Tag Archives: Cyberattack

Scam Alert : Watch Out For Telegram Phishing Attack!

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.

Recommended : Beware Of Telegram Screenshot Hack + Scam!

 

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.

If you click on a link, and you are asked to login – this is likely a phishing attack. But don’t worry – as long as you refuse to log into any website after clicking on a link, the phishing attack fails.

Turn On Two-Step Verification

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

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

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!

Read more : How To Turn On Two-Step Verification In Telegram!

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!

 

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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Pinduoduo App Contains Persistent Spy Malware!

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.

Read more : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

 

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.

Read more : Can SIM Swap empty bank accounts without warning?!

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.

Recommended : Beware Of Telegram Screenshot Hack + Scam!

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.

Recommended : Chinese Netizens Explode Over WPS Office Censorship!

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.

 

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

Go Back To > Cybersecurity | MobileTech ARP

 

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How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

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 WongI 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.

@ruffleseedI 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]

Read more : Facebook Ads Scam Hits Many Maybank Customers!

 

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.

Recommended : Maybank FB Ads Scam : How To Recover Your Money?!

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:

  1. Go to Settings in the Facebook website (not app).
  2. Go to Account Settings, and select Orders and payments.
  3. In the Orders and payments page, select Settings.
  4. In the Security section, select Require PIN Confirmation.
  5. You will be asked to enter a 4-digit number as your PIN.
  6. 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.

Recommended : Can Greeting Photos + Videos Hack Your Phone?!

Turn On Two-Factor Authentication

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

  1. Go to your Security and Login Settings.
  2. Scroll down to Use two-factor authentication and click Edit.
  3. 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:
Once you’ve turned on two-factor authentication, you can get 10 recovery login codes to use when you’re unable to use your phone.

 

Please Support My Work!

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

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

Go Back To > Cybersecurity | MoneyTech ARP

 

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

MILO Malaysia Ramadan Contest Scam Alert!

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!

Recommended : Facebook Ads Scam Hits Many Maybank Customers!

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!

 

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

Go Back To > CybersecurityFact Check | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

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

BitiCodes Scam Alert : Fake Celebrity Endorsements!

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!

 

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

Go Back To > Fact Check | Money | Tech ARP

 

Support Tech ARP!

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

Tenaga Nasional 33rd Anniversary Scam Alert!

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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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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Watch Out For TNG eWallet SMS Phishing Scam!

In this article, we will show you many types of TNG eWallet SMS phasing scam, so you can avoid them!

 

Watch Out For TNG eWallet SMS Phishing Scam!

People are getting these SMS messages that appear to be from TNG eWallet, but are really just phishing scams!

RMO TNG eWallet: Bantuan e-dompet kepada golongan B40&M40 RM1000 akan dikreditkan ke dalam TNG eWallet anda. Kemaskini maklumat dan semakan status di www.tngewalletbantuangov.com

RMO T’n GO Your account function has been closed. You need to confirm the device immediately. Follow my.tngwallc.com

RMO TNG Wallet: Permohonan GOpinjam anda telah diluluskan, RM3000 telah kredit ke TNG Wallet anda. Sila semak baki dan tuntutan anda di http://logtouchngo.cc

RMO GOV: Terima kasih atas sokongan anda dari kerajaan BN. Bantuan e-dompet kepada rakyat Malaysia berjumlah RM500 telah kredit ke TNG Wallet anda. Sila sahkan identiti dan semak baki anda di https://touchngoemy.top/

 

How TNG eWallet SMS Phishing Scam Works!

The many examples of the TNG eWallet phishing scam employ SMS spoofing technology to send you SMS messages that appear to be from the TNG eWallet team.

What most people don’t know is that – the TNG eWallet team will never send you any SMS messages to :

  • offer you money from government or other agencies
  • inform you that money has been credited to your eWallet
  • ask you to log into your eWallet account using a link
  • ask you to update your account information using a link

The TNG eWallet team warned users against clicking on any links sent by SMS, even if they appear to be genuine. Genuine TNG eWallet SMS messages will never have a link attached.

These links do not lead to the real TNG eWallet website (https://www.touchngo.com.my/), but use similar-looking fake domains, like:

tngewalletbantuangov.com
my.tngwallc.com
logtouchngo.cc
touchngoemy.top
ewallettouchng.top
touchngosign.com
touchngolog.top
logintouchngo.cc
touchngo.life
touchngologin.cc
my.touchngo.com
my.touchwalf.com
my.touchwalp.com
my.tngowalle.com
my.tngowallet.com
tngwallet.top

If you see such domains, you should be alert that you are being targeted by a phishing scam. NEVER CLICK ON A LINK in any TNG eWallet SMS.

If you click on any of these links, you will be taken to a page that looks like a genuine TNG eWallet login page, but is really a phishing scam page.

If you key in your login details, as well as your phone number and One-Time Password (OTP), the scammers will have full access to your eWallet, and can freely transfer out your eWallet balance.

As many of us link our credit cards to the TNG eWallet, the scammers can also reload your eWallet using those credit cards, and transfer the money out.

So make sure you IGNORE any SMS message that asks you to click on a link, even if it appears to be from TNG eWallet.

Please help to fight financial scams, by SHARING this article with your family and friends!

 

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Did Leaked Data Show Pfizer Vaccine Would Kill?!

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

Recommended : Died Suddenly Movie : More Vaccine Lies Exposed!

 

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“.

Recommended : Did Pfizer Vaccine Documents Reveal 1,291 Side Effects?!

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.

Recommended : Does Pfizer CEO aim to cut world population by 50%?

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.

Read more : Did FDA Ask For 75 Years To Release Pfizer Vaccine Data?!

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?!

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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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?!

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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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 Turn On Two-Step Verification In Telegram!

Find out WHY you should turn on two-step verification in Telegram, and HOW to do that!

 

Why You Should Turn On Two-Step Verification In Telegram?

Two-Step Verification is a feature that protects your Telegram account from being hijacked by hackers and scammers.

It blocks illegal takeover of Telegram accounts, by requiring a secret password that only you know. And it lets you recover your account via email.

This prevents hackers or scammers from taking over your Telegram account, even if you accidentally share with them the login code.

Read more : Beware Of Telegram Screenshot Hack + Scam!

 

How To Turn On Two-Step Verification In Telegram!

In this guide, I will share with you how to turn on two-step verification in Telegram.

Step 1 : Open Telegram.

Step 2 : Go to Options > Settings > Privacy and Security.

Step 3 : Tap on the Two-Step Verification option.

Step 4 : In the Two-Step Verification screen, tap on the Set Password option.

Step 5 : Key in your preferred password, which can be any combination of capital or small letters and numbers.

Step 6 : You will need to key the same password again, to confirm it.

