Tag Archives: Cyber Attack

Can Morocco Earthquake Seismic Wave Card Hack Your Phone?!

Can the Seismic Wave Card containing photos of the recent earthquake at Morocco hack your phone?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Morocco Earthquake Seismic Wave Card Can Hack Your Phone!

This warning about the Seismic Wave Card containing photos of the recent earthquake at Morocco has gone viral on WhatsApp:

They are going to upload some photos of the Moroccan earthquake on WhatsApp. The file is called Seismic Waves CARD, don’t open it and see it, it will hack your phone in 10 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. Share the information with your family and friends.
DO NOT OPEN IT. They also said it on TV

他们将在WhatsApp上上传一些摩洛哥地震的照片。该文件称为地震波CARD，不要打开或看到它，它会在10秒内破解您的手机，并且无法以任何方式停止。与您的家人和朋友分享信息。
不要打开它。他们还在电视上说过

Truth : There Is No Morocco Earthquake Seismic Wave Card!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and here are reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Is No Seismic Wave Card!

First, let me just point out that there is no such thing as a Seismic Wave Card.

The Seismic Wave Card is an Internet hoax that keeps getting recycled for every earthquake that comes along, like these examples show:

They are going to upload some photos of the Cariaco earthquake on Whatsapp. The file is called Waves Seismic CARD, do not open or see it, it will hack your phone in 10 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. Pass the information on to your family and friends. DO NOT OPEN IT. They also said it on TV.

They are going to upload some photos of the Calvario earthquake on WhatsApp. The file is called CARD Seismic Waves. Do not open them or see them, they hack your phone in 10 seconds and it cannot be stopped in any way. Pass the information on to your family and friends. Don’t open it. They also said it on TV.

Fact #2 : Photos Are Shared Directly On WhatsApp

There is no need to open any file, or install any app, to view photos on WhatsApp. You simply click to view photos shared by other people on WhatsApp.

Of course, people may sometimes share high-resolution photos in ZIP or RAR files, because WhatsApp greatly reduces the resolution of photos shared on its platform.

Those ZIP or RAR files may be opened using apps like WinZip (Android | iOS) or RAR (Android) or Unarchiver (iOS). However, you should be wary if you are asked to download and install any app.

Unless you know what you are doing, it’s best to only view photos and videos directly inside WhatsApp, and not download any compressed files at all.

Fact #3 : Seismic Waves Card Is Not A Browser Hijacker

Seismic Waves Card appears to be falsely labelled as a browser hijacker by at least one “cybersecurity” website:

The scam message known as Seismic Waves Card is notorious for its disruptive behavior while surfing the web. Generally, scams like this, and other like Mintnav and Lookaside fbsbx, are crafted to meddle with your browser’s settings, replacing homepages and default search engines to promote affiliated sites and generate advertising revenue.

This transgression doesn’t end here; they siphon sensitive data and create vulnerabilities in your system’s security framework, providing a gateway for more perilous threats, such as malware and phishing schemes, to invade.

The protracted presence of Seismic Waves Card in your system exponentially escalates the risk of serious compromises, emphasizing the dire necessity for its immediate removal. Recognizing the malicious potential of such unwanted apps is essential in maintaining a secure and safe digital environment. Stay vigilant and prioritize your cybersecurity.

There is no evidence that a malware or browser hijacker called Seismic Waves Card exists. The article itself does not offer any evidence to prove its existence. In fact, the article and its guide on how to “remove” the malware appears to be generic, and may possibly be AI-generated.

Fact #4 : Image-Based Malware Is Possible, But…

Digital steganography is a method by which secret messages and other data can be hidden in digital files, like a photo or a video, or even a music file.

It is also possible to embed malicious code within a photo, but it won’t be a full-fledged malware that can execute by itself.

At most, it can be used to hide the malware payload from antivirus scanners, which is pretty clever to be honest… but it cannot hack your smartphone by itself.

Fact #5 : Image-Based Malware Requires User Action

In January 2019, cybercriminals created an online advertisement with a script that appears innocuous and would pass any malware check.

However, the image itself has an “almost white” rectangle that is recognised by the script, triggering it to redirect the user to the cybercriminals’ website. Once there, the victim is tricked into installing a Trojan disguised as an Adobe Flash Player update.

This is an incredibly clever way to bypass malware checks, but even so, this image-based malware requires user action.

You cannot get infected by the Trojan if you practice good “Internet hygiene” by not downloading or installing anything from unknown websites.

Fact #6 : Malicious Code Executes Immediately

If you accidentally download and trigger malware, it will execute immediately. It won’t take 10 seconds, as the hoax message claims.

There is really no reason for malware to wait before it infects your devices. Waiting will only increase the risk of detection.

Whether the malware serves to take over your device, steal your information or encrypt it for ransom, it pays to do it at the first opportunity.

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!

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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.

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Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia Scam Alert!

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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…

Bantuan 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 : 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.

Fake Telegram Invitation

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.

Fake Telegram Login Page

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.

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Warning – PDRM Parking Fine Scam Alert!

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Scammers are targeting motorists with the PDRM parking fine scam! Make sure you warn your family and friends!

Here is what you need to know about the PDRM parking fine scam!

PDRM Parking Fine Scam Email

People are getting emails warning them that they just committed a parking violation, while offering them a cheap fine if they pay quickly.

Fines Inquiry and Payment

Dear recipient,

We are writing to draw your attention to a recent traffic violation in Malaysian jurisdiction.

Our traffic enforcement staff have observed your vehicle parked in a no-parking zone. This contravenes section (no. 2016-691] of the Road Traffic Act.

The fine is set at MYR 50. Payment of the fine is required within 7 days of the date of notification, to avoid further legal consequences.

If the fine is not paid within the time limit, you may be subject to legal action, resulting in an increase in the original fine.

Payment deadline: [08/26/2023]

Methods of payment accepted:

Cordially,

Malaysian Police Department

PDRM Parking Fine Email Is A Scam!

These PDRM parking fine emails are scam emails. This was confirmed by PDRM itself.

On 7 August 2023, the Cyber Crime division of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) posted an alert warning motorists not to fall for the MyBayar scam.

These emails are designed to scare its victims into action. Hence, it offers a very cheap way to quickly “settle the problem”. However, if you take a breath, and analyse the email CAREFULLY, you will see many problems with it.

Letter is from PDRM : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you by email.
Letter is in English : The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) will never write to you in English.
Typo in the name : The fake email used My Bayar PDRM, instead of MyBayar PDRM.
Lack of name and personal details : The fake email refers generically to “Dear recipient“, without listing your full name and MyKad number.
Lack of vehicle details : The fake email doesn’t mention the vehicle make and plate number.
Lack of location details : The fake email does not mention where the offence occurred, or even when it occurred.
Fine is much too low : PDRM traffic fines are never as low as RM50. The cheapest fine is RM150 for Category 4 offences, but you can pay as low as RM70 within 15 days.
No such law : The fake email refers to the Road Traffic Act. There is no such act in Malaysia. The proper name is the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
No such section : If you look at the Malaysia Road Transport Act 1987 (PDF download), you will see that there is no such thing as Section 2016-691.

The email appears to be from My Bayar PDRM (typo in the name), but if you inspect the email address, you will see that it was sent by “in-to-no-reply@silverbackgames.xxx” or “hello@sooqr.com” or some other email address.

Obviously, this email did not originate from an official PDRM email address! This should immediately tell you that this is a fake or scam email!

If you click on the Pay My Fine link in the scam email, you will be taken to a fake My Bayar PDRM website (with the same typo in the name).

You may notice that you now have 7 days to pay the RM 50 fine, instead of just 5 days in the email. Odd, isn’t it?

Also odd is the fact that the page does not mention your name, your MyKad number, your vehicle type and model, or even its plate number! The page also doesn’t mention where the offence took place, or the time you were caught committing said offence.

Do NOT proceed after this point… This is a scam website!

But if you have itchy fingers, and click on the Pay The Fine button, you will be asked to pay for the RM50 fine using your debit or credit card.

Needless to say, PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS!!!

If you provide these scammers with your debit / credit card details and TAC / OTP numbers, they will be able to charge ANY AMOUNT they want to your credit card, or withdraw ANY AMOUNT they want from your bank account!

It’s even worse if you are asked to log into your bank account to pay the fine. DO NOT DO THAT!

If you provide them with your bank login and password, as well as OTP/TAC number, these scammers will be able to transfer money out of your bank account!

Please note – this is a scam! This is a phishing attack to gain access to your credit card and/or bank account.

Regardless of how you get any notification from PDRM about any traffic offence you may have committed, you should always check the status through these official MyBayar PDRM options:

MyBayar PDRM website : https://mybayar.rmp.gov.my/
MyBayar PDRM app for Android : Google Play Store
MyBayar PDRM app for iOS : Apple App Store

Please SHARE this warning with your family and friends!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Bantuan Tunai Rakyat Malaysia 2023 Scam Alert!

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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.

Fake Telegram Invitation

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.

Fake Telegram Login Page

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!

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.

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.

Recommended Reading

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Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

How WithSecure Offensive Security Drives Business Resilience!

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Find out how WithSecure harnesses the power of offensive security to drive business resilience and enhance protection for its clients!

WithSecure Drives Business Resilience Through Offensive Security!

WithSecure (formerly known as ‘F-Secure Business’) is harnessing the power of offensive security in its co-security and co-monitoring products and services. This revolutionary approach is designed to anticipate and mitigate cyber threats by understanding them from an attacker’s perspective.

During the SPHERE security conference 2023, WithSecure’s Chief Product Officer, Antti Koskela, shed light on their game-changing offering called ‘attack surface management.’ This managed service offers a comprehensive view of vulnerabilities in a company’s cloud-based estate.

As a result, WithSecure’s focus on the digital perimeter empowers businesses to reduce their overall attack surface, enhancing their cybersecurity posture in the ever-evolving threat landscape.

How WithSecure Offensive Security Drives Business Resilience!

WithSecure also introduced three groundbreaking services that amplify their commitment to ‘outcome-based security’ and ‘co-security’. This groundbreaking development was revealed by WithSecure Executive Vice President (Solutions) Scott Reininga, also at the SPHERE security conference 2023.

Reininga underscored WithSecure’s unparalleled expertise in offensive security, revealing that they are the home of one of the world’s most proficient offensive security teams. This team, a fusion of penetration testers (pentesters), red, blue and purple teamers, has profound knowledge of adversary tactics, tradecraft, and techniques.

Penetration testing is a cybersecurity practice that aims to discover vulnerabilities in a system by simulating controlled attacks. Their goal is not to cause damage but to pinpoint weaknesses for rectification. This proactive method, which can involve exploiting software vulnerabilities or simulating social engineering tactics, is key in any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy, offering a practical evaluation of potential risks rather than a theoretical one.

Our relentless pursuit of research and system testing allows us to uncover system vulnerabilities proactively. This crucial data is the building block of our products that are proactive, minimally disruptive, and crafted from the perspective of an attacker.

