3 : Scammers Cannot Hack Phone Through Calls
It is simply not possible to hack your phone through a voice call, even if you’re using VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), or apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.
What is possible though is voice phishing, also known as vishing. This is a form of social engineering, where scammers pose as a bank or police officer (or someone with authority) to obtain your bank account information, or trick you into transferring money into their bank accounts.
Fact #4 : 90# Telephone Scam Only Works With PBX / PABX
The #90 or 90# scam is a very old phone scam that only works on business landline phones that use a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) or PABX (Private Automatic Branch Exchange) system. Here is the official US FCC warning about this scam.
In this very old scam, the scammer pretends to be a telco employee looking into a technical problem with your phone lines, and asks you to help him by either mailing 90# or transferring the call to an outside line. If you do that, you will enable the scammer to place premium-rate calls that will billed to your phone number.
To be clear – these codes do NOT work on mobile phones or smartphones, because they do not run on PBX or PABX systems.
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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.
Did a Malaysian nurse lose RM380,000 after pressing the Instagram Like button?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Nurse Lost RM380K After Pressing Instagram Like Button!
People are sharing an article which claims that a Malaysian nurse lost RM380,000 after pressing the Like button in Instagram for RM5 commissions! Here is an excerpt from the article:
M’sian Nurse Loses RM380K After Pressing Instagram ‘Like’ Button For RM5 Commission
Too late to unlike
Recently, a nurse supervisor fell victim to an online part-time job scam and lost a staggering RM387,035 after she was tricked into thinking she could enjoy high earnings from it.
M’sian nurse loses RM380K after pressing Instagram ‘like’ button
According to a statement by Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman, he said the 46-year-old victim received a message through WhatsApp offering her a part-time job on September 11.
The scammer then told her that she had to do was to simply press the ‘like’ button on Instagram and earn RM5 in commission for each task she completed.
Completely beguiled, the victim proceeded to accomplish five tasks and received a commission totaling RM25.
“She was then presented with a prepaid assignment which involved making a payment beforehand and was promised of greater profits.
“After making 36 transactions to 21 bank accounts amounting to RM387,035 across 13 days starting from Sept 11, the victim finally realised she had been deceived,” he said.
Nurse Did Not Lose RM380K After Pressing Instagram Like Button!
First of all, I would like to applaud the website for writing about job scams, but that’s really a misleading title.
Unfortunately, many people don’t read beyond the headlines. People are even asking if they will get “hacked” like the nurse if they like Instagram posts!
The truth is – the Malaysian nurse did not lose RM380,000 because she pressed on the Like button in Instagram. In fact, Instagram and its Like button have nothing to do with the actual scam!
Social Media Jobs Are An Easy Lure
As I have earlier written on how fake job syndicates operate, the “job” and “platform” are not important. These scammers generally offer social media jobs, because that’s what most people already use, so it’s easy to hook victims.
These syndicates will offer quick and easy tasks to do on social media, for example – liking Instagram photos and Facebook posts. Other (non-social media) tasks include liking YouTube videos and/or subscribing to YouTube channels, or even making comments on businesses in Google Maps.
Whether the job is on Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Google Maps, etc. is irrelevant. The first few “jobs” you are given are the bait. You will be paid for those simple tasks, like RM5 for liking an Instagram post, or RM10 for subscribing to a YouTube channel. Such an easy way to make money!
Paying For Jobs Is The Scam!
After you get the first payment, you will be asked to participate in a “prepaid job”. All you have to do is pay a “deposit” for the opportunity to make a lot of money in high-paying “jobs”.
At this point, you may feel that this is a genuine side job opportunity. After all, they paid you for the earlier jobs, didn’t they? Real scammers wouldn’t pay their victims, right? WRONG!
Once you make that first deposit, you are “hooked”. The scammers will not let you withdraw the money, but insist that you must continue with the next “prepaid job”, which would require another deposit. Then, you will be asked to pay again to participate in another “prepaid task”, and so on.
On paper, you appear to be earning a lot of money, but you won’t be able to withdraw any of that money. By the time you realise it’s a scam, you would have lost a LOT of money. That is the scam, not pressing on the Instagram Like button.
In the nurse’s case, she fell for their trap to participate in the “prepaid assignment”. She ended up making 36 transactions worth RM387,000 to 21 different bank accounts over 13 days! She not only emptied her savings, she even loaned money from her friends and family members!
Why would any victim do that? Simple – the more money you invest in this fake job offer, the more desperate you will be to recover the money you “invested” and “earned”. To quit would mean losing everything, so you will feel that you have “no choice” but to continue.
To help you make that decision to “stick with the programme”, the syndicate have fake users in their Telegram group continuously posting bank deposit screenshots, while claiming that they just received their earnings.
The truth is – any money you send to their mule accounts will be quickly transferred to the scammers’ account. You will never see the money again.
As one student shared, he lost over RM22,000 in just two days, because he was so engrossed in trying to get back the money he “invested” earlier:
There’s one trick that this scammer is using. He let me start with a small investment, then proceed with stages.
They force me to continue because I want to rescue the money that I put in in the previous task. So it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Again, I’m glad to see more publicity about fake job scams. But it is important that YOU understand that the scam does not involve the pressing of the Like button in Instagram, or Facebook, or YouTube, or any other online platform.
This is ultimately just another case of a fake job scam. In this nurse’s case, the scammers used the simple job of liking Instagram posts as the lure, but it will be different for other victims. These scammers will use any convenient platform to give you simple jobs to trick you into falling for their scam.
Just remember – there is no such thing as easy social media jobs. Even unscrupulous social media promoters do not need to pay anyone to like a post, or follow someone. They simply use bots (automated software)!
Don’t fall for such fake job scams. No matter how enticing the offer is – NEVER pay for any job.
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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 Bangkok Mall Shooting!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Video Was Posted In Douyin
I traced the video that was posted to Douyin – China’s version of TikTok. The original poster (OP) is a Douyin user called Master ho (@yzz945201314), and here is the direct link to the video.
Fact #2 : Video Was Posted In August 2023
Master ho posted the video on 9 August 2023. The Siam Paragon mall shooting in Bangkok only occurred on 3 October 2023 – almost two months later.
So there is simply impossible for the viral video to be of the Siam Paragon mall shooting in Bangkok.
Fact #3 : Video Was Recorded In Phuket In June 2023
Even though the viral video was only posted to Douyin in August, it was originally recorded more than a month earlier – on Friday, 28 June 2023.
It was also not recorded in the Siam Paragon Mall in Bangkok. Rather, it was recorded in the Domestic Terminal of the Phuket International Airport.
If you look carefully at the video, you will notice the airport check-in counters, and people carrying luggages. The video was obviously recorded at an airport, and not a mall.
Fact #4 : Siam Paragon Shooter Was Only Armed With Pistol
The Siam Paragon mall shooter was an unnamed 14 year-old teenager from the nearby private secondary school – The Essence.
The boy was only armed with a modified Glock 9mm pistol, and did not have any long guns with him.
The shooter in the viral video was not only armed with a handgun, he also had what looked like an automatic rifle.
Fact #5 : It Was An Active Shooter Drill
The viral video does not show any actual crime, or gun violence taking place. It was an emergency security drill to simulate a response to an “active shooter” in the Phuket International Airport. In the photo above, you can even see a man taking photos or videos of the drill!
The drill was called “Full-scal exercise of Phuket International Airport Emergency Plan (PEMEX 2023), and conducted on the second floor of the Domestic Terminal, at around 11 PM – -after boarding for the final departing domestic flight had cleared the area.
The exercise was designed to simulate the coordinated response of security and anti-terrorism personnel to an active shooter taking hostages in the domestic terminal area. Thai agencies and personnel that took part in this PEMEX 2023 exercise included:
Thai Provincial Police Region 8
Sakhu Police
Phuket Airline Operations Committee (AOC)
Airports of Thailand ground service company (AOTGA)
Airports of Thailand private security company (AOT AVSEC)
Vachira Phuket Hospital
Phuket Provincial Public Health Office
Subdistrict Administrative Organisations (OrBorTor) for Mai Khao, Sakhu, and Thepkrasattri.
The truth is – anyone who analyses the video will realise that there are many “issues” with this video:
the gunshots do not sound like real gunshots
gunshots ring out even when the gunman isn’t shooting
none of the victims are bleeding
the person recording the video is bravely standing up to record the video for almost 2.5 minutes
the person recording the video can be heard laughing at around 0:18 in the video
at around 1:30, another man can be seen recording the scene from the upper floor
Fact #7 : OP Likely Reposted From A Different Source
The Douyin poster, Master ho, does not appear to be the person recording the video. He mistakenly labelled the location as Songkhla Airport – more accurately known as the Hat Yai International Airport in the Songkhla Province.
泰国宋卡机场发生枪击事件，听说是演习农 因 因 因
A shooting incident occurred at Songkhla Airport in Thailand. It was said that it an exercise.
However, he clearly stated in the description, and his subsequent comments, that it was just a drill.
Whoever copied this video from his Douyin account is certainly aware that the video was of an airport drill, and posted almost 3 months earlier.
The only conclusion we can draw from this is that – whoever copied the video to share in October 2023, is intentionally trying to mislead people.
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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.
Was there mass looting at London’s Oxford Street, as part of a crime wave in Western countries?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Mass Looting At London’s Oxford Street!
Pro-CCP netizens, as well as the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), are sharing a video which appears to show mass looting at London’s Oxford Street, with claims that this is part of a crime wave in Western countries!
Looting London, Oxford St
Also happens in US,France and Australia.Now,also in Sweden.
Truth : There Was No Mass Looting At London’s Oxford Street!