Step 7 : Next, you can create a hint to remind you of your password. This is optional, and you can skip it if you prefer.

But if you key one in, the hint will be displayed whenever you are asked to key in the password in the future.

Step 8 : After that, you will have the option of adding a Recovery Email address, just in case your account is hijacked.

This is optional as well, but I highly recommend you add a recovery email, which is simply the email address you use.

Step 9 : If you entered a Recovery Email address, Telegram will now send you an email with a 6-digit code to verify that email address.

Step 10 : Look for the Telegram verification code email, and key in the 6-digit verification code.

That’s it! You’re done! From now on, you will be required to key in the password whenever you log into a new device.

This will prevent hackers / scammers from taking over your account, even if you accidentally give them the Login code you receive by SMS.

 

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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?!

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.

 

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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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 Police Denies Running Political Troll Farm!

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).

Read more : Meta Accuses PDRM Of Running Political Troll Farm!

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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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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Canada Internet Outage Due To Software Update, Not China!

The country-wide mobile and Internet outage in Canada was due to a software update, not hacking by China!

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

 

Claim : China Responsible For Mobile + Internet Outage In Canada!

Within hours of news breaking that Canada suffered a massive Internet outage, Vancouver Times posted a story claiming that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) identified China as the responsible party.

Vancouver Times also claimed that the RCMP will issue arrest warrants for the hackers responsible, who are connected to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

Chinese state hackers are responsible for a massive internet outage that paralyzed large parts of Canada, according to the RCMP. The federal police agency is in the process of issuing arrest warrants for several people they believe are connected to the People’s Liberation Army.

The RCMP will be holding a press conference in the next few days to announce the arrest warrants, according to sources. Canadian intelligence agencies are reportedly receiving guidance from the CIA and the FBI.

On Friday a widespread network outage from Rogers left many Canadians without mobile and internet service. The outages caused significant problems for police, courthouses, passport offices and other facilities.

The outage also disrupted services across retailers, courthouses, airlines, train networks, credit card processors and police forces, pushing many to delay business transactions. Many people were seen at Starbucks, trying to use their internet service.

The mainstream media and big tech want to hide the truth. Beat them at their own game by sharing this article!

Read more : FBI + MI5 Issue Joint Warning On Chinese Spying!

 

Truth : Canada Internet Outage Due To Software Update, Not China!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created by Vancouver Times to generate page views and money from gullible people.

Fact #1 : Vancouver Times Is A Fake News Website

Vancouver Times is a “content aggregator” (copy and paste) website that is known for creating fake news to generate more page views and money.

To look legitimate, they copy and paste news from legitimate news organisations. To drive traffic, they create fake news, sometimes masked as “satire”.

To give themselves a veneer of deniability, they label themselves as a “satire website” in their About Us section.

Vancouver Times is the most trusted source for satire on the West Coast. We write satirical stories about issues that affect conservatives.

Here are some of their fake news that we debunked :

Fact #2 : Outage Only Affected Rogers Communications

On Friday, July 8, 2022, Canada was hit by a massive mobile and Internet outage that hit businesses, banks, and even police emergency lines.

However, it only affected Rogers Communications, and did not affect rivals like BCE, Telus and Shaw Communications.

The outage was extensive because Rogers is Canada’s leading telecommunications provider, with about 11.3 million wireless subscribers, and 2.25 million retail Internet subscribers.

Read more : Shanghai Police Data On 1 Billion Chinese Citizens Leaked!

Fact #3 : RCMP Did Not Blame China For Mobile + Internet Outage

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police did not blame China for Rogers Communications’ mobile and Internet outage.

This was made up by Vancouver Times to trigger right-wing conspiracy theorists, to go viral and draw more page views.

Fact #4 : Rogers Did Not Blame China For Mobile + Internet Outage

Rogers Communications themselves did not blame China for their mobile and Internet outage.

Fact #5 : Canada Confirmed Outage Was Not A Cyberattack

While the reason behind the outage was still unknown, a spokesperson for Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino confirmed to CTV News that “the outage was not due to a cyberattack“.

Fact #6 : Rogers Confirmed Outage Due To Maintenance Update

On 11 July 2022, Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri apologised for the country-wide outage of its services.

He also said that the failure was due to “a maintenance update in our core network“. The maintenance work “caused some of our routers to malfunction early Friday morning“.

Fact #7 : Prior Rogers Outage Also Due To Software Update

This wasn’t the first time Rogers Communications’ network failed so drastically.

Just 15 months earlier – Rogers and its subsidiary, Fido, experienced a nationwide cellular service outage in April 2021.

That outage was ultimately traced to “a recent Ericsson software update” that “affected a piece of equipment in the central part” of their network, leading to “intermittent congestion impacting many customers across Canada“.

Fact #8 : It Would Have Been Considered An Act Of War

China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet network would have been considered an act of war, if it was proven.

The Canadian government would at least have issued a strong statement, if not cut diplomatic ties with China and/or enact sanctions against the Chinese government.

Fact #9 : No One Else Reported This Story

China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet infrastructure would have been major international news, reported across the globe.

Yet not only did no mainstream media cover this incredible story, it hasn’t even been reported in the usual conspiracy theory websites!

That’s because it was a fake story created by one publication – Vancouver Times, in their attempt to go viral again for more page views and ad money.

Fact #10 : There Is No Such Thing As A Publication Ban

Vancouver Times likes to use the “media blackout” claim, to explain why you can’t find any reputable media outlet reporting on China attacking Canada’s mobile and Internet infrastructure.

That’s utter and complete bullshit. No one – not a judge, not even the Canadian government – can control the worldwide media, or prevent anyone from writing about such an incredible story.

You can also be sure that even if the mainstream media in the Canada refused to run the story, it would have been reported by foreign media outlets, websites and blogs.

Yet, not a single foreign media outlet or online website published their account of this incredible story? That’s because IT NEVER HAPPENED…

Read more : Did Ghislaine Maxwell Just Commit Suicide In Prison?!

Fact #11 : Mainstream Media + Big Tech Would Have Loved The Hype

Vancouver Times is gaslighting you about how mainstream media and Big Tech want to hide the “truth” about China attacking Canada’s infrastructure.

They would all loved such shocking news, because it would have driven tons of traffic and engagement to their websites / platforms.

In fact, that was precisely why Vancouver Times created the fake story – to drive traffic, for the ad money.

Everything that Vancouver Times publishes should be regarded as FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Please help us fight fake news websites like Vancouver Times – SHARE this fact check out, 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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FBI + MI5 Issue Joint Warning On Chinese Spying!

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“.

Read more : US Mil Contractor Admits Selling Aviation Secrets To China!

 

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.

Read more : China Should Worry About Russia Invading Ukraine!

 

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.

 

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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 Hackers Release Pfizer + Moderna Vaccine Death Data?!