– Scott Reininga, WithSecure Executive Vice President (Solutions)

These insights were unveiled by Reininga during his recent product launch event titled ‘Co-security and co-managed services for partners’. He was joined on stage by WithSecure Vice President (Offering and Customer Experience) Niko Isotalo.

Expanding on WithSecure’s strategic approach, Isotalo said that the company’s outcome-based security framework model “connects Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and board members, offering clarity about the interplay between security outcomes and business objectives.”

This alignment clarifies the indispensable role of security in the core business framework to board members.

– Niko Isotalo, WithSecure Vice President (Offering and Customer Experience)

Reininga and Isotalo unveiled the three new offerings during their joint session. The first, termed “co-monitoring,” is a partnership model. WithSecure validates the genuineness of security incidents before alerting the duty manager, effectively curbing false alarms.

WithSecure collaborates with clients to supervise their digital ecosystems, particularly during periods when they are stretched thin on resources. This service, providing support beyond standard working hours, can also deliver round-the-clock monitoring if necessary.

Isotalo further introduced the second service, incident readiness software, recognising that many organisations lack comprehensive incident readiness plans.

Our software simplifies the creation, testing, and updating of such plans, which serve as essential shields against cyber threats.

Focusing on the urgency of immediate incident response, Reininga introduced the third service, an incident response retainer.

Our incident response retainer provides unlimited incident response within the critical initial 72 hours of an event. We eliminate the need for negotiation about budget and resource allocation.

We engage consultants rapidly, supported by our globally lauded 24/7 incident response team and top-tier threat intelligence unit, guaranteeing our customers industry-leading service level agreements (SLAs).

By integrating offensive security acumen, co-monitoring capabilities, incident readiness software, and swift incident response, WithSecure empowers organisations to effectively safeguard their digital assets and curtail the impact of potential breaches.

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.

Recommended Reading

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WithSecure Takes Offensive Security Approach To Cloud Threats!

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WithSecure is harnessing the power of the offensive security approach in tackling evolving cloud threats!

WithSecure Takes Offensive Security Approach For Cloud Threats!

In a shifting cybersecurity landscape, WithSecure (formerly known as ‘F-Secure Business’) is harnessing the power of offensive security in its co-security and co-monitoring products and services. This revolutionary approach is designed to anticipate and mitigate cyber threats by understanding them from an attacker’s perspective.

During the recent SPHERE security conference 2023 in Helsinki, Finland, WithSecure’s Chief Product Officer, Antti Koskela, shed light on this approach.

We’ve done identity assessments for many cloud-based companies, unveiling weaknesses in their cloud platforms.

Our offensive security approach is about understanding the attack surface of a cloud-based estate. We focus on the digital perimeter, which is crucial to reducing the overall attack surface.

Koskela went on to explain that WithSecure has distilled this insight into an innovative managed service offering called ‘attack surface management’. This service provides a comprehensive view of a company’s vulnerabilities, including IP addresses, port vulnerabilities, exposed APIs and web services, identity matters, patching levels and more.

With more open architecture, control over your attack surface becomes paramount. ‘Zero trust’ alone isn’t the answer as human errors happen. Our holistic approach helps mitigate this.

WithSecure’s product suite integrates various cloud-native solutions to deliver protection based on specific client requirements. This collaborative process, termed ‘co-security’, is driven by the security and business outcomes defined by the clients. Koskela emphasised the tripartite focus of their solution:

It’s about process, people, and technology. We collaborate to secure the outcomes, letting company directors steer the course of business.

Our WithSecure Elements platform is the cornerstone of our technology, built collaboratively with our clients.

Koskela acknowledged the evolution of the IT industry, from client-server in the ‘90s to hosted services in the 2000s, cloud computing in the 2010s and cloud-native in the 2020s. He underscored the need for a new security approach to match the evolving business environments:

The cloud offers agility, speed, cost-efficiency. But with new technologies come new security considerations.

WithSecure has been proactive, creating solutions for every technological shift – be it firewalling and endpoint protection during the hosted services era, or data security and VPNs for the cloud computing era.

And now, with the rise of cloud-native tech, we’re helping clients to understand and secure their digital perimeter through our offensive security approach.

WithSecure Chief Product Officer, Antti Koskela (left), and APAC Regional Director Yong Meng Hong (right)

WithSecure Elements Picking Up In APAC

Since its mid-2021 debut, WithSecure’s Elements platform has gained considerable momentum here in Malaysia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. This comprehensive cybersecurity platform has made its mark by providing organisations with a unified solution to their security needs.

Elements equips enterprises with the insight, adaptability, and technology to tackle evolving threats and changing business environments.

Offering unified endpoint protection across devices, clouds and servers, Elements consolidates everything from vulnerability management and collaboration protection to detection and response into one easy-to-navigate security console.

– WithSecure Asia-Pacific Regional Director Yong Meng Hong

Yong further emphasised that the cloud-based Elements platform provides real-time visibility across an entire IT infrastructure, simplifying how enterprises manage their cybersecurity.

Flexible licensing options, including fixed-term subscriptions and usage-based billing, ensure that organizations can tailor their cybersecurity services according to their specific needs.

Elements offers centralised management capabilities, giving IT managers a comprehensive overview of their enterprise’s IT infrastructure, enhancing their reassurance and control.

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How A University Student Lost RM22K In Online Job Scam!

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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!

Recommended : Watch Out For Telegram Phishing Attack!

The Scam Happens Very Quickly

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.

Scammers caught on CCTV by hacker

Many People In The Group Are Scammers

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.

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

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.

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Malaysia To Ban SMS With Personal Details!

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Telcos in Malaysia will soon ban SMS messages with personal information, as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams! Here is what you need to know!

Malaysia To Ban SMS With Personal Details!

On Sunday, 2 July 2023, four Malaysian telcos – Maxis, Celcom, Digital and U Mobile will ban SMS messages containing personal information , as part of the MCMC’s initiative to prevent scams.

In addition to the May ban of SMS links, both local and international users will be prevented from sending any SMS message containing:

personal details
mobile or fixed line phone number
banking details like account number
MyKad number

All SMS messages containing these forbidden items will not be blocked, but their senders won’t be charged for those blocked messages.

No Ban For SMS With Personal Details Via Short Codes

It should be noted that this ban on SMS messages with personal details do NOT apply to businesses using legitimate Enterprise short codes. They will still be allowed to issue SMS messages with URLs (links), phone numbers, and personal details.

Here are the current Enterprise short codes for Celcom and DIGI, from which you “may” continue to receive SMS messages with hyperlinks (URLs) and personal information.

Telco	Enterprise Short Codes
Celcom	CelcomDigi / EASYRELOAD Celcom / CELCOM 2000 / 2901 / 20000 / 78888 28888 / 28882 / 22288 / 28282 / 22888 2001 / 22002 / 22009 / 21888 / 22022 / 22033 / 22162 / 22244 / 22262 / 22990 / 23000 / 23222 / 23777 / 25000 / 25555 / 26664 / 26668 / 26674 / 26680 / 26699 / 27100 / 27200 / 27999 / 28000 / 29888 / 29992 / 29999 / 39131 / 39140 / 39146 / 39170 / 39172 / 39230 / 39231 / 39240 / 39254 / 39258 / 39281 / 39291 / 39442 / 39466 / 39470 / 39471 / 39496 / 39504 / 39505 / 39506 / 39509 / 39513 / 39514 / 39515 / 39518 / 39881 / 39437 / 39132 / 39133 / 39144 / 39162 / 39177 / 39498 / 39502 / 39511 / 39512 / 39495
Digi	CelcomDigi / Digi / DigiRewards 200 / 2901 / 2691 / 5001 / 27676 20000 / 21000 / 28879 / 28888 / 28882 / 22288 / 28282 / 22888

Maxis has 5-digit short codes like 1XXXX, 2XXXX, and 6XXXX, but has chosen to block SMS messages containing personal information from their Enterprise short codes:

In order to prevent individuals from becoming online scam scams, the Malaysia Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has issued a directive to all telcos on 14 February 2023 to block sending and receiving of short messaging service (SMS) from local, international mobile numbers and applications containing below contents:

URL link and any clickable link e.g. shorten URL; shorten URL;
Request for user’s personal information e.g name, IC number, account number and
Mobile and fixed line number

Blockings are being implemented in stages; started from 2 May 2023 for SMS between individuals; the next and last stage is the blocking of SMS containing the above 3 elements from mobile and applications such as Enterprise SMS service and Maxis IoT SIM from 2 July 2023.

Risky SMS Ban Helpful, But Other Platforms Still A Risk

While this measure is really helpful in reducing scams, the ban is limited to SMS messages. It does not prevent scammers from sending similar scam messages through instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, etc.

I should also point out that links are not 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.

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Wedding Invitation Scam : Don’t Install APK File!

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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 😀

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Wedding Invitation Scam : Don’t Install APK File!

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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Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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Jomo Kwame Sundaram Stock Advice Scam Alert!

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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

Show less

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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!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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Bursa Malaysia Stock Investment Scam Alert!

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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 👇👇👇

Show less

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

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”.

That was when the lady realised she had been scammed, and lodged a police report.

Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Scam Alert : How Fake Job Syndicates Operate!

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Find out how fake job syndicates operate, and how they reel you into their scams, and cheat YOU of your hard-earned money!

Make sure you SHARE this article, to warn your family and friends to avoid the fake job scams!

Fake Job Scams : What Are They?

Fake job scams have been around for a long, long time. But fake job syndicates have become more active recently, probably because more people are getting laid off, and inflation is eating into our money.

Fake job scams come in a variety of ways, but most commonly, you get unsolicited messages through WhatsApp or iMessage, offering you the opportunity to make a lot of money through part-time work, in the comfort of your own home.

Good day YouTubers!! This is Alexa from Youtube Entertainment. We invite you to participate in our event by liking and subscribing to our channel and we will give you XXX. Please reply “YES” if you are interested. Thank you.

Hi, I’m the recruitment manager of XYZ company. XYZ invites you to do regular work at home.

You can easily earn [large amounts of money] with your mobile phone every day, and your salary will be settled on the same day.

Please add my WhatsApp to sign up. The number of places is limited, only for today.

Hey! You have been selected for a job. Daily salary XXXX to YYYYY. WhatsApp [number removed]. Reply YES to apply.

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Scam Alert : How Fake Job Syndicates Operate!

I personally have received many of such fake job offers, and have always ignored them. But when I saw a sudden surge of fake job offers, I decided to look into it. I also wanted to find out how they worked.

So I took a dive into two different fake job scams last week, and here was what I found…

How They Reel Their Victims In

It all starts with scammers tasked with “fishing” for victims. They will try to contact you by email, Facebook Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage. Regardless of the method, the hook is simple – we are offering you an EASY way to make A LOT of money!

Once you are suitably impressed, these “fishing” scammers will offer you a simple task to show you just how easy it is to make a lot of money. To entice me, the two scammers offered me a pretty good sum of money for a very simple task:

Syndicate A : Subscribe to this YouTube channel, and send me the screenshot to receive XXXX.