This is yet another example of misinformation and propaganda created by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and shared by anti-West netizens, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Video Originated In TikTok
First, the video originated in TikTok, with the poster describing it as a “mass looting stunt” that was planned on social media:
Chaos erupts on Oxford Street amid reports of ‘mass looting stunt’ planned on social media #london #oxfordstreet #clash #chaos #looting #stunt #shopping #shops #uk #news #fyp #foryoupage
Fact #2 : It Only Targeted JD Sports
The so-called looting did not occur at multiple stores at London’s Oxford Street. Rather, it only targeted one store – the JD Sports outlet nearest to Oxford Circus.
There are actually three JD Sports outlets along Oxford Street, but the outlet at 197-203 Oxford Street is the closest to Oxford Circus.
This was not the typical looting that has been going on in certain cities like San Francisco, for example.
The truth is – this was initiated by posts on TikTok and Snapchat calling on users to take part in an “Oxford Circus JD Robbery” at 3 PM on Wednesday, 9 August 2023.
The TikTok and Snapchat posts encouraged yobs (British slang for louts) to follow the dress code of balaclavas and gloves, with the warning – “Don’t come if you can’t run. Don’t come if you’re loud. Don’t come with any weapons“.
London mayor, Sadiq Khan, even issued a warning about the TikTok craze:
I am worried about this nonsense we have seen on TikTok encouraging people to go to Oxford Street.
The viral TikTok and Snapchat posts caught the attention of the Metropolitan Police, which sent dozens of police officers to proactively prevent the “mass looting” event, should it actually take place.
We are aware of online speculation about opportunities to commit crime around Oxford Street. There will be a significant number of our officers in the area over the next 24 hours.
Mounted police officers on horses patrolled Oxford Street, while police officers formed human shields around shops. In the end, hundreds of teenagers gathered outside the JD Sports outlet, but no actual looting took place.
Just after 3 PM, two young men were detained outside McDonald’s near JD Sports. By 8 PM, the Metropolitan police issued 34 dispersal orders and arrested nine people.
Four people were arrested on suspicion of breaching the dispersal order, one person was arrested on suspicion of going equipped to steal, one person arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer, and one person was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence.
Earlier in the afternoon, officers arrested two people in Essex for conspiracy to commit robbery following online social media posts.
However, no actual looting took place at JD Sports or any other store along Oxford Street that day.
Fact #5 : Most People Were There To Take Photos / Videos
While several people were arrested at the “mass looting” event, it appears that most people were there to take photos or videos of any looting that might actually occur due to the “TikTok craze”.
When British media interviewed people at the scene, many said that they were just there to record the “event”:
Harry, 14, from Islington : I’m not here to steal anything, I’ve been raised better than that. I just want to record it.
CJ, 16, from Hertfordshire : We’re not here to steal stuff – there’s loads of famous people making videos. We just saw loads of police and want to see what it’s about.
Many teenagers shared the photos and videos they took on TikTok and Snapchat, some of which appear in the video above.
Fact #9 : This Is Just CCP Propaganda
This is really nothing more than yet another example of CCP propaganda created / promoted 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 most instances. So please watch out for such false claims. Here is just the latest dozen,.
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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 street children being used to lure rape / murder / organ harvesting victims?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Street Children Are Being Used To Lure Victims!
This message has gone viral on WhatsApp and social media, sometimes shared as text, sometimes as screenshots:
URGENT NOTICE Ministry of Home Affairs. From all police stations to all citizens
There are children in the streets now carrying papers with their home address written on it and claiming that they are lost. If you see these children, do not take them to the written address because people are waiting for you there to kill you, steal your organs, or rape you, so we ask you to take them to the nearest police station or the nearest emergency patrol and immediately report them.
Please distribute this. This is true, and we confirm that they hand them over to the nearest police station or the nearest patrol that you find. Don’t try to be a hero or a good Samaritan. Send it to all your contacts. -Rescue Forces.
NOTIS SEGERA
Kementerian Dalam Negeri.
Dari semua balai polis kepada semua rakyat .Terdapat kanak-kanak di jalanan kini membawa kertas dengan alamat rumah mereka tertulis di atasnya dan mendakwa bahawa mereka hilang. Jika anda melihat kanak-kanak ini, jangan bawa mereka ke alamat bertulis kerana orang sedang menunggu anda di sana untuk membunuh anda, mencuri organ anda, atau merogol, jadi kami meminta anda untuk membawa mereka ke balai polis berhampiran atau rondaan kecemasan terdekat dan segera melaporkan mereka.
Tolong edarkan ini. Perkara itu benar, dan kami mengesahkan bahawa mereka menyerahkan mereka ke balai polis terdekat atau peronda terdekat yang anda temui. Jangan cuba menjadi pahlawan atau orang Samaria yang baik. Hantarnya kepada semua kenalan anda.
Truth : Street Children Are Not Being Used To Lure Victims!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Viral Message Has Been Circulating Since 2022
This viral message isn’t new. It has been circulating at least since April 2022, if not earlier. It just keeps going viral on and off on WhatsApp and social media.
The first messages appear to start spreading in Nigeria and Uganda, before going viral in Southeast Asia.
Fact #2 : No Evidence For Street Children Being Used As Bait
There is no evidence that street children are being used to lure victims for criminal gangs looking to kill or rape you, or steal your organs. There is no known case of criminal gangs using street children as bait either.
In fact, it is a rather ridiculous idea. There are easier ways for criminals to target you, than to use street children to lure you in.
Fact #3 : PDRM Calls It Fake News
When the message went viral in Malaysia for the first time in September 2022, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) issued a statement, calling it fake news. Here is the English translation:
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) has detected one (1) message spreading on social media that is alleged to be a ‘warning notice from the Ministry of Home Affairs and police stations nationwide’. The message alleges there are people using street urchins who carry papers with their home address as a tactic to get help to be sent home. Any individual who helps bring such children to the alleged address will be killed, organs stolen and raped.
PDRM confirmed that the viral message is fake and was never issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) nor PDRM. An investigation also confirmed that no police reports had been received in relation to criminal incidents as shared.
Human organs are not Legos. You can take Legos from one set and use them in another set, but you can’t take organs from someone and just plunk them into another person.
Harvested or donated organs need to be matched to their recipients, or they will be rejected by the body and fail.
Every donor and recipient needs to undergo three tests to ensure compatibility – blood type, blood cross-matching, and HLA typing. If this is not done, organ rejection is almost a certainty.
This is why it is very unlikely for the criminals to just kidnap anyone just to harvest their organs. They will want to match the donors to the recipients BEFORE they kidnap them.
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.
Is MPH giving away free books on financial planning and stocks?! Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Updated @ 2023-09-26 : Added a new version of this scam
Updated @ 2023-08-14 : Added new versions of this scam Originally posted @ 2023-05-20
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!
🎉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)
📢📢 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 the 99 Supermarket Malaysian branch exceeding 1,000, thank you for your support ❤️99 Supermarket specially prepares best-selling books on stocks and gives them to everyone for free
🔥The number of stock books is limited, while supplies last
👋👋Sorry really sorry, this time I really want to say goodbye to everyone! The bookstore can’t continue to operate as sales in the store continue to decline! So the company decided to close the store and give away the remaining financial stock books in the store for free, hope it will help everyone! Limited quantity until delivery lasts. (Free shipping available)
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
MPH English Bookstore
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!
Fact #7 : One Victim Lost RM480K To Investment Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report. By then, it was too late – she had already lost every sen she “invested”.
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.
Please watch out for the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones scam! Take a look at the scam, and find out what the facts really are!
Marshall Minor III Wireless Earphones Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook ads that promote an awesome discount for the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones! Here is one recent example:
😣”Frustrating” 😣I had to queue for 5 hours at IOI City Mall to buy MARSHALL MINOR III wireless headphones for only RM179 (original price RM596), I was surprised because I thought they only sold directly I heard it’s open for sale online in 2 more days https://www.marshall-ash.asia/ms And also get the same discount as buying at the store. Free shipping nationwide.
But the 4 hours of queuing was worth it. As a Marshall fan, I was very excited when I heard the news that the Minor III series was coming out. And don’t waste your time waiting, the design is very beautiful, more stylish than the old version 💯 Great sound quality. Clear bus, fast Bluetooth connection, suitable for all types of devices, super battery life, 5 hours of continuous use and 25 hours with charging box, waterproof. The best thing about these headphones is the close-to-ear design. Comfortable, can play sports without worrying about falling. If you don’t buy it, you will be very disappointed.
I let my colleagues borrow it to play games because it sounded so realistic. There is no delay in movement. Many people ask me if the store still has promotions? I just saw information that the store has a discount in the next 2 days. Order quickly. At the end of the promotion, the price will return to the original price of RM596. I leave the purchase link here for those who want to buy: https://www.marshall-ash.asia/ms
This is yet another example of SCAMS circulating on Facebook, and here are there reasons why…
Fact #1 : Marshall Minor III Price Absurdly Low
The first thing about scams involving electronics, is that they often promise ridiculous great deals. If it’s too good to be true, it often is just a scam.
In this particular scam, scammers are offering the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones for just RM179 (US$39). That’s absurd, as the Marshall Minor II wireless earphones has an official retail price of $159 (approximately RM699)!
Marshall is a high-end audiophile brand, and its electronics are never cheap. Even if they offer a discount, it wouldn’t be anything like 70% to 75%. That’s just ridiculous.
For your safety, here are legit purchase options online for the Marshall Minor III earbuds :
Fact #4 : IOI City Mall Does Not Have A Marshall Outlet
The claim by these scammers that Alvinn Chong queued up for 5 hours at the IOI City Mall to buy the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones is easily debunked.
If you check the IOI City Mall tenant listing, you will quickly discover that it does not have a Marshall outlet.
Fact #5 : Queue Photos Are From Vietnam
The two photos which claim to show long queues for the Marshall Minor III wireless earphones were not taken in Malaysia. They were actually taken in Vietnam.
This photo does not show people in IOI City Mall queueing up outside a Marshall outlet. It actually shows people queuing up for the opening of the 15th Pandora store at the Long Bien Aeon Mall, on 28 April 2022.