Did hackers just crack the Pfizer and Moderna servers, and publicly released the hidden vaccine death data that they stole?!

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

 

Claim : Hackers Stole, Released Pfizer + Moderna Vaccine Death Data!

People are sharing links to articles that claim that hackers just stole and released vaccine death data from Pfizer and Moderna servers!

Here is an example, which is rather long, so feel free to skip to the next section for the facts!

GOOD NEWS!!!! Hackers broke into all the pharmaceutical companies and stold all the medial data on vaccines thank God!!!! The Great Awaking has lifted off!!! Forward this link everywhere!!!!

**Displays number of deaths and disabilities associated with each batch/lot number = indication of relative toxicity of one batch/lot compared to another
**No one currently knows the reason why some batches/lots are associated with excessive deaths, disabilities and adverse reactions (up to 50 x). Until we do know, it is best to be cautious
**[“Batch-code” = “Lot Number” = the number they write on your vaccination card.]

 

Truth : Hackers Did Not Steal / Release Pfizer + Moderna Vaccine Death Data!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and promoted by disinformation websites like Before It’s News, How Bad Is My BatchBest News Here, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : Pfizer + Moderna Servers Were Not Hacked

Those websites falsely claimed that hackers broke into Pfizer and Moderna servers, and stole their (hidden) vaccine death data.

There is no evidence the Pfizer and Moderna servers were ever hacked, or had any data stolen.

Fact #2 : All Data Are Publicly Available

Despite claiming at the start that the data provided in the website was stolen from Pfizer and Moderna servers, the article ends with a statement that all of the data was really sourced from VAERS.

Data Source
• All data is sourced from VAERS, a public database of over 700,000 adverse reaction reports for Moderna, Pfizer and Janssen Covid 19 vaccines in the USA. 
Our intention is to present the VAERS data in an accessible and unadulterated form, that can be easily verified using the links below

In other words – they falsely claimed that the data was provided by hackers who broke into Pfizer and Moderna servers. The data were all from VAERS, which is publicly available.

Fact #3 : VAERS Data Cannot Be Used As Evidence

Like the British Yellow Card system, VAERS is an open reporting system that lets ANYONE from ANYWHERE file a report, without verification.

VAERS reports are not only easily faked, they are easily abused, which why the CDC explicitly warned that :

  • Reports may include incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental and unverified information.
  • The number of reports alone cannot be interpreted or used to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, frequency, or rates of problems associated with vaccines.

But anti-vaccination activists and disinformation websites LOVE to use VAERS, because they can easily manipulate the reports to create a fake narrative.

Read more : Here’s How Antivaxxers Create Fake News Using VAERS!

Fact #4 : Pfizer + Moderna Released Their Data In 2020

Both Pfizer and Moderna submitted data from their COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials to health authorities across the world, like the US FDA and EMA in Europe in November 2020.

The release of clinical trial data, which would include post-vaccination adverse events, is necessary for any health authority to approve their vaccines.

The US FDA released the briefing documents Pfizer and Moderna submitted to the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) in December 2020 :

Fact #5 : FDA Started Releasing Pfizer Documents In 2021

On 27 August 2021, a group that called themselves Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency (PHMPT) filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the US FDA to gain access to all of their documents related to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

The US FDA started releasing the Pfizer documents on 17 November 2021. They were then ordered by US District Judge Mark Pittman to speed up the release of those documents on 6 January 2022.

As of 2 May 2022, the US FDA had already released 238 documents related to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, containing thousands of pages.

Read more : Did Pfizer Try To Hide 158K Vax Adverse Events For 75 Years?

Fact #6 : Before It’s News Is Known Fake News Website

Before It’s News is known for creating and spreading fake news – not just misinformation, but also disinformation about everything from MH17 conspiracy theories to anti-vaccination claims.

Everything posted by Before It’s News must be considered FAKE NEWS, until proven otherwise.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out!

 

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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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Scam Alert : Nespresso 2022 Mother’s Day Contest!

Please watch out for the Nespresso 2022 Mother’s Day contest scam!

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

 

Scam Alert : Nespresso 2022 Mother’s Day Contest!

People are now sharing the Nespresso 2022 Mother’s Day Contest scam on WhatsApp :

Nespresso 2022 Mother’s Day Contest

5,000 free coffee machines for your Mother!

 

Nespresso 2022 Mother’s Day Contest : Why This Is A Scam!

Many of us are in dire straits during this 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 :

Unfortunately, this Nespresso contest is yet another SCAM that you should NEVER participate in!

  1. After you click on the link, you are taken to a page that looks like a genuine Nespresso contest page.
  2. You will be asked to answer three very simple questions.
    The answers are irrelevant – no matter what you answer, you are always allowed to proceed to the next step.
  3. You are then asked to share the promotion with 30 WhatsApp contacts, or 5 WhatsApp groups.
  4. Next, you will be asked to complete one of these tasks to receive the “free” Nespresso coffee machine :
    a) install an app, which is really a malware to send you advertisements, or
    b) enter your credit card details
    Needless to say – proceeding with this step will open you up to great risk of monetary loss. DO NOT PROCEED!
  5. 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.

So never click on such contest links, even if they were sent to you by a trusted relative or friend.

They would have certainly been fooled by the scam, so please warn them too!

 

How To Spot Scams Like The Nespresso Survey Contest!

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 Nespresso will have at least one PR or marketing person who will vet the text before allowing it to be posted.

Read more : Watch Out For Nestle 2022 Anniversary Phishing Scam!

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!

Petronas 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 Petronas campaign would use their real domain – www.petronas.com.

Or they would run it off the official Petronas page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/petronas/.

If you see nonsensical domains like 0yjjg61.cn, 1eaf1rnbeef.top, ldxqw.bar, etc. that’s a sign of 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.

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!

And please WARN your family and friends!

 

Please Support My Work!

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

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

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

 

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Petronas 50th Anniversary Scam Alert!

Please watch out for the Petronas 50th Anniversary survey contest scam!

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

 

Petronas 50th Anniversary Survey Scam Alert!

People are now sharing the Petronas 50th Anniversary messages on WhatsApp :

Petronas 50th Anniversary!

Click to enter to participate in the survey, have a chance to win 2000 Ringgit!

 

Petronas 50th Anniversary Survey : Why This Is A Scam

Unfortunately, this is yet another survey scam, like the FamilyMart 70th Anniversary scam!

For one thing – Petronas was incorporated on 17 August 1974, so their 50th anniversary would be on 17 August 2024!

Petronas confirmed that this survey is a scam in a Facebook post :

PETRONAS has been made aware of a scam online “survey” conducted supposedly in conjunction with “PETRONAS’ 50th Anniversary”.