Syndicate B : Like this YouTube video, and send me the screenshot to receive YYYY.

Recommended : Watch Out For Telegram Phishing Attack!

The Fishing Scammer Hands You Over To The Syndicate

After you complete that task, the fishing scammer then hands you off to the actual fake job syndicate, ostensibly for payment. You are asked to contact the company secretary / account manager on Telegram, with a “payment code”.

From what I surmise, the “payment code” is actually the fishing scammer’s referral code – they get paid for every victim they send the syndicate.

This will be your last contact with these fishing scammers. They are off to reel in more victims!

Syndicate Baits You With Payment

The syndicate secretary / account manager will ask you to register your details with them, but they are not too particular with any details, except for your phone number. If you give them the fake number, they will know because they will check with the fishing scammer using their referral code. But feel free to give them other fake details – they won’t care.

The fake job syndicate will then send you the payment for that “test” job, using a mule account. If you ask them why they are sending you the money through a different company account or even a random person’s account, they will tell you that they have many bank accounts because of daily transaction limits.

Syndicate Baits You With Simple Tasks

The syndicate will then add you to their Telegram channel offering multiple tasks per day. Instead of YouTube channels or videos, you are tasked to very simple tasks like:

open a link to a product page on an online shopping platform
take a screenshot of that product page
post that screenshot to the Telegram group
share that screenshot with your syndicate agent

You will breeze through the first three tasks easily, and the fake job syndicate will pay you promptly.

Fantastic, isn’t it? What could go wrong? After all, there are hundreds of other people participating in the same tasks, and getting paid!

Syndicate Tempts You With Pay To Earn Scam

At this point, you have done some calculations, and realise that you can easily make good money every day doing these simple tasks.

That’s when the fake job syndicate offers you the opportunity to make some serious cash. But there’s one catch – you need to PAY them to get access to jobs with serious money.

For every dollar you prepay, the fake job syndicate promises that you will get that back PLUS 10% to 30%, within minutes. Just in case you are worried about losing your money, hey, they are offering a refund. Honest!

And how can they offer you so much money for so little work? The syndicate throws in the magic word – cryptocurrency! Of course! That’s the only way anyone can make tons of money easily, with both eyes closed!

Syndicate Pressurises You With Bots

To convince you that they are legit, you will see many people posting screenshots of their payments to the Telegram group. They will also publicly announce how much they are investing. In some cases, they also post excitedly about how much money they already made, and how much they plan to make today.

This is just a charade to make you believe that people are really making money through this scheme. Most of these “participants” appear to be bot accounts, with a few sock puppet accounts. If you monitor these accounts over time, you will see them change names. I even spotted one of these fake participants (mercado livre in the screenshot above) become the Telegram group admin!

The genuine victims are those asking questions in the group like “We have to prepay?” But oddly enough, no one else in the group (except the Telegram group admin) will respond. That’s not how real people behave.

And if you check their receipts, you will notice some discrepancies in their receipts, which suggest that they were edited:

transfers within the same bank were labelled as transfers “to other banks”.
account numbers are too short / long for that particular bank

The others are possibly genuine receipts (by people who were scammed earlier), with their dates and times changed.

Once You Pay, It’s Game Over

I managed to get in touch with two victims of this scam, who claimed that once they deposited the prepaid amount, they were ghosted and removed from the Telegram group.

So that appears to be the scam – they bait you with a bit of money, until you are convinced that they are real. Then once you prepay them for the “big job”, they dump you right away.

Your assigned syndicate agent will block you, and you will get kicked off the Telegram group, which often disappears after scamming a few victims. Often, you will find your Telegram conversations with them mysteriously deleted. By then, it’s much too late – you have already lost your money.

To ensure they don’t lose money, they will price the introductory offer low enough to entice victims, but high enough to cover their costs and then some. But they will inevitably score some big fish, which is why the fake job scam persists.

Now that you know how the fake job scam works, please DO NOT get trapped into it! NEVER pay to get a job. It is just a scam!

Please SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!

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Gigabyte motherboards shipped with firmware backdoor!

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Millions of Gigabyte motherboards and laptops shipped with a built-in backdoor in its UEFI firmware!

Here is what you need to know about this cybersecurity danger, and what you can do about it!

Gigabyte Motherboards Shipped With Firmware Backdoor!

On 31 May 2023, researchers at the cybersecurity firm Eclypsium revealed that 271 Gigabyte motherboard models have been compromised with UEFI firmware with a built-in backdoor!

Eclypsium’s heuristic detection methods recently began flagging suspicious backdoor-like behaviour in Gigabyte motherboards. When its researchers looked into it, they found that Gigabyte motherboard firmware was executing a Windows native executable during the system start up process. This executable then insecurely downloads and executes additional payloads.

From their analysis, the executable appears to be a legitimate Gigabyte module called WpbtDxe.efi:

it checks to see if the “APP Center Download & Install” feature is enabled
it downloads executable payloads from Gigabyte servers
it has a Gigabyte cryptographic signature

They also found that the downloaded payloads have Gigabyte cryptographic signatures too, which suggest that this firmware backdoor was implemented by Gigabyte itself.

However, Eclypsium researchers discovered that the Gigabyte implementation had a number of problems, which would make it easy for threat actors to abuse the firmware backdoor:

one of its payload download locations lacks SSL (using plain HTTP, instead of the more secure HTTPS), allowing for Machine-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks
remote server certificate validation was not implemented correctly even when the other two HTTPS download locations were used, which allows for MITM attacks
one of its payload download locations is a local network-attacked storage device (NAS), which could allow a threat actor to spoof the location of the NAS to install their own malware
the Gigabyte firmware itself does not verify any cryptographic signatures, or validates the downloaded executables.

In short – millions of Gigabyte motherboards have a cybersecurity vulnerability, due to their firmware which includes an insecure / vulnerable OEM backdoor. As John Loucaides from Eclypsium put it:

If you have one of these machines, you have to worry about the fact that it’s basically grabbing something from the Internet and running it without you being involved, and hasn’t done any of this securely.

The concept of going underneath the end user and taking over their machine doesn’t sit well with most people.

Note : This vulnerability affects all computers using Gigabyte motherboards, including laptops.

Gigabyte Rolls Out New Firmware To Mitigate Backdoor!

After the news blew up inconveniently during Computex 2023, Gigabyte quickly rolled out new beta firmware upgrades for its AMD and Intel motherboards.

According to Gigabyte, the new beta firmware upgrades have “improved security mechanisms” that will “detect and prevent malicious activities during the boot process“. It also appeared to have implemented other changes:

enhanced the signature verification process for fils downloaded from its remote servers
conduct more thorough checks of file integrity to prevent the introduction of malicious code
enabled standard cryptographic verification of remote server certificates

The new firmware has just been released for AMD 600-series motherboards, as well as Intel 500- and 400-series motherboards, but will eventually be introduced for older motherboards. The new firmware will have the description, “Addresses Download Assistant Vulnerabilities Reported by Eclypsium Research“.

As Gigabyte does not intend to remove the backdoor feature, you might want to consider Eclypsium’s advice on how best to reduce the risk of malicious actors taking advantage:

Scan and monitor systems and firmware updates in order to detect affected Gigabyte systems and the backdoor-like tools embedded in firmware. Update systems to the latest validated firmware and software in order to address security issues like this one.
Inspect and disable the “APP Center Download & Install” feature in UEFI/BIOS Setup on Gigabyte systems and set a BIOS password to deter malicious changes.
Administrators can also block the following URLs:
– http://mb.download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Swhttp/LiveUpdate4
– https://mb.download.gigabyte.com/FileList/Swhttp/LiveUpdate4
– https://software-nas/Swhttp/LiveUpdate4

For starters, you should definitely download and update your Gigabyte motherboard or laptop with the improved firmware. Then disable APP Center Download & Install in the BIOS.

Let’s hope Gigabyte will be able to quickly issue new and improved firmware to mitigate, if not remove, the backdoor vulnerability for the affected 271 motherboard models, and its future motherboards and laptops. Even so, many users might not be aware of this vulnerability or these updates.

It seems likely that threat actors will have access to this backdoor vulnerability in many Gigabyte motherboards and laptops for years to come. Even Eclypsium’s Loucaides believes so:

I still think this will end up being a fairly pervasive problem on Gigabyte boards for years to come.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Can Restaurant Menu QR Code Hack Your Phone?!

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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.

Fact #4 : QR Code Is Not Malicious In Nature

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.

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Fact #6 : Restaurant Menu QR Code Is Low Risk

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 Ban SMS Links To Prevent Scams!

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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

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.

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Can hackers use Good Morning greetings to hack you?!

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Can hackers use Good Morning videos, pictures and messages to hack your devices, and steal your data?!

Find out what is happening, and what the FACTS really are!

Updated @ 2023-04-21 : Updated with a new 2023 version of the hoax
Originally posted @ 2022-11-01

Claim : Hackers Are Using Good Morning Messages To Hack You!

This post about Chinese hackers using Good Morning videos, pictures and messages to hack your devices, keeps going viral on social media and WhatsApp.

It’s a long message, so just skip to the next section for the facts!

Dear friends, please delete all welcome photos and videos in Good Morning format and the like. Read below the article to the end, which will be clear why I ask about it. From now on I will only send personally prepared greetings.

Read all! Please send this message urgently to as many friends as possible to prevent illegal intrusion.
Warning from Olga Nikolaevnas lawyer:

ATTENTION! For those who like to send Good Morning pictures! Good day! Good evening! Do not send these “good” messages.

Today, Shanghai China International News sent SOS to all subscribers (this is the third reminder) that experts recommend: please do not send good morning, good night, pictures and videos,.

Reports show that hackers in China designed the images, the video is so beautiful to hide the phishing codes inside them, when everyone sends these messages, the hackers use your devices to steal personal information, such as bank card information and data to crack the phone.

It has been reported that more than 500,000 victims of fraud have already been deceived.

If you want to greet others, write your own message to protect yourself and your family and friends.

Important! Delete all greeting messages and pictures that you have on your phone for your own safety. If someone sent you such a picture, immediately remove it from the device. Malicious code takes time to deploy, so if you act immediately, no harm will be done.

Tell all your friends about this to prevent hacking.

Greet others by writing your own words, and send only images you create. The material you create yourself is completely safe.‼️‼️ ️‼️

Please understand me correctly! All have credit cards attached to their phone. Everyone has a lot of contacts in their phones. You will create a threat not only to yourself, but to all the contacts that you have on your phones, your friends and acquaintances. ‼️ ️‼️ ️‼️

Take this very carefully! This is a harsh reality‼️ ️‼️ ️‼️

ATTENTION !!!
Urgent information !!!

Some people have already restricted..!

Show less

Truth : Good Morning Greetings Not Being Used To Hack You!

Many of us get spammed with Good Morning or Good Night messages every day from family and friends.