Incidentally, Pandora is a Danish jewellery brand, and does not sell Marshall audio products…
The second queue photo is also from Vietnam, but taken many years ago on 11 November 2017. It does not show people queuing up to buy any Marshall products either.
They were actually queuing up at Royal City Shopping Center in Hanoi, for the opening ceremony of the second H&M store in Vietnam.
Fact #6 : Scam Website Not Affiliated With ASH Asia
ASH Asia is an authorised distributor of Marshall products in Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
However, the scam page (https://www.marshall-ash.asia/ms) has nothing to do with ASH Asia, whose official Marshall Minor III page is https://ash-asia.com/ms.
On top of that, ASH Asia does not sell the Marshall Minor III directly (like the scam page). Instead, ASH Asia sells the wireless earphones through Shopee and Lazada.
In fact, if you check the main domain itself, you will get an error message, stating:
Your domain name has been successfully pointed!Please publish a Landing Page with the above domain name to use the service.Thank you!
This not only gives it away as a scam website, it also suggests that the scammers are operating out of Vietnam.
Fact #7 : Scam Website Admits Selling Fake Marshall Minor III
Ironically, the scam website itself has a disclaimer, warning potential buyers that it is not selling genuine Marshall Minor III wireless earphones, but a replica instead…
Most people won’t notice it because if you click to order, the website is designed to skip past this warning.
To assure you that this is safe, the scammers say that you only need to pay on delivery. Sounds good, doesn’t it? That guarantees that you will at least receive the item, doesn’t it?
Not quite, as one person who claimed to have purchased from this scam website explained…
I was attracted and clicked in, filling in my address and phone number.Three days later, I got a call saying that my package would arrive through DHL-COD, and asked me to make sure I was home.
I started looking forward to it, but when I thought about it, I became more suspicious.Since when does DHL provide Cash On Delivery service? I can’t believe they would dare to pay for first-class service without any payment from me.I figured it might be a scam!
What’s the scam? You may not have any doubts when you receive the package. When I open it immediately and take a look, then I realized it was full of garbage. [Unfortunately] I had already paid the delivery person, who ran away.
If true, the scam involves giving you an empty package filled with trash to receive your cash payment. After which, you have no recourse.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Watch out for the Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia scam on WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and Twitter!
Find out how this scam works, and WARN your family and friends!
Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia 2023 Scam Alert!
These scam messages about Bantuan Tunai Rakyat (BTR) 2023, or Bantuan Percuma Kerajaan Malaysia 2023, is going viral on WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
CARA SEMAKAN TARIKH BAGI PENERIMA BANTUAN RM600 DIKREDITKAN SETIAP BULAN
Untuk mereka yang layak, anda boleh lakukan semakan dengan mengikuti cara yang diterangkan.
Baca Cara Semakan Bantuan 👇 https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/
SHARE INFO ini kepada rakan-rakan dan saudara mara untuk manfaat semua
HOW TO CHECK THE DATE FOR RECIPIENTS OF ASSISTANCE RM600 CREDIT EVERY MONTH
For those who are eligible, you can check by following the described method.
Read How to Check Help 👇 https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/
SHARE this INFO to friends and relatives for the benefit of all
As one lady shared in the video below, she got tricked by the scammers, who took over her Telegram account to send the same scam message to all of her contacts!
While she claimed that she did not click any link, I will show you how she got scammed…
Warning : To show you how the scammers work, I will share the links they use. I will highlight those dangerous links in red. Do NOT go to those links.
Super Long Link
To trick people into clicking on the scam links, the scammers intentionally use a misleading and very long URL, so you are less likely to notice the domain.
This is the scam link : https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/
Note how the scammer used a long list of descriptive keywords – “bantuan“, “rakyat“, “malaysia“, “lynk“, which helps to mislead people, and make it more difficult for them to notice that the domain is “eu.org“.
Obviously, eu.org is not a Malaysian government domain (which ends with .gov.my), and it has nothing to do with Malaysia or financial aid. This domain also has nothing to do with the European Union.
EU.org provides free subdomains, and so scammers use it to not only run their scams, but to give their scams a more “legitimate-looking domain”.
Pro Tip : Always check the domain of a link before you click on it. Avoid super-long links like this because they are often used to mask the domain name.
After clicking to go to https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/, you will be taken to what looks like an invitation to join a Telegram group. But in reality, it is a fake Telegram invitation.
A real Telegram invitation will have a link like this – https://t.me/XXXXXXXX. But this scam page has the link – https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/my.php.
Also, a real Telegram invitation can detect if you are using Windows / Mac or Android / iOS, and suggest that the right download for your device.
The invitation also has a glaring typo – the link says Massage Now, rather than Message Now. Hilarious!
In any case, a real Telegram invitation will not ask you to Message Now. Rather, it will allow you to either View In Telegram, or Preview channel in the web browser itself.
If you click on Join Group, you will be taken to this Telegram login page. Even though it offers you a list of countries to select from, the only option is Malaysia.
WARNING – THIS IS A SCAM PAGE. This is what is known in cybersecurity as a “phishing attack”.
First of all, Telegram invitations will never ask you to log into your Telegram account. It will simply launch the Telegram app and load the group for you.
Secondly, if you look at the link, it leads to the same scam domain, specifically https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/my.php.
Do NOT log into your Telegram account in this page.
If you log into your Telegram account using this phishing page, then the scammers will gain access to your Telegram account, and take it over for their own use.
They can then use your Telegram account to send the same scam message, or worse, cheat your family and friends of their money!
The lady in the viral video likely logged into this phishing page, thus giving the scammers control of her Telegram account. That was likely how they were able to message everyone on her contact list.
She also likely did not enable Two-Step Verification in Telegram, which would let her recover her account even after scammers have gained access.
That is why people who were hit by this scam had to call and inform their relatives and friends, or publicly post about it to warn all of their contacts.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to warn all of their contacts, and inevitably, someone will get cheated of their hard-earned money. That’s why these scams are so popular – they really work, and scammers are making a ton of money!
Help us fight against these scammers. SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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 a Chinese driver get attacked with an axe after he honked at a Malay driver in front of him?!
Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Chinese Driver Attacked With Axe After Honking!
People are now sharing four videos together with this viral message about a Chinese driver getting attacked with an axe after he honked at a Malay driver in front of him!
Forwarded by another chat group. The Chinese driver at the back horn the malay guy in front. Maybe the malay driver in bad mood took an axe and chopped him.
Be patience on the road and do not horn unnecessary.
I will not be posting the videos, because they are shocking in nature. However, these two screenshots should give you an idea of the violence, and the videos I’m referring to.
Truth : No Chinese Driver Was Hacked With Axe For Honking!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : Incident Occurred In Sabah
Let me start by pointing out that the viral videos are genuine, and were not edited. There was a recent incident where a man was hacked with an axe in Malaysia.
The incident occurred on Wednesday night, 9 August 2023, in Likas, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Fact #2 : The Man Did Not Honk At Anyone
The incident did not involve honking. The victim – a 37 year-old man, had earlier parked his car at an open space near Menara Kinabalu – the Sabah state administrative centre.
He was having a meal with his 30 year-old girlfriend in his parked car, when three men approached his car at around 9 PM. One of the three man then proceeded to attack the victim with an axe.
The couple managed to escape to the nearby Alamesra police station to seek help, and lodge a police report. The victim was later sent to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment. His girlfriend was not injured.
Fact #3 : Police Are Looking For The Three Men
The police are now looking for the three man to help with their investigation into the case – 37 year-old Withal Jalali, 27 year-old Abdel Jalali, and another man who has not been identified.
Those with information of the individuals or the incident are advised to come forward and report the matter at the nearest police station or contact the investigating officer Inspector Muhammad Khaidir Zakaria at 014-801-961.
The man who attacked the victim with an axe is believed to be Winhal Jalali – the woman’s ex-husband.
The woman is believed to have married the suspect in 2015, before they divorced about a month ago. She has known the victim for six months before starting a romantic relationship two weeks ago.
Kota Kinabalu Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Zaidi Abdullah confirmed the incident on Friday, 11 August 2023, stating:
The man suffered multiple injuries to his face, hands and foot following the attack. We believe the motive of the attack was jealousy.
The case is being investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt using a dangerous weapon.
Fact #5 : Victim’s Identity Is Still Unknown
The victim’s identity is currently unknown. The police have not revealed his name, much less his race. Therefore, there is no evidence that he is a Chinese man.
Until and unless the victim and/or the police reveals his identity and race, anyone who tells you that he is a Chinese man is likely telling a tall tale.
Fact #6 : Two Suspects Are Suluk
According to the Kota Kinabalu police, the two suspects who have been identified – Winhal Jalali and Abdel Jalali, are from the Suluk ethnic group.
In other words – the claim in the viral warning that the driver was attacked by a “moody Malay man” is categorically false.
Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Please watch out for the Media Prima Digital / Nielsen fake job scam! Don’t forget to warn your family and friends!
Media Prima / Nielsen Job Scam : How They Reel You In…
Scammers are targeting people through WhatsApp, offering an easy way to make extra money through a part-time job you can do online.
I am Shirley , a permanent employee at Media Prima Digital Company in the recruitment department. The HR department sent me this number and asked me to contact you to get you to a job opportunity.
I just want to share some work-from-home freelance job information offer .You don’t have to spend a lot of time on the job.I can explain if you are interested
The job appears to be very simple – just use your Instagram account to follow Media Prima Digital’s brand partners, to boost their follower count and exposure.
Our job is to use Instagram to follow our various partner brands and work with Malaysian brand influencers to increase their exposure. We hire freelancers to work with the hope of earning extra income every day.
You don’t have to do any marketing for the brand, you just have to subscribe Brand. The salary will be paid daily using TnG or Bank transfer.
Best of all, the scammers are promising that you can make easy money doing nothing more than help Media Prima Digital boost their brand partners on Instagram…
This job is like freelancing. You can do it from anywhere and anytime if you can use social media. RM 110-550 per day if you can do it energetically without even a little worry. You can earn up to RM 3,300-16,500 per month.