We wish to inform that neither PETRONAS nor any of our subsidiaries within the Group of Companies are involved in this “survey”, and we appeal to the public not to respond or take part.

I know many of us are in dire straits during this 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 Petronas will have at least one PR or marketing person who will vet the text before allowing it to be posted.

Warning Sign #2 : Offering You Free Money Or Gifts

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

Petronas 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 Petronas campaign would use their real domain – www.petronas.com.

Or they would run it off the official Petronas page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/petronas/.

If you see nonsensical domains like 0yjjg61.cn, 1eaf1rnbeef.top, ldxqw.bar, etc. that’s a sign of 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.

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!

 

Please Support My Work!

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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US Homeless Setting Up Tent + Robbing People In Subway?!

Are homeless people in the US setting up tents and robbing passengers on subway trains?!

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

 

Claim : US Homeless Are Setting Up Tent + Robbing People In Subway!

People are sharing a video of homeless people in the US setting up their tent in the middle of a subway train, and then a homeless man rob another subway passenger of his food.

It is being actively shared in pro-China groups, and by pro-China social media accounts, together with messages like these :

US homeless has moved into the subway. The US homeless has moved into the subway car, and is also robbing other passengers for food in the subway car. The US government should spend more time dealing with domestic problems, instead of going abroad to set fires everywhere. Really US have degenerated to such sad state very depressing 👇👇

PRC.Forces0 : #Homeless couple camp in #NYC subway, snatching food from other passengers.

Such shameful story in US.

 

Truth : US Homeless Are NOT Setting Up Tent + Robbing People In Subway!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and/or propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : It Was A Staged Prank Video

The video was a staged comedy prank by American comedians Esteban Hashtag Tino Romero, and Smiley Hundo.

The video was originally posted by Tino Romero on his @Pundamoniums Instagram account on 12 January 2022.

Smiley Hundo also posted it on YouTube as a short video on 2 March 2022, calling it Homeless Couple Takes Man Food On NYC Train.

Fact #2 : Tino Romero Is Famous For Prank Videos

Tino Romero is famous for participating in pranks and stunts in New York City.

In July 2021, one of his videos went viral, showing him taking a dump into a NYC sanitation worker’s mop bucket!

Of course, that video was also staged – the MTA worker was Morris Cornbread, another New York City-based comedian.

That same video was also used by the Chinese 50 Cent Army as “evidence” of how far American society has fallen. It was a kind of payback for videos of Chinese citizens pooping in public that went viral years earlier.

Fact #3 : New York City Subway Is Patrolled By NYPD

The video appears to spread quickly amongst people who have never been to the United States, and are therefore unaware that the New York City subway is patrolled by the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

NYPD officers patrol the stations, and ride the trains to help prevent crime. They also make sure homeless people do not stay in the subway stations, or sleep on the train.

Therefore, it is impossible for homeless people to actually set up a tent in the middle of a subway train. NYPD officers on patrol would certainly evict them from the train.

Fact #4 : Homelessness Is A Problem Globally

While the video was staged, it is true that homelessness is a problem in the United States, and in particular, New York City which boasts some of the most expensive real estate and rental rates in the world.

But this is not an exclusively American problem. Homelessness is a global problem, affecting many countries around the world – rich and poor alike.

Ignoring wars and conflicts that displace people, here is the top 6 list of countries with the most homeless people:

  • Nigeria : 1.66%
  • Honduras : 1.24%
  • Egypt : 1.20%
  • Pakistan : 0.94%
  • Zimbabwe : 0.85%
  • Philippines : 0.42%

Instead of mocking the homeless, perhaps we should be grateful that we have a home to live in. Many people around the world don’t.

 

Why Create Fake Stories About Homeless People In US?!

With China’s aggressive foreign stance in recent years, it is not uncommon to see such fake stories being created and shared by the Chinese 50 Cent Army, and pro-China netizens.

These fake stories are being created to drown out the negative coverage of China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, and its aggressive moves in the South China Sea.

The Wumao have also been actively creating fake stories to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Whatever the reasons may be, it is our duty as global citizens to stop the proliferation of such fake stories.

Please share this fact check with your friends, so they know the truth!

 

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Anonymous Affiliates Are Attacking Russian Space Agency!

After Anonymous declare a cyberwar against Russia, their affiliates are going after the Russian space agency, Roscosmos.

Here is what they accomplished so far!

 

Anonymous Affiliate NB65 Attacked Russian Space Agency!

On 28 February 2022, the hacking group – Anonymous Network Battalion 65′ (NB65), which hacked and released over 40,000 files from the Russian Nuclear Safety Institute.

They then turned their attention to the Russian Space Agency, claiming to shut down the WS02 Vehicle Monitoring System server at the Roscosmos Control Center on 1 March 2022.

The Russian Space Agency sure does love their satellite imaging.

Better yet they sure do love their Vehicle Monitoring System.

The WS02 was deleted, credentials were rotated and the server is shut down.

Network Battalion isn’t going to give you the IP, that would be too easy, now wouldn’t it?

Have a nice Monday fixing your spying tech. Glory to Ukraine.

We wont [sic] stop until you stop dropping bombs, killing civilians and trying to invade.

Go the fuck back to Russia.

However, Roscosmos Chief Executive, Dmitry Rogozin denied the claim, saying that “The information of these scammers and petty swindlers is not true. All our space activity control centers are operating normally.

 

Anonymous Affiliate v0g3lSec Hacked Russian Space Agency Website!

On 3 March 2022, another Anonymous affiliate, v0g3lSec, hacked a website owned by the Russian Space Agency – http://uv.ikiweb.ru/.

This appears to be the official website for the World Space Observatory-Ultraviolet (WSO-UV) telescope, also known as the Spektr-UV. It is still down as of 4 March 2022.

 

Anonymous Affiliate v0g3lSec Leaked Russian Space Agency Files!

On 4 March 2022, v0g3lSec released files that were hacked from a private service hosted by the Russian space agency.

The files apparently contained data from Luna – a joint programme between Roscosmos and the European Space Agency (ESA).

  • The leaked data consisted of 261 items, with a size of 729 gigabytes.
  • The executable files (.exe) are from 2012, with a timestamp of 2012-12-20 18:18:57.
  • Most of the documents are from 2009 to 2012, so the files are pretty old.

This suggests that the files that v0g3lSec stole were old data archived by Roscosmos. While it is a technical success, it is unlikely to have any actual effect.

 

Roscosmos Chief Threatens ISS + War

Roscosmos chief, Rogozin, suggested that sanctions against Russia could result in the destruction of the International Space Station (ISS).

If you block cooperation with us, who will save the ISS from an uncontrolled deorbit and fall into the United States or Europe?

Rogozin also said that any cyberattack on Russia’s satellites would be considered casus belli – a cause for war.