While they often clog up Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp groups, they really do NOT allow hackers to hack your devices.

Here are the reasons why Good Morning messages are very irritating, but harmless…

Fact #1 : Shanghai China International News Does Not Exist

The news organisation that was claimed to be the source of this warning – Shanghai China International News – does not exist!

Fact #2 : Good Morning Greetings Not Created By Hackers

Hackers (from China or anywhere else) have better things to do than to create these Good Morning pictures and videos.

They are mostly created by websites and social media influencers for people to share and attract new followers.

Fact #3 : No Fraud Involving Good Morning Messages

There has been no known fraud involving Good Morning or even Good Night messages, videos or pictures.

Certainly, half a million victims of such a scam would have made front page news. Yet there is not a single report on even one case…. because it never happened.

Fact #4 : Image-Based Malware Is Possible, But…

Digital steganography is a method by which secret messages and other data can be hidden in digital files, like a photo or a video, or even a music file.

It is also possible to embed malicious code within a Good Morning photo, but it won’t be a full-fledged malware that can execute by itself.

At most, it can be used to hide the malware payload from antivirus scanners, which is pretty clever to be honest…

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Fact #5 : Image-Based Malware Requires User Action

In January 2019, cybercriminals created an online advertisement with a script that appears innocuous and would pass any malware check.

However, the image itself has an “almost white” rectangle that is recognised by the script, triggering it to redirect the user to the cybercriminals’ website.

Once there, the victim is tricked into installing a Trojan disguised as an Adobe Flash Player update.

Such a clever way to bypass malware checks, but even so, this image-based malware requires user action.

You cannot get infected by the Trojan if you practice good “Internet hygiene” by not downloading or installing anything from unknown websites.

Fact #6 : Malicious Code Executes Immediately

If you accidentally download and trigger malware, it will execute immediately. It won’t wait, as the hoax message claims.

Deleting Good Morning or Good Night photos or videos will free up storage space in your phone, but it won’t prevent any malware from executing.

There is really no reason for malware to wait before it infects your devices. Waiting will only increase the risk of detection.

Whether the malware serves to take over your device, steal your information or encrypt it for ransom, it pays to do it at the first opportunity.

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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MSI Users At Risk Of Rogue BIOS / Firmware Updates!

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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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MSI Hit By $4 Million Ransomware Attack + Data Theft!

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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!

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.

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.

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Scam Alert : Watch Out For Telegram Phishing Attack!

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Watch out for the phishing attack that will allow scammers to take over your Telegram account!

Scam Alert : Watch Out For Telegram Phishing Attack!

Scammers are now targeting Telegram users with a phishing attack that is designed to trick them into giving up their accounts! The Telegram phishing attack works like this:

Step 1 : The scammer gains control of your friend’s Telegram account, and sends this message to you:

Dear Telegram users. The system detects that this account is abnormal and has potential security risks.

To ensure that you can log in to your account normally, you need to invite friends for auxiliary verification

The risk control account has not been verified. The system will cancel the account after 24 hours!

Personal Information Authentication：[link removed]

Step 2 : The scammer, masquerading as your friend, asks you to help him/her verify his/her Telegram account by clicking on the link.

There are security risks in my account, and I need friends to help me verify it. Please click on the official link to help me verify it and follow the prompts. thank you

Step 3 : If you click on the [removed] link to help your friend, you will be taken to a website that looks like an official Telegram website. DO NOT DO THIS.

Step 4 : You will be asked to log into your Telegram account on the fake website. DO NOT DO THIS.

Step 5 : The fake Telegram website will ask you to key in your Login code, or take and upload a screenshot of your Telegram. DO NOT DO THIS.

Step 6 : If you continue, the scammer will be able to take over your Telegram account, and use it to scam your friends by asking them for money, etc.

The scammer will also have access to your Telegram chats, and all associated media including photos and videos, which could potentially be leaked or used to extort you or other people.

How To Protect Against Telegram Phishing Attack

A phishing (pronounced as fishing) attack is a social engineering attack, that uses your trust for an institution (like a bank), authority (Telegram), or someone you know, to give up your login details.

Here are some ways you can protect yourself against any phishing attack on Telegram, or other platforms.

Verify Identity Before Trusting

Many people fall for phishing attacks because it is human nature to trust your friends and to help them. However, on instant messaging apps, you don’t actually know if it’s really your friend on the other end!

So if a friend messages you on Telegram, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc to ask for help, ALWAYS verify their identity before proceeding.

If possible, call or message your friend on the phone, or via a different platform (use WhatsApp if the request came on Telegram, for example).

But if you are unable to call your friend, try asking the other person something that only your real friend would know:

Do NOT ask questions like “Are you really Sarah??“
Do NOT ask questions that can be answered by reading previous chat messages.
Ask something that only you and your friend would know, like “Hey Sarah, what was that restaurant we went to last week?“
Ask a fake question that your friend would readily know is not true, like “Hey Sarah, are you coming over tonight?“

If the other person cannot answer or gives you the wrong answer, he/she is not your friend, and that account has likely been taken over by a scammer.

Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Look At The Link

Whenever you see a link being shared, always check if it leads to a legitimate website, or attempts to masquerade as a real website, by substituting characters in the link.

This Telegram phishing attack, for example, uses a link to telegram.0rg.ee. The real Telegram domain name is telegram.org. This is called domain spoofing.

If you see an attempt to impersonate a legitimate website by using a similar-looking domain name, do NOT click on it.

Never Login Via A Link

It is common for people to share links on Telegram, and in Telegram groups. Heck, we share links to our article in the Tech ARP Telegram group!

Clicking on links in Telegram, WhatsApp, emails, etc. is not dangerous, because most lead to legitimate websites that do NOT require you to log in.

What is dangerous is logging into any website through a link. I cannot hammer this enough – NEVER LOG INTO ANY WEBSITE through a link!

Phishing attacks work by tricking you into going into a fake website that looks like the real website. But you still have to log into the fake website to give the scammers your login details.

Turn On Two-Step Verification

All banking platforms, and many mobile apps now offer two-step verification to prevent scammers from taking over user accounts. However, this is often an optional feature that you must manually enable.

Telegram has a two-step verification feature, which prevents scammers and hackers from hijacking your account by requiring a secret password that only you will know.

Please follow our guide on how to turn on Two-Step Verification in Telegram.

Just make sure you do NOT give that password out to anyone, or key it into any website!

Warn Your Family + Friends!

It is important to publicise phishing attacks, whenever they happen. If people are alerted, they are less likely to fall for such attacks.

However, scammers and hackers can quickly change the way their phishing attack works, so it is important that people understand how phishing attacks work in general.

You can help prevent phishing attacks by sharing this articles, and other cybersecurity warnings, with your family and friends.

Please help us FIGHT SCAMMERS by sharing this cybersecurity article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Pinduoduo App Contains Persistent Spy Malware!

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One of China’s most popular apps – Pinduoduo apparently contains a malware that monitors user activities and is difficult to remove!

Take a look at what CNN and multiple cybersecurity researchers have discovered about Pinduoduo!

Pinduoduo : What Is It?

Pinduoduo is actually a Chinese online retailer. Think of it as China’s Amazon. While Amazon started as an online bookstore, Pinduoduo started as an online agricultural retailer.

Since then, Pinduoduo has become one of China’s most popular online shopping platform, with its app offering its 750 million users access to cheap products in China, by offering steep discounts on group buying orders.

Despite its meteoric rise, Pinduoduo has not been without its controversies. In 2018, the company was criticised for hosting inferior and imitation products, to which it responded by taking down more than 4 million listing and shutting down 1,128 stores.

In 2019, Pinduoduo was hit by hackers who stole discount coupons worth tens of millions of Yuan. And just last month, Google suspended the Pinduoduo app after discovering that versions offered outside its Play Store contained malware.

The Off-Play versions of the e-commerce app that have been found to contain malware have been enforced on via Google Play Protect.

Pinduoduo App Contains Persistent Spy Malware!

Western interest may have been initiated by Google suspending the Pinduoduo app, but cybersecurity experts had already started looking into the app, and what they discovered was very troubling.

Alert First Raised By Chinese Cybersecurity Company

I think we should start by noting that it was a Chinese cybersecurity company called Dark Navy that first raised concerns about malware in the Pinduoduo app in February 2023.

Although Dark Navy did not name Pinduoduo in its report, cybersecurity researchers knew who it was referring to and soon followed up with their own investigations and reports, confirming Dark Navy’s report.

Sophisticated Malware

Half a dozen cybersecurity teams from Asia, Europe and the United States identified sophisticated malware in the Pinduoduo app that were designed to exploit vulnerabilities in the Android operating system used by many smartphones.

The malware allows the Pinduoduo app to bypass Android security features to monitor activities in other apps, check notifications, read private messages, and even change settings. It is also difficult to remove once installed.

Mikko Hyppönen, chief research officer at WithSecure, a Finnish cybersecurity firm, said that:

We haven’t seen a mainstream app like this trying to escalate their privileges to gain access to things that they’re not supposed to gain access to. This is highly unusual, and it is pretty damning for Pinduoduo.

Dedicated Hacking Team To Look For Vulnerabilities

Even more damning, CNN reported that a current employee revealed that Pinduoduo set up a team of about 100 engineers and product managers to look for vulnerabilities in Android smartphones, and find ways to exploit them for profit.

To avoid exposure, the source said that the company targeted users in rural areas and smaller towns, and avoided users in megacities like Beijing and Shanghai.

By collecting expansive data on those users, Pinduoduo was able to create a comprehensive portrait of their habits, interests, and preferences; while improving its machine learning models to personalise push notifications and ads.

Pinduoduo App Gained More Access Than Allowed

Three cybersecurity companies – WithSecure, Check Point Research, and Oversecured conducted independent analysis of version 6.49.0 of the Pinduoduo app that was released in late February 2023, and found code designed to achieve “privilege escalation” – a type of cyberattack that exploits vulnerabilities in the operating system to gain a higher level of access to data that it’s supposed to have.

Our team has reverse engineered that code and we can confirm that it tries to escalate rights, tries to gain access to things normal apps wouldn’t be able to do on Android phones.

The Pinduoduo app was able to continue running in the background, and prevent itself from being uninstalled. This was apparently done to boost the platform’s statistic for monthly active users.

Pinduoduo App Has Access To User Data Without Consent

Delware-based app security start-up, Oversecured, found that the Pinduoduo app had access to user data like locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and photo albums, without their consent.

The app was also able to change system settings, and access user social media accounts and chats.

Pinduoduo App Also Snooped On Other Apps

The Pinduoduo app also had the ability to snoop on competing shopping apps, by tracking activity on other shopping apps, and gathering information from them.

Pinduoduo App Able To Secretly Receive Updates

Check Point Research found that Pinduoduo was able to push updates to the app, without first going through an app store review process to detect malicious code.

Pinduoduo App Programmers Attempted To Obscure Malicious Code

Check Point Research also found that some plug-ins used by the Pinduoduo app tried to obscure potentially malicious code by hiding them under legitimate file names, such as Google’s.