Wow! That’s more than what many people earn in Malaysia, so why the heck not, right? Just use Instagram to help big brands “cheat” on their follower counts. Unethical, but not illegal, right? And easy money to make.
The scammer will let you try one or two tasks to show you just how easy it is to make quick money. Wow – you can earn RM10 just by following one Instagram account? Easy!
To get paid, the scammer hands you over to the actual fake job syndicate on Telegram…
Why Telegram? Telegram is popular with scammers because it not only offers end-to-end encryption, it won’t expose their actual telephone numbers.
Go to telegram and add to our receptionist. Use this username @AD or you can easily add her using this Link. https://t.me/KL999654
After successfully adding her send her a message. (I’m a new member.) code: JZ 450032 (ML-OS)Please send me a screenshot to confirm after sending code message to her.
She will invite you to join our working group where you can accomplish many tasks and earn more salary.
This “receptionist” will quickly pay you the RM10 (the bait), to “prove” that this is a genuine operation. She will then explain what you need to do to earn RM200 to RM300 a day. That’s more than what most people make in a day!
The finance department is sending money to you, please inform me when you receive it! Now let me give you a detailed description of our part-time work
The main job is to help Instagram users follow their page. You get RM2 for completing one task. RM80+ commission per day depending on your hours. The daily income is between RM 200 and RM 300, as long as you have enough time to do it, you can join
You will get RM2-RM18 commission for completing the task and an additional RM80 salary, which will be calculated based on your working hours today, ending at 8pm
Complete a task for RM2, accumulate RM10 and you can automatically receive commission. The more tasks you do, the more commissions you earn and the higher your salary
Update the task every 20 minutes and send me screenshots when you’re done so I know how much you’ve accomplished. The timeout task has expired and does not need to be completed. Do the latest task in the group
Only RM2 per task? But okay, they are also offering a daily commission. You work it out, and decide – what the heck, you can still get a decent sum every day. So you agree to participate.
After you chug along, accumulating a small but nice sum over several hours, they hit you with the scam… you have to invest your money for the next job.
Subscribe to Tasks: In order to thank you for your support to our company we hereby announce the welfare task and strive for the quota for everyone Subscription Rule (2-4 orders) This task is based on market demand, we are recruiting customers to transfer subscription to increase transaction flow. Increase market turnover. 5 to 10 minutes to complete the task, such as subscribe RM100, get RM130, 30% profit. =========================== MYR 100 Cash back MYR 130 (Newbie subscription) MYR 200 Cash back MYR 260 MYR 300 Cash back MYR 390 MYR 600 Cash back MYR 780 MYR 1000 Cashback MYR 1300
This is when your receptionist will pressure you into at least taking the “newbie subscription” of “just RM100”. She will assure you that you will instantly get RM30 profit.
In the meantime, people in the Telegram group will publicly announce that they are buying subscriptions of RM300, RM600, etc. These are likely just accounts run by the scammers.
If you hesitate, the receptionist will tell you that you cannot proceed without subscribing to this task. If you refuse, you will also lose the money you earned earlier. This is how they trap you.
If you jump right into it, the group will likely pay you the first time, to tempt you into investing more the next time around. That’s when they take your money for good.
Don’t think that you can’t really lose much on such fake job scams. One university student recently explained how he lost over RM22,000 in a similar job scam.
There’s one trick that this scammer is using. He let me start with a small investment, then proceed with stages. They force me to continue because I want to rescue the money that I put in in the previous task. So it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
So please AVOID such online job offers, and help us fight these scammers – SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Watch out for the Bantuan Tunai Rakyat Malaysia 2023 scam on WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and Twitter!
Find out how this scam works, and WARN your family and friends!
Bantuan Tunai Rakyat Malaysia 2023 Scam Alert!
These scam messages about Bantuan Tunai Rakyat (BTR) 2023, or Bantuan Percuma Kerajaan Malaysia 2023, is going viral on WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Bantuan percuma kerajaan 2023 khas untuk yang mana bergelar usahawan,pendidik,suri rumah,kerani dan yang kerja sendiri di waktu sekarang, boleh dapatkan geran RM2500 😱 🧕👩🍳👩💻👷♂️👨🎓👨🌾 ✅ Bantuan ni percuma ✅ Tak perlu bayar semula ✅ Maksimum sehingga RM2,500 / RM5,000 JOM CLAIM:
Free government assistance 2023 especially for those who are entrepreneurs, educators, housewives, clerks and self-employed at the moment, can get a grant of RM2500 😱 🧕👩🍳👩💻👷♂️👨🎓👨🌾 ✅ This help is free ✅ No need to pay again ✅ Maximum up to RM2,500 / RM5,000 CLAIM HERE:
As one lady shared in the video below, she got tricked by the scammers, who took over her Telegram account to send the same scam message to all of her contacts!
While she claimed that she did not click any link, I will show you how she got scammed…
Bantuan Tunai Rakyat Malaysia Scam : How Does It Work?
Warning : To show you how the scammers work, I will share the links they use. I will highlight those dangerous links in red. Do NOT go to those links.
Super Long Link
To trick people into clicking on the scam links, the scammers intentionally use a misleading and very long URL, so you are less likely to notice the domain.
This is the scam link : http://bantuan-kerajaan-my-fase-3-trd.financialanchorllc.com
Note how the scammer used a long list of descriptive keywords – “bantuan“, “kerajaan“, “my“, “fase 3“, which helps to mislead people, and make it more difficult for them to notice that the domain is “financialanchorllc.com“.
Obviously, financialanchorllc.com is not a Malaysian government domain (which ends with .gov.my), and it has nothing to do with Malaysia or financial aid.
A quick WHOIS check reveals that the ownership of this domain is hidden by a paid service – which is not what a genuine government agency would do.
Pro Tip : Always check the domain of a link before you click on it. Avoid super-long links like this because they are often used to mask the domain name.
After clicking to go to https://bantuan-kerajaan-my-fase-3-trd.financialanchorllc.com, you will be taken to what looks like an invitation to join a Telegram group. But in reality, it is a fake Telegram invitation.
A real Telegram invitation will have a link like this – https://t.me/XXXXXXXX. But this scam page has the link – https://bantuan-kerajaan-my-fase-3-trd.financialanchorllc.com.
Also, a real Telegram invitation can detect if you are using Windows / Mac or Android / iOS, and suggest that the right download for your device.
A real Telegram invitation will not ask you to Join Group. Rather, it will allow you to either View In Telegram, or Preview channel in the web browser itself.
If you click on Join Group, you will be taken to this Telegram login page.
WARNING – THIS IS A SCAM PAGE. This is what is known in cybersecurity as a “phishing attack”.
First of all, Telegram invitations will never ask you to log into your Telegram account. It will simply launch the Telegram app and load the group for you.
Secondly, if you look at the link, it leads to the same scam domain, specifically https://bantuan-kerajaan-my-fase3-gcc.financialanchorllc.com/main/index.php.
Do NOT log into your Telegram account in this page.
If you log into your Telegram account using this phishing page, then the scammers will gain access to your Telegram account, and take it over for their own use.
They can then use your Telegram account to send the same scam message, or worse, cheat your family and friends of their money!
The lady in the viral video likely logged into this phishing page, thus giving the scammers control of her Telegram account. That was likely how they were able to message everyone on her contact list.
She also likely did not enable Two-Step Verification in Telegram, which would let her recover her account even after scammers have gained access.
That is why people who were hit by this scam had to call and inform their relatives and friends, or publicly post about it to warn all of their contacts.
Unfortunately, it is not always possible to warn all of their contacts, and inevitably, someone will get cheated of their hard-earned money. That’s why these scams are so popular – they really work, and scammers are making a ton of money!
Help us fight against these scammers. SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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 JPJ now installing AES CCTV cameras with AI technology to monitor what drivers do at traffic lights?!
Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : JPJ Is Installing AES CCTV Cameras With AI Tech!
People are sharing a photo on WhatsApp and social media platforms, claiming that the Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) has started installing AES CCTV cameras at with AI technology.
These new AES (Automated Enforcement System) CCTV cameras are apparently using artificial intelligence to monitor what drivers do at traffic lights, and catch them committing crimes like using their smartphone / mobile phone.
JPJ sudah bermula memasang CCTV A.I AES yang dapat merakam video apa yang kamu sedang buat di Traffik light… yang selalu main Henfon semasa menunggu lampu Hijau… sila berjaga jaga ya.. sekali kena saman jangan cakap tak bagi amaran pula..
JPJ has started installing CCTV A.I AES that can record video of what you are doing at the traffic light… who are always playing with their smartphones while waiting for the green light… please be careful.. once you get a summons, don’t say no one warned you..
Truth : JPJ Is NOT Installing AES CCTV Cameras With AI Tech!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why!
Fact #1 : It Was Installed As Proof Of Concept Trial
First, let me just confirm that the JPJ has not initiated any widespread project to install CCTV cameras with artificial intelligence (AI) technology at traffic lights.
The camera was installed as a proof of concept trial, which was launched on Tuesday, 4 July 2023, as “Proof of Concept : AI Violation Detection CCTV“.
The viral photo was issued by the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS), together with the official press release.
Fact #2 : Camera Was Only Installed In Miri
Only one AI Violation Detection CCTV camera was installed, and it was installed at the Jalan Merbau intersection facing the Bintang Megamall in Miri, Sarawak.
The Sarawak Ministry of Transportation (MOTS) specifically chose that location, because it was an accident-prone area.
Fact #3 : Trial Only Lasts For Six Months
This proof-of-concept trial is only set to last for six months, according to Sarawak Transportation Minister, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin:
The trial period would be six months and the results will be presented to the ministry to decide on the next course of action.