However, it is unknown how Roscosmos or Russia plans to declare or effect war against Anonymous, or its affiliates.

 

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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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Anonymous Cyberwar Against Russia : 28 February 2022

Here are the latest cyberattacks by the hacktivist group, Anonymous, in their cyberwar against Russia!

 

Anonymous Launches Cyberwar Against Russia!

On 22 February 2022, Anonymous lobbed a warning shot at both Russia and China, hacking an official Chinese website and a Russian Modbus device.

After the Russian invasion started on 24 February, Anonymous announced that they would also begin “gearing up for action” :

#Anonymous has always been against war, and against colonialism. We’ve seen how unfettered power decimates the weak, only having its own self interests in mind. We stand with the people, not the governments of the world.
Anonymous condemns the attacks on the Ukrainian people.

There are many #Anonymous accounts gearing up for action against the imperialist state of Russia, and we will be retweeting their endeavors.

The next day, Anonymous announced that they have started attacking the Russian government.

#Anonymous is currently involved in operations against the Russian Federation. Our operations are targeting the Russian government. There is an inevitability that the private sector will most likely be affected too. While this account cannot claim to speak for the whole (con)

Read more : Anonymous fires Warning Shot at China, Russia over Ukraine!

 

Anonymous Cyberwar Successes Against Russia!

Here is the latest list of cyberattacks that Anonymous successfully conducted in their cyberwar against Russian.

25 February 2022

26 February 2022

  • Anonymous took down several Russian government websites, including the Kremlin, State Duma, and Ministry of Defense.
  • Anonymous “retrieved” and leaked 200 GB of emails from Tetraedr – a Belarusian arms manufacturer, including blueprints of the SAMs (Surface-to-Air Missiles) they manufacture.

27 February 2022

  • Anonymous took down the Chechen Republic government website : chechnya.gov.ru
    Note : This came after multiple reports of Chechen soldiers being deployed to Ukraine.
  • Anonymous shut down gas supply provided by Tvingo Telecom in Russia. Tvingo Telecom is owned by Rostelecom, a Russian state owned telecommunications company.

28 February 2022

  • Anonymous took down several official Belarus government websites :
    – Belarus Ministry of Communications and Information : mpt.gov.by
    – Belarus State Authority for Military Industry : vpk.gov.by
    – Belarus Military : mil.by
  • Anonymous took down several more Russian state and state-linked websites :
    – Pension Fund of the Russian Federation : pfr.gov.ru
    – Russian Public Services portal : gosuslugi.ru
    – Kremlin website (again) : Kremlin.ru
    – Russian Federal Customs Service : customs.gov.ru
    – Russian government website : government.ru
    – Moscow city + mayor website : mos.ru
    – Tass news agency website : Tass.ru
  • The hacking group GNG – an Anonymous affiliate – hacked and leaked a Sberbank database
  • Anonymous Network Battalion 65′ (nB65) hacked and released 40,000 files from the Russian Nuclear Safety Institute.

I will keep updating this article, as and when Anonymous announces their successes against Russia.

 

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Is This Zelenskyy Before He Became President Of Ukraine?!

Take a look at the viral video of Volodymyr Zelenskyy before he became President of Ukraine, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : This Is Zelenskyy Before He Became President Of Ukraine!

People are sharing a video allegedly of Volodymyr Zelenskyy performing on stage, before he became President of Ukraine.

The video has the overlay “The comedian before he became the Ukrainian president“, and showed him ogling the breasts of several women, while he sang.

 

Truth : This Is Not President Of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy!

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine, social media and WhatsApp groups have been inundated with fake news and videos involving those two countries.

This is yet another example of pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine fake news that people are intentionally / ignorantly sharing, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : He Is Vasyl Humenyuk, Not Volodymyr Zelenskyy

When I first saw the video, I could immediately see that the man was not Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Identifying the man though took some effort, but I was finally able to identify him as Vasyl Humenyuk (Facebook page).

Fact #2 : Vasyl Humenyuk Is Like Volodymyr Zelenskyy, But Not Him

Vasyl Humenyuk is a Ukrainian comedian and politician like Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In fact, he ran for the Ukrainian Parliamentary elections under the Zelenskyy’s Servant of the People party, but lost.

He was later appointed to head the Yarmolynets District State Administration by Zelenskyy in February 2020.

Except for the fact that they are white males, they don’t really look alike… but just in case, here’s a comparison of the two man.

Fact #3 : It Was A Satirical Comedy Song

Vasyl Humenyuk is a member of the Vinnytsia team in the comedy show, League of Laughter.

The video was a clip of him singing his signature song, “Maiden’s Eyes” in the 2017 League of Laughter.

The song satirises men’s obsession with breasts, calling them “maiden’s eyes” which are what men should really be looking at.

Please watch out for the surge of pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine propaganda like this video.

Help us fight fake news, by sharing this fact check 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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Anonymous fires Warning Shot at China, Russia over Ukraine!

The hacktivist group, Anonymous, just fired a warning shot at both China and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine!

 

Anonymous fires Warning Shot at China, Russia over Ukraine!

The hacktivist group, Anonymous, just hacked a Chinese state website, and a logic controller in Russia, as a warning shot to both countries over the invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, 22 February 2022, Anonymous hacked the Chinese Culture website (www.chineseculture.com.cn), replacing its content with a page showing its logo, and the Guy Fawkes mask.

The hacked Chinese Culture website was taken offline, but you can still see the hacked page through the Wayback Machine.

The hacked page includes the YouTube video – It Might Break Your Pinky Heart – the famous music video by Malaysian singer-songwriter, Namewee, that mocks the Chinese government.

Read more : Anonymous Launches Cyberwar Against Russia!

After a video about an old MIT experimental antiviral approach called DRACO (Double-stranded RNA Activated Caspase Oligomerizer), and a reference to Operation Samatha Smith, the hacked page warned Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, with a warning shot in the form of “a small hack”.

However sadly because Putin has burned the bridge and reneged the Minsk deal by prematurely recognising separatist territories as independent, instead of waiting until the conclusion of UN interim administration period and if they vote overwhelmingly for independence per that plan, Anonymous decides to make good some of its threats by conducting a small hack on a Modbus device which we intend as a warning shot.

The above Modbus device isn”t located in countries friendly to the US and Taiwan, nor in neutral countries that want nothing with these. Instead, it is in places like China or somewhere like it.

You can make stupid threats like a spoiled child, but remember that Anonymous never have restrictions that says that only homo sapiens can be part of it.

Sony learnt the hard way in 2011 that a part of Anonymous can finish what a totally different part had started!

The Modbus device was later confirmed to be a Schneider Electric Modicon M251 logic controller located in Russia.

 

Anonymous Will Formally Attack Russia Over Ukraine Invasion!