Such a technique is widely used by malware developers that inject malicious code into applications that have legitimate functionality.

Pinduoduo Targeted Android Devices

According to Sergey Toshin, founder of Oversecured, Pinduoduo’s malware specifically targeted Android operating systems used by Samsung, HUAWEI, Xiaomi and OPPO.

He also described the app as “the most dangerous malware” ever found in mainstream apps, exploiting about 50 Android system vulnerabilities. Most of these exploits targeted customised OEM code used by smartphone brands to customise their smartphone software.

I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s like, super expansive.

Pinduoduo Removed Exploit + Canned Hacking Team

After cybersecurity researchers started reporting about the app, Pinduoduo released version 6.50.0 on March 5, which removed the exploits they found. Two days later, Pinduoduo disbanded its Android hacking team, according to the same employee.

The hacking team members found themselves locked out of Pinduoduo’s workspace communication app, called Knock, and lost access to files on the company’s internal network, with their privileges revoked.

Most of the team was later transferred to work at Pinduoduo’s sister app, Temu. A core group of about 20 cybersecurity engineers however remain at Pinduoduo.

In addition, Sergey Toshin of Oversecured noted that while the exploits were removed in the new version of Pinduoduo, the underlying code remained and could be reactivated to carry out attacks.

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

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Many Facebook users are getting hit by the Facebook Ads and Facebook Pay scams! Here is how you can prevent it from happening to you!

Facebook Ads + Pay Scam Hits Many Bank Customers!

Many bank customers are complaining that they are being charged for fraudulent Facebook Ads advertisement campaigns!

They discovered that their debit cards were charged for Facebook advertisements that they never approved. Some have also stated that their credit or debit cards were used to purchase goods and services using Facebook Pay.

Stephanie Wong : I found out the money deducted from my bank acc through multiple continuous transactions yesterday, then I called Maybank customer service immediately. They helped me to cancel the card but then the thing happened again this morning.

@ruffleseed : I heard tens of millions of Ringgit were reported misappropriated through @facebook
on multiple bank over the past few weeks.

Delete your phone number from Facebook now and do not let @messenger handle your SMS. @MyMaybank has yet to answer us re: this intrusion.

@ItsNeoah : Banyak kali kena kat credit card ambank. Alhamdulilah call ambank dia mintak isi dispute form then tgok next cycle bil dah takde. Letih ngan scammer ni.

Translation : [My] Ambank credit card got hit many times. Alhamdulillah, after calling Ambank, they asked me to fill out a dispute form, then when I checked the next bill cycle [the charges] was removed. Tired of this scammer.

[/su_note]

How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Here are some ways to prevent getting hit by the Facebook Ads scam, whether you are a bank customer in Malaysia or other countries.

Do NOT Use Debit Cards

First, you should NEVER use a debit card if you can help it. You should certainly not use a debit card online, or register it on any online or mobile payment platform, whether it’s for Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Facebook Pay.

It doesn’t matter if Bill Gates or Elon Musk or BTS endorses debit cards. DO NOT USE DEBIT CARDS!

You should certainly never use your debit card to fund Facebook advertisements. Always use a credit card, which offers you some protection against such fraudulent transactions.

Disable Your ATM Card’s Debit Card Function

Even if you have never requested for a debit card, you likely already own one – your ATM card likely doubles as a debit card! Banks have been forcing customers to take on debit cards, often by making ATM cards double as debit cards.

If possible, ask your bank to disable debit card function in your ATM card. But it is likely that they will refuse to do so – they make money from debit card transactions after all!

If your bank refuses to disable the debit card function in your ATM card, you can ask them to set the limit to ZERO. That will effectively block scammers from accessing your bank account!

Monitor Your Credit Card Transactions

Using a credit card to purchase products and services on online and mobile payment platforms offers you some protection against fraud, but you must always monitor the transactions and report any fraudulent transactions right away.

Depending on the country and card network, you usually have about 60 days to dispute credit card charges. So don’t wait. Report them as soon as you spot them! This will reduce the loss and reports you make, and speeds up the refund process.

Remove Your Credit Cards ASAP

If you register your credit cards for use with Facebook Ads or Facebook Pay, try to REMOVE them as soon as you are done.

Do NOT leave them registered to your Facebook Ads or Facebook Pay account, as a scammer or hacker who gains access to your Facebook account can make fraudulent purchases or run fraudulent advertisements using those credit cards without additional verification.

That appears to be the modus operandi of the Facebook Ads scam that has affected so many Maybank customers in recent weeks.

But if you have never registered your credit or debit cards with Facebook, or removed them after using, even if scammers hacked into your Facebook account or gained access through phishing attacks, they won’t be able to use your credit or debit cards!

Enable PIN For Facebook Pay

If you are using Facebook Pay, a scammer who gains access to your Facebook account could potentially use the debit or credit cards you registered earlier to make fraudulent transactions.

To prevent that, you should enable PIN confirmation for Facebook Pay:

Go to Settings in the Facebook website (not app).
Go to Account Settings, and select Orders and payments.
In the Orders and payments page, select Settings.
In the Security section, select Require PIN Confirmation.
You will be asked to enter a 4-digit number as your PIN.
Key in the 4-digit number again to confirm your PIN.

After that, you will be required to key in the 4-digit PIN whenever you make a payment, or change your bank account details, or connect your payment info with other Meta apps.

Turn On Two-Factor Authentication

To make it harder for scammers / hackers to gain access to your Facebook account, turn on two-factor authentication:

Go to your Security and Login Settings.
Scroll down to Use two-factor authentication and click Edit.
Choose the security method you want to add and follow the on-screen instructions.

When you set up two-factor authentication on Facebook, you’ll be asked to choose one of three security methods:

Tapping your security key on a compatible device.
Login codes from a third party authentication app.
Text message (SMS) codes from your mobile phone.

Once you’ve turned on two-factor authentication, you can get 10 recovery login codes to use when you’re unable to use your phone.

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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MILO Malaysia Ramadan Contest Scam Alert!

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Please watch out for the MILO Malaysia Ramadan contest scam!

Find out why it is just a SCAM, and WARN your family and friends!

MILO Malaysia Ramadan Contest Scam Alert!

People are now sharing the MILO Malaysia Ramadan contest on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger :

MILO Malaysia Ramadan gift

Through the questionnaire, you will have a chance to get 2000 Ringgit.

MILO Malaysia Ramadan gift

We have prepared a lot of cash gifts as Ramadan gift.

Recommended : Petronas 50th Anniversary Scam Alert!

MILO Malaysia Ramadan Contest : Why This Is A Scam!

Unfortunately, this is yet another survey scam, like the Tenaga Nasional 33rd Anniversary scam!!

Nestle confirmed that the viral MILO Malaysia contest a scam in a 30 March 2023 statement on their website:

Nestlé Malaysia Notification on Scams

We have been alerted of a MILO Ramadan Contest offering cash prizes to the public upon completion of a questionnaire. Please be informed that this is a scam which aims to mislead the public.

Nestlé views this matter seriously and has reported it to the relevant authorities.

If you have received a post or message on this, or know anyone who has:

DO NOT share the post
DO NOT provide any personal details (e.g. bank account numbers)
DO NOT make any payments

This is yet another example of a survey scam, that scammers have been using for years:

Now, let me show you how to spot these scams next time!

If you spot any of these warning signs, DO NOT PROCEED and DO NOT SHARE!

Warning Sign #1 : Bad Grammar

Most of these scammers do not have a good command of the English language, so if you spot bad grammar, stay away.

Proper contests or events sponsored by major brands like Nestle will have at least one PR or marketing person who will vet the text before allowing it to be posted.

Recommended : Petronas 50th Anniversary Scam Alert!

Warning Sign #2 : Offering You Free Money Or Gifts

Please do NOT be naive. No one – not even large companies like Nestle – is going to give you money or free gifts just to participate in a survey!

Nestle is a corporation whose business is to make money, not a charity to give you free money.

Warning Sign #3 : Not Using The Real MILO Domain

A genuine Nestle or MILO marketing campaign would use their real domains – www.milo.com.my or www.nestle.com.my.

Or they would run it off the official MILO Malaysia page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/MiloMalaysia/.

If you see nonsensical domains like findinggreedy.cn, consequentlybewilder.cn, merefamily.top, 0yjjg61.cn, 1eaf1rnbeef.top, ldxqw.bar, etc. that’s a sign it’s a SCAM!

Warning Sign #4 : Asking You To Forward The Offer

No brand will insist that you must share the offer with 5 groups or 20 friends on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

Do not click to forward their offer to your family and friends. They will not appreciate being scammed with your help!

Warning Sign #5 : Asking You To Download + Register An App

If you click through and joined the fake survey scam, you will eventually be asked to download and register for an app.

This is VERY DANGEROUS. Never agree to download and register for any unknown app from a website.

Always download your apps from an official App Store like Google Play Store (for Android smartphones) and Apple App Store (for iPhones).

Please help us fight scams like this and SHARE this article out!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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.

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BitiCodes Scam Alert : Fake Celebrity Endorsements!

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You may have seen celebrities endorsements of BitiCodes or Biti Codes circulating on Facebook and Instagram, but they are all FAKE.

Find out why there are so many fake celebrity endorsements of Biticodes / Biti Codes, and how they are doing it!

BitiCodes / Biti Codes : Fake Celebrity Endorsements

BitiCodes or Biti Codes claims to be “the crypto industry’s most accurate AI auto-trading app“, which “works by automatically placing trades… using trading bots to strengthen your chances of making a profitable trade.”

If you never heard of it, you won’t be alone, because it’s mainly promoted via advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, etc. They are also promoting it through Google Ads like these examples, which will often appear in completely legitimate websites.

Clicking on those advertisements will lead to legitimate-looking articles from local or crypto publications, often with a celebrity endorsing Biticodes / Biti Codes.

Here in Malaysia, people will see Biticodes being endorsed by the likes of local politicians like Lim Guan Eng or Dr. Mahathir. But those in the cybersecurity industry will quickly realise that these articles are familiar because they are almost exact copies of scam articles used in the previous Bitcoin Revolution scam.

Looking for reviews of Biticodes or Biti Codes is pointless, because they appeared to have paid for advertorials in legitimate media outlets, which are (intentionally?) wrongly listed as “reviews”. Only at the very bottom do they include a disclaimer that it was a sponsored post.

Outlook India

Biticodes Reviews : Today we’ll be talking about one platform called Biticodes that you can use to make an extra source of income. It’s safe, and you do not need to worry about anything. It may help you earn good money in very less time.

Disclaimer : This is sponsored review content posted by us. All the information about the product is taken from the official website (and not fact-checked by us). Contact customer care phone number given on product’s official website for order cancellation, return, refund, payment, delivery etc. related issues. Must consult any financial specialist before investing in BitiCodes Auto-Trading Software.