Fact #4 : CCTV Camera Monitors + Records Driver Behaviour
The AI Violation Detection CCTV camera is designed to automatically monitor and record driver behaviour at the intersection, including:
collecting data on vehicle speed and details
automatically detecting and recording speeding vehicles
recording driver offences like using mobile phones, smoking, and not wearing seatbelts while driving
The objective is to collect data on driver behaviour, traffic flow and volume in addition to vehicle colour, classification, model and make.
In addition, to collect data on the speed of travel and vehicle registration number, automatically detect and record vehicles exceeding the speed limit and record the offenses of drivers using mobile phones, smoking and not wearing seat belts while driving.
Data collected from the system will be analysed to gain a better insight into traffic behaviour, identify high-risk areas, as well as enable data-driven decisions to be made by the ministry and enforcement agencies to improve road safety.
Fact #5 : Such Cameras Are The Future
Even though this is just a time-limited trial run, automatic monitoring and reporting of traffic offences by AI-enabled CCTV cameras are the future, because they allow the police to better catch bad driving behaviour without requiring massive manpower.
As Dato Sri Lee shared, the AI Violation Detection CCTV camera caught a repeat offender speeding on eight occasions within one week at the intersection.
The automatic monitoring of driver behaviour through CCTV cameras is common in China, where state surveillance has long been the norm. Chinese cameras are pervasive, albeit not always accurate.
Still, it is just a matter of time before before such cameras are deployed in Malaysia, and other countries around the world. In other words – this fake news may not stay “fake news” for long…
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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 African migrants just riot and destroy the historical Alcazar Library in Marseille, France?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : African Migrants Just Destroyed Alcazar Library!
People are sharing a video of the historical Alcazar Library burning, after being allegedly destroyed by African migrants who were rioting in France.
Stew Peters : The Alcazar Library in Marseille is the largest library in France, containing an archive of one million historically significant documents.
African migrants just TORCHED it.
Christian Pilgrim : WATCH: Rioters have burned down the largest library in France.
The Alcazar library in Marseille included an archive of one million historically significant archives.
VVC Watch : The Alcazar Library in Marseille is the largest in France, containing an archive of one million historically significant documents. African migrants just TORCHED it. #vvcwatch
Some also claim that the video shows the National Library in Paris on fire, not the Alcazar library.
Truth : African Migrants Did Not Destroy Alcazar Library!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : People Were Rioting Over Nahel Merzouk
First, I should quickly point out that the June 2023 riots in France had nothing to do with migrants in France, whether they are African or otherwise.
People in France were not rioting over migrant rights, but rather, the death of Nahel Merzouk – a 17 year-old French youth of Moroccan and Algerian descent, who was shot and killed by the police in Nanterre on 27 June 2023.
That morning, two Paris Police Prefecture motorcycle police officers saw Nahel Merzouk driving a Mercedes-Benz A Class AMG with a Polish licence plate at high speed in a bus lane.
They tried to flag it down, but Nahel continued to flee, committing several traffic offences in the process. But he was eventually forced to stop due to traffic congestion.
That was when the two police officers got off their motorcycles and ordered him to turn off the engine. When Nahel started to pull away again, one of the police officers fire a shot at him because he claim Nahel was about to run him over. The car continued for a distance before crashing into street furniture.
However, a 50-second video was later released, showing that neither police officers were in danger of being run over by Nahel. A passenger in Nahel’s vehicle also testified that the police officer hit Merzouk with the butt of his gun several times, and the third buttstroke made Nahel release the brake pedal, causing the car to move forward as it was an automatic car.
Those revelations caused a great public outcry and outrage, that quickly turned into protests and riots in many parts of France.
Fact #2 : Rioters Attempted To Set Alcazar Library On Fire
On the night of Thursday, June 29, 2023, rioters attempted to set the Alcazar library in Marseille on fire. They broke some of its windows, and tried to set its entrance on fire.
However, the rioters did not succeed in entering the Alcazar library, or set it on fire. Its entrance was only lightly torched. It was boarded up the next day.
There is also no evidence that the rioters who tried to set the Alcazar library on fire were migrants, or Africans.
Fact #3 : Viral Video Is Of Manila Central Post Office Fire
The video that went viral on social media does not show the Alcazar Library on fire. Rather, the video showed the Manila Central Post Office (MCPO) which caught fire on Sunday, May 21, 2023.
The fire started in its basement at 11:41 PM that night, but firefighters had trouble controlling it. It was finally controlled at 7:22 AM on May 22, and finally put out at 6:33 AM the next day, on May 23, 2023.
18 persons were wounded in the incident – 16 firefighters, a fire volunteer, and a civilian. 300 million pesos worth of assets, including national identification cards were destroyed or damaged.
Even worse was the loss of the heritage building. The Manila Central Post Office was a 97 year-old building which was a “classic example of Western architecture that existed between two world wars“.
Fact #4 : French National Library Not On Fire Either
Claims that the video shows the French National Library in Paris on fire are also false.
Elodie Vincent, a spokesperson for Bibliothèque nationale de France, confirmed in an email that the French National Library was unharmed during the Nahel protests and riots.
I should also point out that the French National Library is the largest library in France, not the Alcazar Library.
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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.
Find out how a university student just lost over RM22,000 in an online job scam!
Please SHARE this article to warn your family and friends to avoid such online job scams!
Online Job Scam Are Targeting The Poor + Desperate!
Online job scams have been around for a long, long time. But fake job syndicates have become more active recently, probably because more people are getting laid off, and inflation is eating into our money.
Online job scams come in a variety of ways, but most commonly, you get unsolicited messages through WhatsApp or iMessage, offering you the opportunity to make a lot of money through part-time work, in the comfort of your own home.
This is especially appealing to people who are currently jobless and desperate. Or in this recent case – a university student who is just starting out in life.
I am Shirley , a permanent employee at XXXX Company in the recruitment department. The HR department sent me this number and asked me to contact you to get you to a job opportunity.
Hello! I am Miss Aisyah Binte Ahmed, from The Recruitment Dept. at YYYY Digital, Malaysia. Our company is hiring part-time and full-time online Employees. Can I briefly share the details with you?
How A University Student Lost RM22K In Online Job Scam!
I had earlier written about how fake job syndicates cheat people of their hard-earned money, but I didn’t realise that these scammers are also targeting university students!
A university student recently shared how he quickly lost over RM20,000 to an online job scam, despite being warned that it could be a scam!
How They Reel The Student In…
These online job scams always start by offering their victims an EASY way to make A LOT of money!
It all started two days ago, when an unknown person asked me if I’m interested in a part time job. I usually don’t decline offers like this because I’m also a student looking for internship or job opportunities.
He gave me simple tasks, like subscribing to YouTube channels and get RM10 for each subscription. I was interested as money did really go to my account.
Then, I was added into a group. They would give these free tasks of subscribing to YouTube channels.
These scammers also know that people are now wary of scams, and will always demonstrate their willingness to pay… at least in the beginning.
And occasionally will provide merchant tasks throughout the day, which you bank in a certain amount of money to them, which was said to help improve crypto merchant’s reputation or some sort, then they’ll return you a good amount of earnings after the task is completed. It takes around half an hour to do so. So for these two days I earned around RM500.
This is how the scammers establish trust with their victims, and convince them to “invest” to get even more money!
The “merchant tasks” is when they start scamming you, and the scam occurs very quickly. You may think that you’re earning a lot of money, but you will never see a cent of it.
So here’s where the fishing begins. A merchant task has started. A rule was stated that I must complete all the tasks given or I will not get the money that I banked in before.
It doesn’t matter how little you “invest” in this “merchant task” scheme. Once you are in, they will quickly use your “earnings” to force you to keep paying them!
I chose the least risk package, give RM300 to get RM360. Then, I was required to continue the next task. Same, I chose the smallest amount RM2000 to get RM2600. Again, need to continue the next task, I chose the smallest RM5000 to get RM7000. Then, RM15000 to get RM19500.
Then, RM40000 to get RM52000. At this point, I still haven’t realize it’s a scam. All I’m focussed on is I need to take back the money that I banked in, so I’m just thinking about completing the tasks given.
By The Time He Realised… It Was TOO LATE!
Because the university student was so engrossed in getting back the money he “invested” earlier, he didn’t realise that he was giving the scammers more and more money… until it was much too late.
There’s one trick that this scammer is using. He let me start with a small investment, then proceed with stages. They force me to continue because I want to rescue the money that I put in in the previous task. So it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
Unfortunately, by the time the university student realised his mistake, it was much too late… He had already lost over RM22K!
At that time, I have not enough money in my bank to fork out RM40k. So I panic and find my friend to lend me some money.
Luckily my friend as a sideliner noticed that this is a scam and stopped me. I woke up finding that evervthing was too late. Just like that, two days, RM22300, gone.
As the university student later realised, many of the people in the group are part of the online job scam syndicate. Their job is to give the victims the perception that this is a legitimate job with many people participating.
During merchant tasks, I’m asked to leave the big group and will be joining a small group of 3-4 members. One of the scary parts in this operation after I realize it’s a scam is that, all the group members in the group are actually controlled by the same person.
Out of the 4 members, two might be playing rich vips who will play the highest package, pressuring you to play with more money, the other person looks like a newcomer like me and plays along with me, choosing the lowest package.
Precautions Were Useless
The university student was actually warned by his parents that it could be a scam. He even prepared for the possibility he could be scammed:
Some Precautions | Made While Attempting This:
I was being very careful with this. I shared with my parents on the first night. My parents did warned me about it being a scam, but didn’t stop me from it since I’m earning something. They just ask me to be extra cautious.
I have two bank accounts, so I moved most of my savings such that I have a “small” account and a “big” account, to prevent losses if anything goes wrong.
I also created a new chat account with another phone number solely for this “part time job”. I also made a plan and promise to only invest my earnings, so I cannot touch my savings.
But as German Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke once said, “No plan survives contact with the enemy“, and the student’s precaution was useless when he got “emotionally invested” in getting his money back, and ended up taking out all of his saving from the “big account”!