According to Taiwan News, which reached out to Anonymous, their representative said that they were previously “playing nice and not give them an excuse to start a war“, but now that missiles had been fired on Ukraine, “we are taking off the gloves altogether.

That representative also said, “Anonymous will formally attack Russian websites or devices later” in retaliation for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Anonymous threat on the Chinese Culture website ended with its signature quote in English, Russian and Chinese :

We are Anonymous
We are legion
We do not forgive
We do not forget
Expect us!
Мы анонимы
Мы легион
Мы не прощаем
мы не забываем
Ждите нас!
我们是匿名者
我们是军团
我们不原谅
我们不会忘记
期待我们

Anonymous did not explicitly say why they are targeting China over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it seems obvious that they believe that China is partly responsible for Russia’s military action.

Perhaps they felt that indirect support by the Chinese, as well as their propaganda effort, gave Russia some leeway and economic support in attacking Ukraine.

Read more : Chinese Media Accidentally Leaks Ukraine Censorship Order!

 

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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.

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Watch Out For Nestle 2022 Anniversary Phishing Scam!

Please watch out for the Nestle 2022 Anniversary phishing scam!

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

 

Nestle 2022 Anniversary Phishing Scam Alert!

People are now sharing the Nestle 2022 Anniversary message on WhatsApp (translated into English) :

CONGRATULATIONS!

Your family has been chosen to receive a lucky drag for the Nestle 2022 Anniversary at the Nestle office.

This contest has been approved by the Malaysian court / police, with the cooperation of Bank Negera Malaysia (BNM).

The link attached to the a website with the following instructions :

  1. Winners must keep the PIN-CEK number as evidence for winner verification and prize collection
  2. There are two ways to submit the contest form – through WhatsApp or this website.
  3. The contest form must be completed with your details. Incomplete forms will be rejected by the sponsor without notice.
  4. Every valid application will be shortlisted. There is no limit to the number of applications.
  5. First Prize Winner : RM10,500
    Second Prize Winner : RM9,300
    Third Prize Winner : RM8,500
  6. To redeem your prize, just use your WhatsApp to :
    a) Fill in the Nestle winner application number
    b) Fill in your full name and identity card number
    c) Attach a clear picture of your BANK ATM CARD – front and back
    d) Go to the nearest ATM machine, and WhatsApp the details above to +60124181128

 

Nestle 2022 Anniversary Phishing Scam : How Does It Work?

The Nestle 2022 Anniversary phishing scam is DANGEROUS. Please warn your family and friends to AVOID it.

Fact #1 : There Is No Such Nestle Giveaway!

There is no such anniversary giveaway by Nestle Malaysia. There is no reason for Nestle Malaysia to give out so much money.

They are a business, not a charity. They are in the business of selling you products, not giving you money.

Businesses do sponsor giveaway contests, but they are generally low value. Nestle Malaysia, for example, is currently giving away RM30 Shopee vouchers.

Fact #2 : Nestle Would Not Use Free Websites

Nestle is a large multinational company. It would not be using free website services like Wix.

Nestle Malaysia has its own website (https://www.nestle.com.my/) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Nestle.Malaysia) where they post official contests and promotions.

Always verify if a contest is genuine by visiting the official website / social media page.

Fact #3 : Nestle Would Never Ask For Pictures Of Your ATM Card!

Nestle, and any legitimate brand, would NEVER ask you to send them pictures of your bank ATM card!

Sending the pictures of your ATM card will allow them to clone the card, or trick bank staff into giving the scammers access to your bank account.

NEVER EVER SEND ANYONE PICTURES OF YOUR BANK ATM CARD!

Fact #4 : Nestle Would Never Ask You To Go To An ATM

No legitimate contest would require you to go to an ATM machine to receive money.

NEVER TRUST ANYONE WHO ASKS YOU TO GO TO AN ATM MACHINE.

Fact #5 : Nestle Would Never Ask For Your PIN / TAC

Nestle would never ask you for your ATM card’s PIN or any TAC number you may receive.

Giving out those details is how scammers get access to your bank account.

NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR PIN OR TAC NUMBER!

Fact #6 : This Lets Scammers Withdraw Money From Your Bank Account

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

Unfortunately, scammers are counting on our desperation to prey on us, using such anniversary scams.

This particular Nestle 2022 Anniversary Scam is a real danger, because it will allow scammers to gain access to your bank account and withdraw money.

Also watch out for the other anniversary scams that I have covered over the years :

Please WARN your family and friends about these scams!

 

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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 China Create This Amazing Female Dancing Robot?

Did China create this amazing female dancing robot for a dance show in Shanghai?

Watch the viral video for yourself, and find out what the FACTS really are!

 

Did China Create This Amazing Dancing Robot?

Here is the video that countless people have been sharing on social media and even on YouTube. It is often paired with a short explanation in (broken) English.

Can u believe that this female dancer is robot ? The dance was held in Shanghai n it lasted only 5 minutes but the queue was 4hrs n cost 499 Yuan!

It has surpassed Japan in complexity, and saw its perfect facial expressions. Send this video to everyone to watch, let us enjoy together…

 

The Truth About This Amazing Female Dancing Robot

The agility and grace of this female dancing robot, and its facial expressions, are incredible.

The less gullible would point out that it is something you would only expect from a real human being, and they would be right.

Fact #1 : That Is A WDSF Competition Video

That was actually a video clip from the 2018 World Dance Sport Federation Championship in Lithuania.

The initials WDSF (World Dance Sport Federation) can be seen, together with the recording date at the upper left corner of the video.

Fact #2 : The Dance Only Lasted A Minute

The dance in the video only lasted just over a minute, even though the accompanying fake message claimed it lasted for 5 minutes.

Fact #3 : They Are Lithuanian Dance Champions

Both dancers are very human. In fact, they are Lithuanian dance champions Ieva Zukauskaite (female), and Evaldas Sodeika (male).

Fact #4 : 499 Yuan Was Old Entry Price To Shanghai Disneyland

The fake story claimed that the ticket to watch this performance costs 499 Yuan – about US$73 / £55 / RM303. That would be ridiculously exorbitant for a short dance.

In truth, that price was “copied” from the two earlier hoaxes (here and here) about robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland.

Even that price was not accurate, because 499 Yuan was the cost of an entry ticket to the Shanghai Disneyland when it first opened in February 2016.

Since 6 June 2018, it has been priced at 399 Yuan (off-peak), 575 Yuan (peak) and 665 Yuan (peak holiday).

 

Why Would Someone Create This Fake Dancing Robot Story?

With China’s aggressive foreign stance in recent years, it is not uncommon to see such fake stories being created and shared.

Some believe it’s part of a concerted attempt to burnish China’s image overseas.