Tribune India

Biticodes is real or scam review 2022 : With an astonishing success rate of 90%, BitiCodes has what it takes to be your go-to platform for cryptocurrency trading. It can execute multiple deals per second – a rate that even the most experienced cryptocurrency traders would be hard-pressed to match.

Disclaimer : The views and opinions expressed in the above article are independent professional judgment of the experts and The Tribune does not take any responsibility, in any manner whatsoever, for the accuracy of their views. Biticodes are solely liable for the correctness, reliability of the content and/or compliance of applicable laws. The above is non-editorial content and The Tribune does not vouch, endorse or guarantee any of the above content, nor is it responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified.

In other words, those are NOT legitimate reviews, and the media outlets did not even test Biticodes / Biti Codes. Their disclaimers show that their “reviews” were paid content, written by Biticodes / Biticodes.

Avast Explains How BitiCodes Scam Works

In an August 2022 article, the cybersecurity company explained how the BitiCodes (also known as TeslaCoin) scam works:

The scam encourages people to pay to create an account and invest into a fraudulent crypto investment platform. There are two ways the campaign reaches potential victims: Through Facebook ads and email. Ultimately, victims can end up losing at least $250.

At the bottom of the page is a webform requesting site visitors to enter their name, email address, and phone number in order to register for the platform. The victim receives an email from a bot sparking a conversation in the victim’s language.

After a brief example exchange, the bot sends a link to a payment gateway, and asks the victim to transfer $250 in order to activate their trading account. Another scenario involves the bot emailing potential victims with steps to login to a cryptocurrency broker page, and after a few more emails, the bot sends a link to a payment gateway, asking the victim for a $250 initial investment.

I also investigated the articles and the BitiCodes website, and noticed that they are all using highly-suspicious domains and links:

celesteal.xyz/biticodes for the BitiCodes website (registered 23 Nov. 2022)
thedailypressbriefing.com/my for the BTC-News website (registered 29 Jan. 2023)
saveontaxesthisyear.tax for the BTC-News website (registered 6 Feb. 2023)

As you can see, the domains are not only completely unrelated to the article / websites, they are almost brand new! And if you go to their domain root, nothing loads. That is not how legitimate websites function. If you do a WHOIS lookup, you will discover that the owners of these domains are hidden.

Regardless of whether BitiCodes / Biti Codes itself is legitimate, you should avoid any article that do not tally with the official website, or with irrelevant domains.

Don’t fall for the scam. Avoid these BitiCodes / Biti Codes advertisements and fake celebrity endorsements.

Please help us fight fake news – SHARE this article, and SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Tenaga Nasional 33rd Anniversary Scam Alert!

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Please watch out for the Tenaga Nasional 33th Anniversary survey contest scam!

Find out why it is just a SCAM, and WARN your family and friends!

Tenaga Nasional 33th Anniversary Survey Scam Alert!

People are now sharing the Tenaga Nasional 33th Anniversary messages on WhatsApp :

Congratulations!

Tenaga Nasional 33rd Anniversary National Government Power Subsidy!

Through the questionnaire, you will have a chance to get 1000 Ringgit

🎉 Tenaga Nasional 33rd Anniversary National Government Power Subsidy 🎊

Electricity subsidy is being issued…

Recommended : Petronas 50th Anniversary Scam Alert!

Tenaga Nasional 33th Anniversary Survey : Why This Is A Scam!

Unfortunately, this is yet another survey scam, like the Petronas 50th Anniversary scam!

Tenaga Nasional confirmed that this survey is a scam in a scam alert on their website on 6 February 2023.

Win Cash Rewards from TNB – 6/2/2023

TNB customers are advised to ignore survey links that claim they can win cash rewards from TNB.

TNB does not organize any kind of cash prize giveaway on social media. Please be careful and avoid spreading this false information.

I know many of us are in dire straits during the COVID-19 pandemic, having lost jobs, income or even loved ones.

Unfortunately, scammers are counting on our desperation to prey on us, using the same survey scam they have been using for years :

Now, let me show you how to spot these scams next time!

If you spot any of these warning signs, DO NOT PROCEED and DO NOT SHARE!

Warning Sign #1 : Bad Grammar

Most of these scammers do not have a good command of the English language, so if you spot bad grammar, stay away.

Proper contests or events sponsored by major brands like Tenaga Nasional will have at least one PR or marketing person who will vet the text before allowing it to be posted.

Read more : Petronas 50th Anniversary Scam Alert!

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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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.

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Did Leaked Data Show Pfizer Vaccine Would Kill?!

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Did leaked data show that Pfizer knew that its COVID-19 vaccine would kill people who took it?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Leaked Data Show Pfizer Knew Vaccine Would Kill!

People have been sharing a photo of The Irish Light newspaper, which claims that leaked data showed that Pfizer knew that its COVID-19 vaccine would kill people who took it!

It’s a long article, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

Pfizer knew their vaccine would kill

Leaked data shows shocking number of fatalities and side effects now officially associated with covid shots

THE documents were leaked due to a cyber attack on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) website. More than 40 megabytes of classified information from the agency’s revlew were published on the dark web. and several Journalists including the BMJ were sent coples of the leak by anonvmous senders.

The documents have proved to be shocking due to the sheer amount of side ellects that are now ollicially associaled with the ‘vaccine*. Most alarmingly, there were at least 1,223 deaths reported in the first 28 days following the shot.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had previously agreed to withhold the documents and their shocking revelations from the public for 75 years.

The HSE, moda and the government continually state that the vaccines are ‘safe and effective’ and those that had renorted vaccine-related injuries were oflen accused of making false correlations or imagining their symptoms.

However, the Pfizer documents paint a very different picture. They list thousands of side effeets that occurred at an alarming rate which were as a direct result of taking the experimental genetac injection.

These side effects included noat-fatal conditions such as eccema, blisters, asthma. low sperm counts and fertility problems.

Other more serious side ellects included, but were not limited to: auto-immine disorders; blindness: diabetes: berpes: heart problems such as myocardite; divroid disorders: neurological condations such as multiple sclerosis; sexures; epilepsy; narcolepsy and Guillain-Bame Syndrome. Also, inllammatory bowel disease, relapsing diseases, dcalness and even tongue biting.

While it has been approved for use in pregnant women, it is also known to cause pregnancy complications, including many spontaneous abortions.

One of the many issues it causes is anaphylactoid syndrome of pregnancy or ASP for short. ASP is a fatal discase for mothers and is among the leading causes of maternal mortality.

Symploms include anciety, confusion. shortness of breath, severe bleeding and death. Therefore, there is a high risk for pregnant women taking the covid “vaccine’.

The Pfizer document also list various blood disorders, Crohn’s disease, and liver failure as side effects. Blood clotting was another issue reported from the ‘vaccine’ trials.

One of the most telling side effects of this covid-19 injection is… covid-19. Proponents often argue that despite the possible side effects associated with some of the covid shots, they at least prevent people from dying from covid-19.

The problem is that the ‘vaccine’ actually causes people to develop the disease. In other words, it is contributing to the mumber of cases. It also lists covid-19 associated pneumonia as a side effect.

Some may argue that all of these side ellects are only associated with the Pfizer shot.

However, death and serious injuries have been present and publicly acknowledged with all of die manubcturers’ shots.

Research developed by Edinburgh University showed that almost 350 Brits have been struck down with a separate rare clotting disorder afler getting the AstraZeneca vaccine.

These blood clots cause minor bruising around the body and can leave some with a purple-dotted rash.

The Moderna vaccine has been assoctaled with heart problems such as mvocarditis and pericarditis. The list of adverse reactions also includes inflammation, fainting and breathing difficulties.

Data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) listed on page 2 has also revealed that both covid-19 deaths and cases were worse in vaccinated people, particularly those over the age of 18

The data in the table is clear: the chances of developing covid-19 increases significantly following subsequent ‘booster jabs.

This is broadly in line with the information contained in the Mizer document, which stated that vaccine side effects cause covid-19 and respiratory illnesses.

Coupled with the fact that ONS data recently revealed that covid deaths were much lwer than previously thought, the risks of taking the vaccine seem to greatly outweigh the risks of not doing so.

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Truth : Leaked Data Did Not Show Pfizer Vaccine Is Dangerous!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by anti-vaccination activists, and here are the reasons why!

Fact #1 : The Irish Light Is An Anti-Vaccination Newspaper

While many anti-vaccination activists are promoting the article as coming from an Irish newspaper, The Irish Light is a self-printed newspaper that was launched in August 2021 by two former journalists turned COVID conspiracy theorists – Gemma O’Doherty and John Waters.

Gemma O’Doherty previously worked for the Irish Independent newspaper, while John Waters used to work for The Irish Times.

Unlike regular newspapers which delivers news content, The Irish Light focuses on questioning the effectiveness of vaccines, the COVID pandemic, and other far-right ideas.

Fact #2 : EMA Cyberattack Occurred In January 2021

The Irish Light published their article called “Pfizer knew their vaccine would kill” in April 2022, as part of their 10th issue.

However, the cyber attack on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) it referred to occurred more than a year ago – in January 2021.

Fact #3 : EMA-Pfizer Data Was Leaked To Journalists + Dark Web

More than 40 MB of data was stolen in the EMA cyberattack and released on the dark web, and leaked to several journalists, including from The BMJ and academics worldwide.

The leaked data consisted of confidential documents on the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine candidate (later known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COMIRNATY COVID-19 vaccine), which included “internal / confidential email correspondence from November, relating to evaluation processes for COVID-19 vaccines“.

Fact #4 : Leaked Documents Was About Quality Of Early Vaccine Batches

The BMJ reviewed the leaked documents, and found that they showed that regulators at the EMA had concerns about the quality of some early commercial batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

An email dated 23 November 2020 showed that a high-ranking EMA official complained that Pfizer was not producing its COVID-19 vaccines to the expected specifications.

Specifically, the level of intact mRNA dropped from about 78% in the clinical batches to 55% in the proposed commercial batches. Nothing in the leaked documents referred to safety issues, or side effects.

Fact #5 : Leaked EMA-Pfizer Data Was Tampered Before Release

On 15 January 2021, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced that their investigation showed that some of the leaked data was tampered by the hackers before being released.

Some of the correspondence has been manipulated by the perpetrators prior to publication in a way which could undermine trust in vaccines.

The BMJ was criticised for reviewing the leaked documents without first verifying their authenticity and accuracy.

EMA states that the information was partially doctored, and that the perpetrators selected and aggregated data from different users and added additional headings.

It is unclear to us why a respected journal chose to present unverifiable information, in the process damaging an institution that has worked for 25 years in a transparent and successful manner.

Fact #6 : Leaked Documents Showed EMA Regulation At Work

While anti-vaccination activists framed the leak as evidence of collusion between EMA and Pfizer, they actually show that EMA regulators were doing their jobs.

EMA did not cover up the quality issue, but filed two “major objections” with Pfizer, together with a host of other questions it wanted Pfizer to address.

On 25 November 2020, one of the leaked emails showed that Pfizer had already brought up the level of mRNA in their COVID-19 vaccine lots.