I believe we always read about news of scams in Malaysia, asking why are they so dumb, why they fall into these type of scams. Until I’m in their shoes. I was being very cautious taking the above steps and always remind myself to not be greedy, play only the least risk.
The worse part is, when I’m within that situation and cannot think straight. I even use my savings from my “big” account, just because I want to rescue the money I put in.
The university student is now “emotionally depressed” and “thinking about suicide” over the loss of so much money. But do the scammers care? No, they couldn’t care less if people commit suicide over the loss of their hard-earned money.
He has also contacted his bank fraud hotline, and lodged a police report. Unfortunately, he is unlikely to ever recover any of the money he lost. But I hope he understands that his life matters more to his family than money, and he can always make back the money as long as he lives.
Please SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!
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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 Asian lady shoot dead an American bully who assaulted her at a gas station?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Asian Lady Shot American Bully At Gas Station?!
People are sharing a video showing a man approaching a lady, and opening her car door before hitting her. She drives off a short distance, causing the man to drop two items on the floor. The man catches up with the car again, and opens the door, for the lady to shoot him several times.
Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are sharing this video as evidence of racist Americans targeting Chinese people:
‘Wow… the Chinese in America are no longer taking trash from these American rogues. Good on her!!! l read every Asian American is buying arms to protect himself/herself from these racist gangsters and bullies.
Gun rights supporters are also sharing it as an example of how guns save lives:
Patrick Parsons :Thug attacks woman at a gas station. She shoots him. #SlugsForThugs RT if you believe GUNS SAVE LIVES!
Ironically, Stew Peters believes it was a white person fighting back against black people!
Truth : No Asian Lady Shot That Man At The Gas Station!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Is An Old Video
First, let me start by pointing out that this incident did not occur in 2023. The video was actually recorded on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at the Exxon gas station near Honeygo Boulevard and White Marsh Mall in Baltimore, Maryland.
Fact #2 : This Was Not A Drug Deal Gone Bad
Some websites and people are claiming that the lady was a drug dealer who tried to sell drugs (weed / marijuana) to the man’s kids at the gas station, which was why the man confronted her.
That’s not true. The shooter was not attempting to sell drugs to anyone at the gas station.
Fact #3 : That Was Not A Lady
Now, this may surprise you, but that Asian lady in the video isn’t actually a lady. It was a man with long hair tied in a ponytail.
Some websites and people falsely claimed that it was the woman’s boyfriend in the car who fired the gun. That’s not true either. There was only one person in the car.
There is also no indication the shooter was Asian, or that racism had anything to do with the incident.
A witness to the shooting, Daijuan Jett, was 10 feet away when the shooting occurred. He explained that the incident started in the gas station store, while he was queuing up to buy a drink.
The shooter (A), who is actually a man (and not a white / Asian lady), cut in front of people queuing up, causing another man (B) to speak up and ask him to get to the back of the line.
He was trying to cut in front of everyone in the line, and the victim, which was shot at—he was telling the guy that was cutting in front of everyone to get behind everyone.
Jett said that A stepped out of the line after being confronted and returned to his car. B followed him to his car, to give A a piece of his mind. That was when things went sideways.
He opened the driver’s door and let the man know…the guy that was in the car, the suspect, he grabbed a gun and just fired about five or six shots.
Fact #5 : The Victim Was Shot Twice
The victim was shot twice in his upper body, and taken to the hospital. It is unknown how he fared after the shooting.
He also appeared to be the driver of the red car seen across the shooter’s car. His car was removed from the gas station at around 10:50 PM later that night.
Fact #6 : This Video Is Being Abused By Different Parties
This video is, unfortunately, being abused by different parties to drive narratives that are contrary to what actually happened.
Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are using the video to promote the idea that Americans are racist and violent, while gun rights supporters are promoting it as evidence that guns save lives.
As you have seen – the truth is they were all lying / misrepresenting the video. Here are other examples you may have seen on WhatsApp or social media platforms recently:
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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.
Please watch out for the wedding invitation scam, and find out why you should NEVER install any APK file from strangers!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Wedding Invitation Scam Gone Viral!
A new scam has gone viral on social media in Malaysia – the wedding invitation scam. In this scam, scammers contact their victims on WhatsApp, pretending to send them an APK file as a wedding invitation!
Here is the Malay version of the scam messages, and their English translations.
Dengan rasa kesyukuran, Menjemput Tuan ZAITON OTHMAN Ke Majlis Perkawinan Anak Kami Sila Klik instal Apk untuk dapatkan kad kahwin digital kami ⬇️⬇️ Sila klik instal nampak kad kahwin digital kami 🙏, agar nak tau Siapa 😀
With gratitude, Inviting Mr. Zaiton Othman to our Son’s Wedding Please click install Apk to get our digital wedding card ⬇️⬇️ Please click install to see our digital wedding card 🙏, to know who this is 😀
This is yet another example of a Mobile Application Scam, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : APK Is Android Installation File
First, it is important to know that APK files are not used to deliver wedding invitations, or photos and videos.
Short for Android Package Kit, an APK file is used to install software in Android devices. Think of it as the Android equivalent of an EXE installation file for Windows software.
Fact #2 : You Should Never Install APK File, Unless You’re An Expert
APK files, by definition, are merely installation files for Android devices. They can be used for legitimate purposes, as well as nefarious purposes.
However, legitimate Android apps are mostly delivered through proper mobile app platforms like Google Play Store and the HUAWEI App Gallery, where they are often scanned for malware before people are allowed to download and install.
Therefore, you should never download and install an APK file outside of legitimate mobile app platforms, unless you are an expert who needs to “sideload” an APK for a specific reason.
Now, this does not mean that only Android devices are vulnerable. Apple is slated to offer the ability to sideload apps too with iOS 17.
Fact #3 : Scammers Use APK Files To Install Malware
In most, if not all, cases where you receive an APK file from a stranger on WhatsApp, Telegram, through email or social media platforms, it is likely to contain malware.
Scammers use APK files containing malware to gain access to your phone. After you install these malware APK files, scammers can do anything – read your messages, steal your photos and videos, gain access to your TAC / OTP alerts, etc.
Fact #4 : APK File Scam Not Limited To Wedding Invitations
These mobile application scams are not just limited to wedding invitations, or offers to deliver illicit photos and videos. Scammers have also convinced their victims to install these APK malware files to :
book cheap temporary maid / cleaning services
book cheap air-conditioning services
book exclusive restaurants
receive special discounts
make investment transactions
Fact #5 : Scammers Use Social Engineering + Stolen Data
It is important to remember that scammers will use a combination of social engineering and stolen / purchased data to convince you to install their APK malware.
They may know your name, your MyKad number, your address and your telephone number. They may even know who is in your family, and even have your bank account or credit card details. All that information can be purchased from unscrupulous sources.
In some cases, scammers have taken over social media accounts and used them to trick the account holder’s family and friends into installing such APK malware files.
No matter who tells you to do it – even if they are your family member or friend, NEVER download and install an APK file.
Fact #6 : Bank Negara Malaysia Warned About Mobile App Scam
Bank Negara Malaysia has long warned consumers about such mobile application scams.
Be wary of clickable hyperlinks that redirects you to a site, or downloads an application to your phone. Banks will no longer send you any clickable hyperlinks via SMS!
Only download applications from your smartphone’s official application platforms (e.g. Google Play Store, [Apple] App Store, Huawei App Gallery).
Fact #7 : PDRM Confirmed This Is A Scam
On Monday, 19 June 2023, PDRM Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) Director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf warned the public about this wedding invitation scam:
This new tactic asks for an individual to open the link prepared to receive the wedding invitation. However, that’s the trick to steal information from the public and to make online transfer. The public are advised to avoid getting caught up in any message from questionable sources.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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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.
WATCH OUT for scammers pretending to be Jomo Kwame Sundaram offering stock advice on Facebook!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Jomo Kwame Sundaram Stock Advice Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim that famed Malaysian economist, Jomo Kwame Sundaram, is created a WhatsApp group offering free stock investment advice!
I am Jomo Kwame Sundaram A prominent Malaysian economist. On June 14th, I said in the stock exchange group: There have been abnormal transactions in the Southeast Asian stock market in the past two days Indonesian stock market soars on the 15th, with huge volatility Now the local exchange has access to supervise the stock movement Next, Malaysia’s stock market will also experience abnormal fluctuations Please pay attention to: ADVCON, KPSCE, ICON, MBL these stocks Related stock abnormal information, I will continue to send in the group If you haven’t joined the stock exchange group Please join in time, I will share the stock information I have for free Master stock information and avoid losing money in the stock market
I am Jomo Kwame Sundaram A prominent Malaysian economist. This is my one and only page on Facebook As of May 2023, there will be an outflow of RM2.39 billion from the Malaysian stock market This is the result of a large amount of foreign funds manipulating the Malaysian stock market Since the collapse of the three largest U.S. banks in March, About $76 billion has been withdrawn from U.S. stocks into stock markets around the world If you do not grasp the stock inside information in time Investing in the stock market can make you lose money I created a stock exchange group Share the insider information about the stock market that I can grasp for free Hope these stock information can help you
Jomo Kwame Sundaram Stock Advice Scam : What You Need To Know!
These Jomo Kwame Sundaram stock investment scams are being promoted heavily on Facebook in 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Jomo Kwame Sundaram Reported These Fake Ads
These fake Jomo Kwame Sundaram stock advice advertisements have been promoted on Facebook for several months now. On April 15, 2023, Jomo himself posted about this scam:
*Warning Letter from Jomo Kwame Sundaram*
I regret to inform you that someone is impersonating me. They have established an official website in my name, with many old photographs and other material to give this impression.
I am presented as an education and investment consultant, neither of which is true. There is even a contact telephone number for my supposed assistant.
I have reported the impersonation to Facebook and MCMC with no indication of any action so far. This happened several years ago as well when there was an earlier effort of this type.
I have never given investment advice, and have no intention whatsoever of doing so. It is highly irresponsible for anyone to claim they know the future. Whatever I do on economic and other matters is free for the public, and I urge you not to pay money to anyone who claims to be advising you in my name.