Others believe the many fake stories are being created to drown out the negative coverage of China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, and their aggressive moves in the South China Sea.

Whatever the reasons may be, it is our duty as global citizens to stop the proliferation of such fake stories.

Please share this fact check with your friends, so they know the truth!

 

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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 : TnG eWallet 5th Anniversary Survey!

Please watch out for the TnG eWallet 5th Anniversary survey scam!

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

 

TnG eWallet 5th Anniversary Survey Scam Alert!

People are now sharing the TnG eWallet 5th Anniversary messages on WhatsApp :

Touch n’Go eWallet 5th Anniversary!

Click to enter to participate in the survey, have a chance to win 2000 Ringgit .

 

TnG eWallet 5th Anniversary Survey : Why This Is A Scam

Unfortunately, this is yet another survey scam, like the FamilyMart 70th Anniversary scam!

For one thing – the TnG eWallet was only launched in July 2017, so it would only be celebrating its 5th anniversary in July 2022!

TnG eWallet also confirmed that this survey is a scam.

I know many of us are in dire straits during this 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.

This scammer even got the spelling of the brand wrong! It’s Touch ‘n Go, not Touch n’Go.

Proper contests or events sponsored by major brands like TnG eWallet will have a PR or marketing person who will vet the text before allowing it to be posted.

Warning Sign #2 : Offering You Free Money Or Gifts

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

Touch ‘n Go isn’t going to give you so much 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 Domain

A genuine TNG eWallet campaign would use their real domain – www.touchngo.com.my or www.tngdigital.com.my, not di47823.shop as shown in the scam post above.

Or they would run it off the official TnG eWallet page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/touchngoewallet/.

If you see nonsensical domains like childrerdg.xyz, uglyarticle.club, ldxqw.bar, etc. that’s a sign of a SCAM!

Warning Sign #4 : Asking You To Forward The Offer

No matter how many times you “try” this scam, you will ALWAYS win the RM 2000 “prize”.

If you don’t find that odd, you should know that no brand will insist that you must share the offer with 5 groups or 20 friends on WhatsApp.

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 may eventually be asked to download and register for an app.

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

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

 

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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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Was Facebook Taken Down By 13 Year-Old Chinese Hacker?

Was Facebook taken down by a 13 year-old Chinese hacker?

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

 

Claim : Facebook Was Taken Down By 13 Year-Old Chinese Hacker!

On 4 October 2021, Facebook and ALL of its messaging and social media platforms went down for about six hours, including Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram!

Several websites, as well as people on Twitter and Facebook started claiming that Facebook was taken down by a 13 year-old Chinese hacker called Sun Jisu / Sun Ji Su / Sun Jiso / Sun Ji Soo.

There are quite a number of these claims, so just SKIP to the next section for the facts!

International media claimed that “China” was behind the suspension of social media services in the world.

According to Reuters, a Chinese hacker named “Sun Jisu” is responsible for stopping the services of “Facebook”, “WhatsApp” and Instagram, and added that the Chinese hackers are only 13 years old.

The Chinese hacker “Sun Ji Su” has topped the famous search engines and Twitter platforms during the past minutes, after disabling WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook today 2021 in all countries of the world, amid questions among activists about the details of this information.

 

Truth : Facebook Was Not Taken Down By 13 Year-Old Chinese Hacker!

The story of a 13 year-old Chinese hacker taking down Facebook is just fake news created by fake news / clickbait websites to go viral and get money through ads.

Here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : International Media Did Not Blame China

On one blamed China for the bizarre 6-hour downtime of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.

The international media referred to cybersecurity specialists who pointed at DNS failure as the most likely cause, not a state actor like China.

Clickbait / fake news websites intentionally added that false claim to “trigger” Chinese netizens and Sinophiles to share their fake news.

Read more : US Refused WHO Investigation Of Fort Detrick For COVID-19?

Fact #2 : Reuters  + NYT Did Not Report On Any Chinese Hacker

Reuters did not report that a 13 year-old Chinese hacker called Sun Jisu was responsible for the bringing down Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.

Neither did the New York Times write about a 13 year old hacker attacking Facebook.

These are complete lies that are easily verified with a quick check on the Reuters and New York Times websites.

Fact #3 : 13 Year-Old Sun Jisu / Sun Jiso Does Not Exist

There is no 13 year-old Chinese hacker called Sun Jisu / Sun Ji Su / Sun Ji So / Sun Ji Soo. He does NOT exist.

In addition, that is a Korean name, not Chinese – a mistake that a non-Asian person would make.

Fact #4 : That Was An Old Picture Of Wang Zhengyang

The fake news websites used a picture of Chinese hacking prodigy, Wang Zhengyang, speaking at the 2014 Chinese Internet Security Conference.

Wang Zhengyang was 13 year-old at that time, and would be 20 years old this year – 2021. Here are two more pictures of him speaking at that event.

Wang Zhengyang at 2014 Chinese Internet Security Conference

Fact #5 : Facebook Services Were Brought Down By Configuration Changes

Facebook services were not brought down by a hacker, but configuration changes their own engineering team initiated internally.

Facebook’s Vice-President of Infrastructure, Santosh Janardhan, confirmed that “configuration changes” on their “backbone routers” caused the 6-hour long failure.

Our engineering teams have learned that configuration changes on the backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between our data centers caused issues that interrupted this communication. This disruption to network traffic had a cascading effect on the way our data centers communicate, bringing our services to a halt.

Read more : Why Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram Went Down!

Fact #6 : Access Problems Were Caused By Same Servers

Facebook run their internal systems through the same servers, so they became inaccessible when those servers were taken offline.

This included security systems that controlled the fob door locks, with a New York Times reporter tweeting that Facebook staff were unable to gain access to an unspecified office using their keycards.

However, many Facebook staff are working from home due to COVID-19 precautions, so this was only a big problem for engineers trying to gain access to the Facebook data centre in Santa Clara, California.

At no time was this security issue caused by a hacker. It was due to the same servers that went offline.

Read more : Why Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram Went Down!

Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends!

Also, please STOP SHARING fake stories created by fake news / clickbait websites!

 

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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Did 13 Yr Sun Jisu Hack Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram?

Did the 13 year-old Chinese hacker, Sun Jisu, hack Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, causing them to fail for more than 6 hours?

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

 

Claim : 13 Year-Old Sun Jisu Hacked Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram!

On 4 October 2021, Facebook and ALL of its messaging and social media platforms went down for about six hours, including Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram!

Some websites and people on Twitter and Facebook started claiming that the failure was due to a 13 year-old Chinese hacker called Sun Jisu / Sun Ji Su / Sun Jiso / Sun Ji Soo.

There are quite a number of these claims, so just SKIP to the next section for the facts!

International media claimed that “China” was behind the suspension of social media services in the world.