The latest lots indicate that % intact RNA are back at around 70-75%, which leaves us cautiously optimistic that additional data could address the issue.

Ultimately, the EMA authorised the vaccine on 21 December 2020, nothing that “the quality of this medicinal product, submitted in the emergency context of the current (covid-19) pandemic, is considered to be sufficiently consistent and acceptable.”

Fact #7 : FDA Never Agreed To Withhold Pfizer Documents For 75 Years

The claim that the US FDA earlier agreed to withhold documents on the Pfizer vaccine for 75 years was debunked months earlier – in December 2021.

The US FDA never asked or agreed to withhold Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine documents for 75 years. That was merely the “interpretation” of Aaron Siri – the lawyer for PHMPT (Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency) – the group requesting the data that the FDA used to licence the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Fact #8 : Pfizer Documents Did Not Reveal Thousands Of Side Effects

The claim that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine documents revealed that it had thousands of side effects was debunked in March 2022.

The Pfizer document was publicly released on 17 November 2021, but it took antivaxxers more than 3 months to “discover” the list of 1,291 adverse events of special interest (AESI).

However, the AESI list was not a list of vaccine side effects. It was a list of “adverse events” that must be reported for further investigation.

It was also a generic list, which includes irrelevant adverse events like manufacturing and lab test issues, and even product availability and supply issues, as well as other diseases like MERS and chickenpox.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Don’t forget to protect yourself, and your family, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

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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.

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Is FIFA Giving Free 50GB Data For World Cup 2022?!

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Is FIFA offering 50 GB of free mobile data to stream World Cup 2022 matches with no interruptions?!

Take a look at the viral offers, and find out why they are just scams!

Claim : FIFA Is Giving Free 50GB Data For World Cup 2022!

People are sharing viral offers for 50 GB of free mobile data to stream World Cup 2022 matches without interruption. Here are some examples :

* FIFA is giving people around the world 50GB of data for free to watch the 2022 Cartel [Qatar] World Cup.*
* I Have Received Mine.*
* OPEN THIS*

* FIFA memberi orang di seluruh dunia 50GB data secara percuma untuk menonton Piala Dunia Kartel [Qatar] 2022.*
* Saya Telah Menerima Milik Saya.*
* BUKA INI*

FREE 50GB DATA PLAN FOR ALL NETWORKS

PERCUMA PELAN DATA 50GB UNTUK SEMUA RANGKAIAN

Truth : FIFA Is Not Giving 50GB Free Data For World Cup 2022!

This is yet another SCAM circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why you must avoid it!

Fact #1 : FIFA Is Not Offering Free Mobile Data

First, let me just say it out loud and clear – FIFA is not offering free mobile data anywhere in the world, just to watch World Cup 2022 matches.

FIFA makes its money through sale of television, marketing and licensing rights for World Cup 2022, so there is simply no reason for it to provide free mobile data to stream the matches.

Fact #2 : FIFA Would Never Give You Anything Free

Please do NOT be naive. No one is going to give you free data just to participate in a survey!

FIFA is a corporation whose business is to make money, not a charity to give you free data.

Fact #3 : They Do Not Use Official FIFA Domains

Genuine FIFA promotions would be announced on the official website at www.fifa.com, or their official social media accounts:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/fifaworldcup/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/fifacom
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/fifaworldcup/

They would never run contests or promotions via dodgy domains like “subsidy.buzz”, “50g.kxoe1.xyz”, “50gb450.xyz”, or “zlqxt.top”.

Once you see those random domains, click delete. Or just ignore. DO NOT CLICK.

Fact #4 : They Are Advertisement Scams

After you click on the link, you will be redirected through a series of hidden advertisements before you arrive at the “offer page”.

The offer page will ask you a series of simple questions. Regardless of your answers, you will be congratulated and told you won the 50 GB free data plan for three months.

You will be asked to key in your mobile number to receive the free mobile data, but you will never receive anything. In one variant, you are even redirected to more advertisements, including a video advertisement.

Fact #5 : Brands Won’t Ask You To Forward The Contest

To get that free 50 GB data for three months, you are asked to share the “contest” with 12 friends or groups on WhatsApp.

That’s a clear sign of a scam. No brand will insist that you must share their contest or free offer with WhatsApp friends of groups.

Please do not click to forward their offer to your family and friends. They will not appreciate being scammed with your help!

Fact #6 : They Can Potentially Be Dangerous

Similar scams in the past have more dangerous variants, where you are asked to :
a) install an app, which is really a malware to keep sending you advertisements
b) enter your banking or credit card details, ostensibly to prove your identity or some other excuse

Needless to say – proceeding with this step will open you up to great risk of monetary loss. DO NOT PROCEED!

If you install their malware, you will start receiving promotions, some of which will ask you to send an SMS to receive expensive free gifts like laptops and smartphones.

If you proceed to send the confirmation SMS messages, you will be subscribed and billed for international premium SMS services.

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).

Fact #7 : They Are Just Another Example Of Online Scams

These are just more examples of online scams offering freebies.

Now that you know the facts, please WARN your family and friends!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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Fact Check : Is Semak.Info A Phishing Website?!

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Is the Semak.Info website used to check for GE15 voter information really a phishing website?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Semak.Info Is A Phishing Website!

After the official voter information website by the Malaysia Election Commission (SPR) went down a day before the GE15 election day,, people were advised to try an alternative voter information website called Semak.Info.

However, this warning then went viral later that day, claiming that the Semak.Info website is really a phishing website!

The app.semak.info is a phishing site to track your mobile number. Please be informed. Please do not forward. Thanks.

Truth : Semak.Info Is NOT A Phishing Website!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Semak.Info + App.Semak.Info Are Different Pages

First, let me point out that Semak.Info, and App.Semak.Info are two different pages on the same website. Think of them as two different rooms in the same office.

Semak.Info is the public-facing page, where users can check their GE15 voter information. Think of it as the information desk at your office.

App.Semak.Info, on the other hand, appears to be the website administrator’s page. Think of it as the back office.

That’s why it has a login page, just like how your back office would have a door with a lock – so that the public can’t just walk inside.

Fact #2 : Phishing Websites Masquerade As Genuine Websites

Phishing (pronounced as fishing) is a social engineering attack that attempts to obtain your login information, or personal information like credit card and bank account numbers, etc.

Hackers accomplish this by creating fake websites that look like the real website, to trick you into revealing sensitive information like your bank account login and password, or your security questions.

The Semak.Info page does not ask for any login or critical personal information, so it is not a phishing website.

The App.Semak.Info page is blank, with a simple login function. It does not pretend to be an SPR or banking website, and so it is also not a phishing website.

Fact #3 : Semak.Info Is Owned By DAP

When Semak.Info was first circulated, I too was concerned about this “unknown” website. But a quick check showed that the Democratic Action Party (DAP) was the one promoting its use on Facebook.

I did a little digging, and confirmed that the Semak.Info domain is owned by the Democratic Action Party. It also looked like they bought the domain, and developed the website for GE14, way back in 2017.

Fact #4 : Phone Number Used To Send WhatsApp

Some people asked me why this Semak.Info website would require a phone number, when the official SPR website does not require one to obtain voter information.

What they may not realise is that the DAP team added a WhatsApp messaging feature to their Semak.Info website.

Once you key in your phone number and identity card number, the website will give you your voter information. At the bottom though is a blue Whatsapp [sic] button.

If you click on that button, the website will attempt to send a WhatsApp message to that phone number you keyed in earlier, with key voting information.

It doesn’t automatically send the message. You are given a preview of the message, and you will need to tap on the “Continue to Chat” button to actually send that message to the phone number.

Fact #5 : You Can Use A Fake Phone Number

You may be worried that the DAP team could be harvesting your phone number, and tying it to your identification card number.

Frankly speaking, that kind of data is already easily available and sold (illegally) to marketers and scammers alike. So no one actually needs to “scam” you into keying your phone number.

If you are worried, you can use a fake phone number with this website. Just key in any 7-digit number, with a legitimate 3-digit telco prefix (like 011, 012, 017, 018, etc.), and you are good to go.

Please WATCH OUT about such FAKE NEWS on WhatsApp and social media. They are designed to suppress voter turnout in the 15th General Election.

Regardless of what you may read or see on social media, please take the time and effort to cast your vote. This is not only your right, it is your responsibility as a citizen of Malaysia.

Remember – democracy does not guarantee us a good government. Democracy only guarantees us the right to vote out a bad government!

Happy voting on 19 November 2022!

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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
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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.

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Can Greeting Photos + Videos Hack Your Phone?!

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Can hackers use greeting photos and videos to hack your phone, and steal your data?

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the FACTS really are!

Claim : Greeting Photos + Videos Can Hack Your Phone!

People keep sharing this warning about greeting photos and videos, which claims that they can hack your phone and steal your data.

It’s a long message, so just skip to the next section for the facts!

Hello Family and friends,

Starting tomorrow, Please do not send network pictures. Look at the following article to understand. I’m going to stop too.

Please delete all photos and videos of Good morning, Evening and other greetings and religious messages as soon as possible. Read the following article carefully and you will understand why.

Read all! Please send this message urgently to as many friends as possible to prevent illegal intrusion.

Warning from Olga Nikolaevnas lawyer:

Attention! For those who like to send Good morning! It’s a beautiful day! Good evening!
picture. Please do not send these good messages.

Today, Shanghai China International News sent out SOS to all subscribers and experts – advise: Do not send pictures and videos of good morning, good night, etc.

The report shows that hackers who designed these images, and these images and videos are beautiful, But there is a hidden phishing code, and when everyone sends these messages, hackers use your device to steal personal information, such as bank card information and data, and break into your phone.

It is reported that more than 500,000 victims have been defrauded.

If you want to say hello to others, please write your own greetings and send your own pictures and videos so that you can protect yourself and your family and friends.

Important ! To be safe, please be sure to delete all greetings and pictures on your phone. If someone has sent you such images, remove them from your device immediately. Malicious code takes some time to deploy, so if you take action immediately, there will be no harm done.

Tell all your friends to prevent being hacked.

Say hello in your own words and only send your own created images and videos to greet, which is completely safe for yourself, your family and friends. Please understand what I mean! Everyone has a bank card attached to their mobile phone, and everyones mobile phone has many contacts. This hack creates a threat not only to yourself, but to your phone, friends and acquaintances as well! This is brutal.

This is a new technique used by terrorists to visit your mobile phone SIM card, so that you become their accomplice!!!

* * * Send this message to as many of your relatives and friends as possible to stop any unauthorised intrusions!!!

Wow !!! Dear family and friends beware!!

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Truth : Greeting Photos + Videos Cannot Be Hack Your Phone!

Many of us get spammed with Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening photos and videos every day from family and friends.

While they often clog up Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp groups, they really cannot hack your phone. Here are the reasons why Good Morning messages are very irritating, but harmless…

Fact #1 : Shanghai China International News Does Not Exist

The news organisation that was claimed to be the source of this warning – Shanghai China International News – does not exist!