As I have been giving lectures in Tsinghua University in the past week, when this problem began, I did not realize how quickly the problem was growing and failed to act more promptly.
Please warn your friends and loved ones.
Thank you for your cooperation.
jomo
Unfortunately, as many people have discovered, Meta / Facebook does not appear to care about these fake ads. You can report them till kingdom come, but they will just keep running on Facebook as long as these scammers pay for them!
Fact #2 : Jomo Kwame Sundaram Is A Renown Economist
Jomo Kwame Sundaram is a world-renown economist, who writes extensively on economic policies. However, as he explained above, he is not an investment consultant!
He has better things to do than to offer you free stock investment advice! In May 7, he just published an article called “Inflation phobia, myths and dogma exacerbate policy responses” in the Review of Keynesian Economics.
Fact #3 : One Victim Lost RM480K To Investment Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar investment scam, and lost almost RM480,000 (about US$104,000).
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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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 Books Kinokuniya giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate gaining 3 million fans?!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Watch Out For The Kinokuniya Free Books Scam!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim Books Kinokuniya is giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate its 50th anniversary!
Hello everyone, this is Books Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore in Malaysia. 🎉🎉🎉 Signups will soon exceed 3 million. In order to thank our fans for their continuous support, we will send a gift to our fans. 👋Books Kinokuniya store has prepared 1,000 sets of stock books. Free gift to all friends who support Books Kinokuniya. Please add administrator WhatAPP. And send the mailing address, we will mail the book to you for free.
Hello everyone, this is Books Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore in Malaysia. 🎉🎉🎉 Signups will soon exceed 3 million. In order to thank our fans for their continuous support, we will send a gift to our fans. Books Kinokuniya has prepared 1,000 sets of books in stock. Free gift for all friends who support Books Kinokuniya. Please click on the conversation to add assistant Whats and register the mailing address, we will mail the book to the registered address for you free of charge.
Kinokuniya Free Books Scam : What You Need To Know!
This Kinokuniya free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Kenanga Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
Books Kinokuniya is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert on May 17, 2023:
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Dear customers, We have been made aware of several Facebook accounts that are impersonating us about giving out free books. These accounts go by the name Books Kinokuniya Malaysia, but are NOT operated by us and we are not related to these accounts in any way. PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY OF THESE, Books Kinokuniya Malaysia DOES NOT communicate with customers directly via Whatsapp or add our customers into Whatsapp group chat. Follow our official social media accounts and website as follows : Facebook : Books Kinokuniya Malaysia (https://www.facebook.com/KinokuniyaMalaysia/) Instagram : Kinokuniyamalaysia (https://www.instagram.com/kinokuniyamalaysia/) Corporate Site : www.kinokuniya.com.my Webstore : https://malaysia.kinokuniya.com/ Kinokuniya Malaysia takes this matter seriously and has reported to the relevant authorities on this matter. If you have any queries, you may email to our Customer Service at mys@kinokuniya.com or call us at 03-21648133
Fact #2 : Books Kinokuniya Is A Business, Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. Books Kinokuniya is an investment bank – a business, not a charity. It is not going to give away books just because it has many fans!
Even if it achieved some kind of milestone, it would make sense for Kinokuniya to offer discounts. After all, it’s a corporation whose purpose is to make money, not a charity to give you free books!
Fact #3 : Kinokuniya Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
As mentioned in their warning above, Kinokuniya has a Facebook page, an Instagram page, a corporate website as well as a website. 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 #4 : Kinokuniya Will Not Ask You To Join WhatsApp Groups
Kinokuniya has stated that it will never ask anyone to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for free books.
Kinokuniya is also a bookstore, not a stock broker or an investment firm. It will never offer you free investment advice, stock tips, or help you buy and sell stocks, etc.
Fact #5 : One Victim Lost RM480K To A Free Book Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Warning – both Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift and Bursa Malaysia are NOT giving out free stock investment advice or books!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Bursa Malaysia Stock Investment Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim that Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift and/or Bursa Malaysia are giving free investment advice, or free books on stock investing!
Hi everyone, I am Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift The Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia Bhd. Since 2023, the Malaysian stock market has been relatively sluggish🤕🤕🤕 This may be because many stock market investors do not understand stock market trading I have been blindly following the investment, resulting in a lot of losses I have also received many letters from investors recently: Ask if I have improved my trading skills? Here I recommend a few stock books to everyone! This can effectively improve your trading skills 💖💖💖 I also prepared 2,000 stock books for everyone📖📖📖 Free gift to Malaysian stock market investors, yes, it’s free! Please add my assistant’s wapp, she will mail you books for free👇👇👇
I am Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift The Chief Executive Officer of Bursa Malaysia Bhd. In the past 3 months, I have received many letters from stock market investors They mainly explained the following issues: 1. Want to learn stock market investment, but don’t know where to start? Including opening an account and understanding stock market information, etc.! 2. Veteran investors have certain technical experience, but cannot grasp real-time information, and often miss the best buying or selling points? 3. For retail investors, if you can’t find a team to keep warm, you will never get the first wave of stock market dividends! 4. Novice stockholders want to sign up to learn stock diagnosis techniques. There are so many analysts in Malaysia. I don’t know what to choose? 5. Many stockholders are locked up after entering the market. Do you know how to get out? 6. The global epidemic is over and the economy is recovering. How will the stock market go in the second half of this year? The above questions are the feedback from our Malaysian stock market investors. I will create a Malaysian stock market investor exchange group Answer questions about the stock market online for free in the next 3 days If you also encounter the above problems, please join my classroom study 👇👇👇
Bursa Malaysia Investment Scam : What You Need To Know!
These Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift and/or Bursa Malaysia free book / investment group scams are being promoted heavily on Facebook in 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Bursa Malaysia Reported These Ads As Fake
Bursa Malaysia is aware of these fake advertisements on Facebook, posting this scam alert on May 17, 2023:
[SCAM ALERT] Don’t be fooled by Facebook ads or pages that offer stock advice. Scammers are known to impersonate Bursa Malaysia representatives to lure you into their fake investment schemes. If you have come across ads or pages like this, be sure to report it to Bursa2U along with a screenshot and source link at bursa2u@bursamalaysia.com or call Bursa Malaysia’s Help Centre at +603-2732 0067. Remember to check the Securities Commission Investor Alert List at http://sc.com.my/investor-alert before investing. Contact the National Scam Response Centre hotline 997 if you have been a victim of scam.
[AMARAN SCAM] Jangan terpedaya dengan iklan atau halaman Facebook yang menawarkan nasihat saham. “Scammer” seringkali menyamar sebagai wakil Bursa Malaysia untuk memujuk anda ke dalam skim pelaburan palsu mereka. Jika anda menjumpai iklan atau halaman seperti ini, pastikan anda melaporkannya kepada Bursa2U berserta tangkapan skrin dan sumber pautan ke bursa2u@bursamalaysia.com atau hubungi Pusat Khidmat Bursa Malaysia di talian +603-2732 0067 . Semak Senarai Amaran Pelabur Suruhanjaya Sekuriti di http://sc.com.my/investor-alert sebelum melabur. Hubungi talian hotline Pusat Respons Scam Kebangsaan 997 jika anda menjadi mangsa penipuan.
#StayAlert #ScamAlert #TakNakScam #JanganKenaScam
Fact #2 : Bursa Malaysia Is Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. Bursa Malaysia is not only the stock exchange of Malaysia, it is also a public listed company, whose focus is to make money, not a charity to give you free books or advice!
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift is not only the CEO of Bursa Malaysia Berhad, he is also the director of its subsidiary companies. He certainly has more important (and profitable) things to do than to create a WhatsApp group to answer YOUR questions or advice YOU on what stocks to buy!
Fact #3 : Bursa Malaysia Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
Bursa Malaysia offers a multitude of contact options by snail mail, online forms on their Bursa2U portal, email or telephone.
What it does not have is a WhatsApp account. So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” using WhatsApp, or ask you to join the Bursa Malaysia WhatsApp group, be warned!
Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift (fake) : I’m sorry because too many people have privately messaged me, please click to add administrator 👇whatsapp👇, send “PM” to join our company’s free communication group! https://wa.me/6019527xxxx
The real Datuk Muhamad Umar Swift, and Bursa Malaysia, will never ask you to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for investment advice, stock tips, or to buy and sell stocks, etc.
Fact #4 : One Victim Lost RM480K To Investment Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Please note – Jeffrey Cheah and the Sunway Group are not giving away free books on stock investing, to help new investors!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Sunway + Jeffrey Cheah Free Books Scam Alert!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim that Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah and/or the Sunway Group are giving away free books on stock investing, to help new investors!
Hello everyone, I am Jeffrey Cheah, Chairman and Founder of Sunway Group Since 2023, the Malaysian stock market has been relatively sluggish🤕🤕🤕 This may be because many stock market investors do not understand stock market trading I have been blindly following the investment, resulting in a lot of losses I have also received many letters from investors recently: Ask if I have improved my trading skills? Here I recommend a few stock books to everyone! This can effectively improve your trading skills 💖💖💖 I also prepared 2,000 stock books for everyone📖📖📖 Free gift to Malaysian stock market investors, yes, it’s free! Please add my assistant’s wapp, she will mail you books for free👇👇👇
Investors, we have an exciting surprise for you! 🎁🎁
Sunway Group is launching a thrilling event to make your investment journey even more exciting – Stock & Book Bonanza!
Whether you are a novice or an experienced investment guru, we believe that knowledge is the key to your success. Therefore, we have carefully selected a series of captivating best-selling books on stocks. These books will serve as your guide on your investment path and open wider doors to wealth for you!
Sunway Group has prepared 1000 stock book sets (1000 books) 📚📖📖
We are offering them as a free gift to our dedicated investors.
Please click on the session and add the assistant’s wapp to send your address.
We will ship the stock books to the address you provide free of charge.