Fact #2 : Greeting Photos + Videos Not Created By Hackers

Hackers (from China or anywhere else) have better things to do than to create these greeting photos and videos.

They are mostly created by websites and social media influencers for people to share and attract new followers.

Fact #3 : No Fraud Involving Greeting Photos / Videos

There has been no known fraud involving Good Morning or Good Night messages, videos or pictures.

Certainly, half a million victims of such a scam would have made front page news. Yet there is not a single report on even one case…. because it never happened.

Fact #4 : Image-Based Malware Is Possible, But…

Digital steganography is a method by which secret messages and other data can be hidden in digital files, like a photo or a video, or even a music file.

It is also possible to embed malicious code within a Good Morning photo, but it won’t be a full-fledged malware that can execute by itself.

At most, it can be used to hide the malware payload from antivirus scanners, which is pretty clever to be honest…

Fact #5 : Image-Based Malware Requires User Action

In January 2019, cybercriminals created an online advertisement with a script that appears innocuous and would pass any malware check.

However, the image itself has an “almost white” rectangle that is recognised by the script, triggering it to redirect the user to the cybercriminals’ website.

Once there, the victim is tricked into installing a Trojan disguised as an Adobe Flash Player update.

Such a clever way to bypass malware checks, but even so, this image-based malware requires user action.

You cannot get infected by the Trojan if you practice good “Internet hygiene” by not downloading or installing anything from unknown websites.

Fact #6 : Malicious Code Executes Immediately

If you accidentally download and trigger malware, it will execute immediately. It won’t wait, as the hoax message claims.

Deleting Good Morning or Good Night photos or videos will free up storage space in your phone, but it won’t prevent any malware from executing.

There is really no reason for malware to wait before it infects your devices. Waiting will only increase the risk of detection.

Whether the malware serves to take over your device, steal your information or encrypt it for ransom, it pays to do it at the first opportunity.

Now that you know the facts, please SHARE this article with your family and friends!

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He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Malaysia Police Denies Running Political Troll Farm!

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The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) denies running a troll farm to corrupt or manipulate public discourse!

Here is what you need to know!

Meta Accuses Malaysia Police Of Running Political Troll Farm!

On 4 August 2022, Meta directly named the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) as being responsible for a troll farm designed to “corrupt or manipulate public discourse“.

Here were the key findings that the Meta team revealed about the individuals behind the PDRM troll farm :

They were active on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and Instagram.
They posted memes in Malay, in support of the current government coalition
They posted claims of corruption amongst the current government coalition’s critics
They created Facebook Pages that posed as independent news entities, and promoted police while criticising the opposition.
Their posting activity were greatest during weekdays, taking breaks for lunch.
Their fake accounts were under-developed, and some of them used stolen profile photos.

The troll farm was initially suspected to have originated in China by researchers at Clemson University in South Caroline. But when the Meta team investigated it, they found links to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

The Meta team also revealed that the PDRM troll farm spent about $6,000 (~RM26,750) in Facebook and Instagram ads, paid for primarily in Malaysian Ringgit.

They also shared how successful the PDRM troll farm was in garnering followers on Facebook and Instagram :

Facebook Pages : About 427,000 accounts
Facebook Groups : About 4,000 accounts
Instagram Accounts : About 15,000 accounts

As a result of their investigation, Meta removed 595 Facebook accounts, 180 Pages, 11 Groups and 72 Instagram accounts that were linked to this PDRM troll farm, for violating their police against “coordinated inauthentic behavior“.

What Is Inauthentic Behavior?

Inauthentic behaviour (IB) as an effort to mislead people or Facebook about about the popularity of content, the purpose of a community (i.e. Groups, Pages, Events) or the identity of the people behind it. It is primarily centered around amplifying and increasing the distribution of content, and is often (but not exclusively) financially motivated.

IB operators typically focus on quantity rather than the quality of engagement. For example, they may use large numbers of low-sophistication fake accounts to mass-post or like their content — be it commercial, social or political. They often use tactics similar to other large-scale online activities, like spam.

This behavior pattern distinguishes IB from Coordinated Inauthentic Behavior (CIB) where operators invest in mimicking human social activity as closely as possible.

PDRM Denies Meta Accusations Of Running Political Troll Farm!

On 6 August 2022, PDRM issued a short notice (with my English translation) stating that it takes Meta’s allegations seriously, denies them, and is currently gathering information about those allegations.

Penafian PDRM Atas Dakwaan Syarikat Meta Platforms Incorporated

Police Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) memandang serius laporan pihak syarikat Meta Platforms Incorporated yang mendakwa terdapat akaun-akaun palsu di media sosial yang “mempunyai hubungan dengan PDRM”.

PDRM menafikan dakwaan tersebut dan sedang mengampul maklumat lanjut mengenainya.

PDRM Denies Allegations By Meta Platforms Incorporated

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is taking seriously the report by Meta Platforms Incorporated which claimed that there are fake social media account “with ties to PDRM”.

PDRM denies these allegations and is gathering more information about it.

PDRM Troll Farm : Is That Even Legal?!

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) enforces the laws of the country, including the Internet. In fact, they have a Cyber & Multimedia Criminal Investigation Unit under the Commercial Crime Investigation Department.

The PDRM works together with the National Cyber Security Agency (NACSA) to tackle cybersecurity threats, and these would include malicious influence campaigns.

All the more reason why it is both perplexing and troubling that Malaysia’s national police force has been linked to a troll farm designed to promote the current government coalition, while denigrating the opposition.

These are specifically the cybercrimes that NACSA should be looking out for, and the PDRM should be assisting them in arresting anyone in Malaysia who participated in such activities.

The PDRM will no doubt be under tremendous pressure to explain / refute Meta’s allegations.

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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.

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FBI + MI5 Issue Joint Warning On Chinese Spying!

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The FBI and MI5 just issued a joint warning about economic spying and hacking operations by the Chinese government!

Here is what you need to know…

FBI + MI5 Issue Joint Warning On Chinese Spying!

On July 7, 2022, FBI Director Christopher Wray joined MI5 Director General Ken McCallum at the MI5 London headquarters to issue a joint warning about Chinese spying and cyberattacks.

Ken McCallum said that MI5 was running seven times as many investigations into China, as it had just four years ago. He also said that MI5 planned to double that to tackle the widespread attempts.

Christopher Wray, on the other hand, stressed that the FBI had substantially increased its investigations into China, and is currently managing about 2,000 problems, and opening about two counterintelligence cases every day.

The Chinese government is set on stealing your technology – whatever it is that makes your industry tick – and using it to undercut your business and dominate your market.

Maintaining a technological edge may do more to increase a company’s value than would partnering with a Chinese company to sell into that huge Chinese market, only to find the Chinese government and your partner stealing and copying your innovation.

Both McCallum and Wray alleged that the Chinese government is engaged in a “coordinated campaign” to “cheat and steal [technology] on a massive scale“.

They also stressed that China’s hacking programme dwarfs that of any other major country, and that it has a global network of intelligence operatives.

FBI + MI5 : China Also Preparing To Shield From Sanctions

Even more worrying is the fact that China is working to shield its economy from any future sanctions, obviously learning from how the West punished Russia for invading Ukraine.

This suggests that China is at least preparing for the possibility, if not the eventuality, of insulating its economy from potential sanctions, should it attack Taiwan.

Wray said that China is “trying to cushion themselves from harm if they do anything to draw the ire of the international community”, and that the Chinese government is pressuring Western businesses not to criticise Beijing or its policies.

He declined to say whether an invasion of Taiwan has become more likely due to these measures, but warn that Western investments in China could be similarly impacted by such a conflict.

Just as in Russia, Western investments built over years could become hostage, capital stranded. Supply chains and relationships disrupted.

Wray also shared that the Chinese government had directly interfered in a New York congressional election, because they did not want a candidate who was a critic and a former Tiananmen Square protestor to be elected.

China has for far too long counted on being everybody’s second-highest priority. They are not flying under the radar anymore.

Both Wray and McCallum said that the intention of the joint address was to “send the clearest signal” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), because if China decides to invade Taiwan, it would cause “one of the most horrific business disruptions the world has ever seen“.

FBI + MI5 : Examples Of Chinese Spying

McCallum shared some specific cases of Chinese spying activities that MI5 detected and thwarted.

Covert Theft

Late last year Chinese intelligence officer Shu Yenjoon was convicted in a US court on charges of economic espionage and theft of trade secrets from the US aviation sector.

Shu was active in Europe too: he’d been part of a prolific Ministry of State Security network targeting the aerospace sector.

MI5 worked with those being targeted in the UK to mitigate the risks until the FBI action could solve the problem for both of us.

Tech Transfer

Clandestine espionage methodology isn’t always necessary. Take the tale of Smith’s Harlow, a UK-based precision engineering firm. In 2017 Smith’s Harlow entered into a deal with a Chinese firm, Futures Aerospace. The first of three agreed technology transfers saw Futures pay £3m for quality control procedures and training courses.

You know how this ends: after further sharing of valuable IP, Futures abandoned the deal. Smith’s Harlow went into administration in 2020. As their Chairman put it: “They’ve taken what they wanted and now they’ve got it, they didn’t need the shell of Smith’s”.

Information Advantage

The CCP doesn’t just use intelligence officers posing as diplomats in the classic fashion. Privileged information is gathered on multiple channels, in what is sometimes referred to as the ‘thousand grains of sand’ strategy.

In Germany a retired political scientist and his wife who together ran a foreign policy think tank passed information to the Chinese intelligence services for almost ten years.

In Estonia a NATO maritime scientist was convicted for passing information to his Chinese handlers, who claimed to be working for a think tank.

Cultivating New Contacts

The deceptive use of professional networking sites is well known. Seemingly flattering approaches turn into something more insidious – and damaging.

In one example a British aviation expert received an approach online, ostensibly went through a recruitment process, and was offered an attractive employment opportunity. He travelled twice to China where he was wined and dined. He was then asked – and paid – for detailed technical information on military aircraft. The ‘company’ was actually run by Chinese intelligence officers.

Chinese Response To FBI + MI5 Spying Allegations

Chinese government officials naturally rejected spying allegations by the FBI and MI5.

A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, called the accusations groundless and said that China “firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber-attacks“, and would “never encourage, support or condone cyber-attacks“.

His statement also said that the Taiwan issue was “purely China’s internal affair” and that there was “no room for compromise or concession“. It also said that China “will strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with utmost sincerity and efforts“, but noted that China would “reserve the option of taking all necessary measures in response to the interference of foreign forces“.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian did not address the claims directly, but accused the United States of being the real danger instead.

The relevant US politician has been playing up the so-called China threat to smear and attack China. Facts have fully proven that the US is the biggest threat to world peace, stability and development.

We urge this US official to have the right perspective, see China’s developments in an objective and reasonable manner and stop spreading lies and stop making irresponsible remarks.

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.

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Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!