Quantities are limited, so it’s first-come, first-served! Don’t wait until the last moment to regret missing this opportunity!
Sunway / Jeffrey Cheah Free Books Scam : What You Need To Know!
This Sunway / Jeffrey Cheah free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May and June 2023, so please alert your family and friend!
Fact #1 : Sunway Group Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
The Sunway Group is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert:
SCAM ALERT
Please be alert of several scams using fake Facebook accounts, bearing the names “Sunway Investment” and “Sunway Global Investment”, claiming to be affiliated with Sunway entities.
These Facebook accounts have NO association with Sunway Group nor that of our chairman.
We urge all to be cautious and to not fall victim to these scams, and report these fake accounts to Facebook immediately.
Fact #2 : Sunway Group Is A Business, Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. The Sunway Group (Sunway Berhad) is a public listed company, whose focus is to make money, not a charity to give you free books!
Fact #3 : Giveaways Were Not Posted In Official Website / FB Page
If the Sunway Group was really giving away free books, it would have posted the offer on:
Fact #4 : Sunway Group Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
The Sunway Group offers a multitude of contact options by online forms, email or telephone number. What it does not have is a WhatsApp account. So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” by messaging a WhatsApp number, be warned!
Please add my WhatsApp message, send me your mailing information, and I will mail you stock books for you for free! My WhatsApp: https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
The Sunway Group will also not ask you to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for investment advice, stock tips, or to buy and sell stocks, etc.
Fact #5 : Scammers Will Try To Scare You
Scammers will try to scare you into contacting them, by telling you that stock is running out. Just ignore them!
There are only 3 free places left, which have been reserved for you, please add and leave a message as soon as possible Whatsapp : https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
There are many friends who have claimed it, please tell us whether you have added it successfully! If you do not add or reply, it means that you will give up the quota by default and automatically transfer it to the next friend. Thank you for your understanding!
Fact #6 : One Victim Lost RM480K To A Free Book Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Does a viral video show a woman smashing hundreds of bottles of alcohol in lawless US?!
Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!
Claim : Woman Smashed Bottles Of Alcohol In Lawless US!
Pro-CCP netizens and the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) are sharing this video on Douyin (China’s version of TikTok) and WhatsApp, as evidence of a lawless US.
The video shows a woman smashing hundreds of bottles of alcohol, allegedly in a Walmart store in the United States. It’s accompanied by messages like this:
‘Zero dollar shopping’ can only take away all you can grab. This one, just destroy everything on site.
No wonder Walmart will close 21 stores in 12 US states and Washington DC. Four Chicago stores are among the latest to join the list.
Truth : Woman Did Not Smash Bottles Of Alcohol In US!
This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by pro-CCP netizens, and promoted / shared by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and its supporters, and here are the reasons why…
Fact #1 : This Video Was Edited
First, let me just point out that the viral video clip was edited, presumably to cast a different light on the story.
The video clip was cut short so you won’t see a security officer leading her away. It was also flipped in half the video to extend the video and make it look like the woman was doing more damage than she really was, and possibly to make it harder for people to locate the source of the video.
Fact #2 : Viral Video Was Recorded In 2020
The viral video isn’t new, even though the wumao and pro-CCP netizens are suggesting it just happened. The video was actually recorded at around 2:30 PM on Thursday, 25 November 2020.
Fact #3 : Viral Video Was Recorded In The United Kingdom
While the wumao and pro-CCP netizens are promoting the video as evidence of a lawless US (as opposed to the glorious security of CCP-controlled China), the viral video was not even recorded in the United States!
The incident also did not occur in a Walmart. The viral video was recorded at an Aldi store, in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
While the wumao and pro-CCP netizens are promoting the video as evidence of rampant theft (because no one steals in CCP-controlled China?), the woman did not steal a thing!
The woman – 36 year-old Barbara Stange-Alvarez of Swingate, used her arm to sweep hundreds of bottles of alcohol off the shelves at Aldi the aisle containing bottles of alcohol, and started sweeping bottles off the shelves, before picking them up one by one to smash on the floor.
About 90 seconds into her smashing spree, she slipped and fell onto the broken glass, cutting her hand. A security officer from another store arrived and detained her until police arrived. They then took her to the Lister Hospital in Stevenage, where she kicked a security guard in the shin and hurled racial insults at him.
Barbara was charged with criminal damage, racially-motivated common assault, and racially-aggravated public order offence. She was not charged with theft.
Fact #5 : The Woman Was Mentally Unwell
Stange-Alvarez later told the St. Albans Magistrates’ Court that she was “suffering from mental health issues” because she was unable to work during the pandemic. She also said she was not receiving the treatment she thought she should have.
On the day she smashed those bottles, she visited a local mental health clinic seeking help, but was unhappy with the response and “lost the plot”.
On 18 January 2022, Barbara Stange-Alvarez was given a 12-week sentence suspended for 18 months, and required to undergo mental health treatment and rehabilitation, as well as pay Aldi £5,000 in compensation, and court costs of £85.
Fact #6 : Walmart Closing 23 Stores Due To Poor Performance
The fake news creator copied the phrase “Walmart will close 21 stores in 12 states and DC. Four Chicago stores are among the latest to join the list.” from a Business Insider article, without actually reading it properly.
The article actually states that, in addition to those 12 retail stores, Walmart is also closing pick-up only stores in Illinois and Arkansas. That’s a total of 23 stores.
Theft at Walmart stores has always been an issue, as Walmart CEO Doug McMillion pointed out, but it does not mean the stores will close because of it:
Theft is an issue. It’s higher than what it has historically been. Prices will be higher and/or stores will close.
Walmart has been quietly closing stores every year since 2019, because they were “underperforming” and had “poor financial performance”.
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,.
Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Is the Kenanga Investment Bank giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate its 50th anniversary?!
Find out what’s going on, and warn your family and friends!
Watch Out For Kenanga Free Books Scam!
Scammers are running Facebook advertisements that claim Kenanga Investment Bank is giving away free books on stock investing, to celebrate its 50th anniversary!
good news 🎉 good news 🎉 good news 🎉
Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad,
Now it is the largest independent investment bank in Malaysia Established in 1973, it is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary 🎉🎉🎉
Kenanga Group will give away 2,000 stock books for free If you are interested in the stock book, you can get it for free Please click on the messenger to get the book for free 📖📖📖
The number of books is limited, and the activity will stop after the gift is completed 👇👇👇
Hi everyone, this is Kenanga Investment Bank Berhad
Now it is the largest independent investment bank in Malaysia
Established in 1973, it is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary 🎉🎉🎉
During these 50 years, we have helped countless stock investors make profits in the stock market
In order to thank investors for their support all the way, 💝💝💝🎊🎊🎊
We will give out the first gift for stock market investors 🎁🎁🎁
Kenang Group has prepared 5000 stock books (1000 sets) 📚📖📖
Free gift to investors who support Kenang Group all the way
Please click on the session, add the assistant’s wapp, and register the mailing address
We will mail the book to your registered address for free
The number of stock books is limited, while supplies last 💝💝💝
This Kenanga free book scam is being promoted heavily on Facebook in May 2023, so please alert your family and friends!
Fact #1 : Kenanga Reported These Pages / Ads As Fake
Kenanga is aware of these fake advertisements being run by scam Facebook pages, posting this scam alert on May 12, 2023:
Once again we would like to remind our clients and the public to be careful of scammers impersonating our brand to provide fraudulent product and services.
We are not offering any free books/e-books or make anyone join a WhatsApp group.
If you received any of this communication recently, stop responding and report the page/numbers immediately.
If you have been scammed, contact the National Scam Response Centre hotline 997.
Fact #2 : Kenanga Is A Business, Not A Charity
Please do NOT be naive. Kenanga is an investment bank – a business, not a charity. Just because it is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, does not mean it’s giving anything away.
Even if it wanted to celebrate its anniversary by giving away books, it would be giving them to clients, not to the public!
Kenanga is a public-listed company, whose focus is to make money, not a charity to give you free books!
These scams are being run off fake Facebook pages that are brand new, and have nothing to do with the real Kenanga.
Fact #4 : Kenanga Does Not Use WhatsApp To Communicate
Kenanga offers a multitude of contact options by online forms, email or telephone number. What it does not have is a WhatsApp account. So when scammers message you to collect your “free books” by messaging a WhatsApp number, be warned!
Please add my WhatsApp message, send me your mailing information, and I will mail you stock books for you for free! My WhatsApp: https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
Fact #5 : Kenanga Will Not Ask You To Join WhatsApp Groups
Just to be clear, Kenanga states that it will never ask anyone to join a WhatsApp group for any reason, whether it’s for investment advice, stock tips, or to buy and sell stocks, etc.
Scammers will try to scare you into contacting them, by telling you that stock is running out. Just ignore them!
There are only 3 free places left, which have been reserved for you, please add and leave a message as soon as possible Whatsapp : https://xxxx.xx/60113906928
There are many friends who have claimed it, please tell us whether you have added it successfully! If you do not add or reply, it means that you will give up the quota by default and automatically transfer it to the next friend. Thank you for your understanding!
Fact #7 : One Victim Lost RM480K To A Free Book Scam!
In November 2022, a 60 year-old housewife from Port Dickson fell for a similar “free book” scam, and lost almost RM480,000.
After being offered the free book on Facebook, she was asked to join a WhatsApp group called Family Discussion, where she was asked to convinced to “invest”.
The WhatsApp group administrator instructed her to download an application called Forza, and open a savings account. She was then asked to deposit money into certain bank accounts, and upload the slips using that Forza app as proof.
The lady withdrew her savings and borrowed from her children and friends to invest RM476,100. However, when she wanted to withdraw the interest paid by the company, her account was blocked. The group administrator told her that she would need to deposit an additional RM427,200 to withdraw the interest.
That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.
Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!
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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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 reducing 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.
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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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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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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 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.
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).
Please help us fight scams like this and SHARE this article out!
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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.
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!
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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.