According to Reuters, a Chinese hacker named “Sun Jisu” is responsible for stopping the services of “Facebook”, “WhatsApp” and Instagram, and added that the Chinese hackers are only 13 years old.

The Chinese hacker “Sun Ji Su” has topped the famous search engines and Twitter platforms during the past minutes, after disabling WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook today 2021 in all countries of the world, amid questions among activists about the details of this information.

 

Truth : Sun Jisu Doesn’t Exist, Did Not Hack Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram!

The truth is – this is just fake news created by fake news / clickbait websites to go viral and get money through ads.

Here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : International Media Did Not Blame China

No mainstream media blamed China for the bizarre 6-hour downtime of Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.

Practically all of them referred to cybersecurity specialists who pointed at DNS failure as the most likely cause, not a state actor like China.

Clickbait / fake news websites intentionally added that false claim to “trigger” Chinese netizens and Sinophiles to share their fake news.

Read more : US Refused WHO Investigation Of Fort Detrick For COVID-19?

Fact #2 : Reuters  + NYT Did Not Report On Any Chinese Hacker

Reuters did not report that a 13 year-old Chinese hacker called Sun Jisu was responsible for the bringing down Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger.

Neither did the New York Times write about a 13 year old hacker attacking Facebook.

These are complete lies that are easily verified with a quick check on the Reuters and New York Times websites.

Fact #3 : 13 Year-Old Sun Jisu / Sun Ji Soo Does Not Exist

There is no 13 year-old Chinese hacker called Sun Jisu / Sun Ji Su / Sun Ji So / Sun Ji Soo. He does NOT exist.

In addition, Sun Jisu / Sun Ji Soo is a Korean name, not Chinese. This is a mistake that a non-Asian person would make.

Fact #4 : That Was An Old Picture Of Wang Zhengyang

The fake news websites used a picture of Chinese hacking prodigy, Wang Zhengyang, speaking at the 2014 Chinese Internet Security Conference.

Wang Zhengyang was 13 year-old at that time, and would be 20 years old this year – 2021. Here are two more pictures of him speaking at that event.

Wang Zhengyang at 2014 Chinese Internet Security Conference

Fact #5 : Facebook Services Were Brought Down By Configuration Changes

Facebook services were not brought down by a hacker, but configuration changes their own engineering team initiated internally.

Facebook’s Vice-President of Infrastructure, Santosh Janardhan, confirmed that “configuration changes” on their “backbone routers” caused the 6-hour long failure.

Our engineering teams have learned that configuration changes on the backbone routers that coordinate network traffic between our data centers caused issues that interrupted this communication. This disruption to network traffic had a cascading effect on the way our data centers communicate, bringing our services to a halt.

He also asserted that it was a faulty configuration change, and no user data was compromised.

Our services are now back online and we’re actively working to fully return them to regular operations. We want to make clear at this time we believe the root cause of this outage was a faulty configuration change. We also have no evidence that user data was compromised as a result of this downtime.

Read more : Why Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram Went Down!

Fact #6 : Access Problems Were Caused By Same Servers

Facebook run their internal systems through the same servers, so they became inaccessible when those servers were taken offline.

This included security systems that controlled the fob door locks, with a New York Times reporter tweeting that Facebook staff were unable to gain access to an unspecified office using their keycards.

However, many Facebook staff are working from home due to COVID-19 precautions, so this was only a big problem for engineers trying to gain access to the Facebook data centre in Santa Clara, California.

At no time was this security issue caused by a hacker. It was due to the same servers that went offline.

Read more : Why Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram Went Down!

Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends!

Also, please STOP SHARING fake stories created by fake news / clickbait websites!

 

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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Verified : KKM + MySejahtera SMS Messages Are Legit!

Are scammers sending fake SMS messages from KKM and MySejahtera to scam you out of your money?

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

 

Claim : KKM + MySejahtera SMS Messages Are Fake!

People have been sharing a screenshot of two SMS messages from KKM (Malaysia Ministry of Health) and MySejahtera, claiming that they are scam messages.

RM0 MySejahtera: You are COVID-19 positive. Kindly refresh your MySejahtera Profile and click to declare your close contact: https://bit.ly/3jNvOqL

RM0 KKM Anda adlh COVID19 positif & masih belum menjawab status kesihatan hari ini. Segera lengkapkan H.A.T. di MySejahtera. Rujuk https://bit.ly/2VMaWrC

This is a scam. If receive don’t click. Please inform all ur family members and friends ….NETIZEN WATCHDOG

Many also include a link to the Kuan Evening Edition video to prove that these messages are indeed fake messages used by scammers in “phishing attacks”.

 

Truth : KKM + MySejahtera SMS Messages Are Legit!

The SMS messages in the screenshot are legit, and came from KKM and MySejahtera.

The truth is that viral message is FAKE NEWS, and here are the facts…

Fact #1 : The MySejahtera SMS Message Is Legitimate

The MySejahtera SMS message in English is legitimate. It warns you that you have tested positive for COVID-19.

You are therefore required to declare your close contacts in the MySejahtera app or website.

The link – https://bit.ly/3jNvOqL – leads to the Close Contact reporting page in the MySejahtera website (https://mysejahtera.malaysia.gov.my/help/closecontact/).

Fact #2 : The KKM Telephone Number Is Genuine

On 24 September 2021, KKM confirmed that the 03-2703-3000 telephone number is genuine.

The Malaysia Ministry of Health uses that telephone number to call those identified as COVID-19 positive to fill up their Home Assessment Tool (HAT) in the MySejahtera app.

Fact #3 : The KKM SMS Message Is Legitimate

The KKM SMS message in Bahasa Malaysia is also legitimate.

It is a reminder that you did not fill in your Home Assessment Tool (HAT) in the MySejahtera app today.

Those who are under home quarantine must complete that home assessment test every day.

The Ministry of Health may issue a compound if you fail to perform the home assessment test, as required.

The link in the SMS – https://bit.ly/2VMaWrC – actually leads to a PDF infographic on the Home Assessment Tool (HAT) – https://www.infosihat.gov.my/images/media_sihat/poster/pdf/DiManakahHAT.pdf

The infographic explains who needs to perform self-monitoring using the HAT feature, and how to do it in the MySejahtera app.

Now that you know the truth, please SHARE this fact check, so your family and friends won’t be fooled by the fake news!

It is critical that everyone understands that these alerts are genuine, and take them seriously!

 

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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Here’s How Antivaxxers Create Fake News Using VAERS!

VAERS, like the British Yellow Card system, has long been used by antivaxxers to create fake news about vaccines.

Find out why VAERS is so important to doctors, and yet so easily abused by antivaxxers!

 

VAERS : What Is It?

VAERS is an acronym for the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System used by the US government.

Like the British Yellow Card system, it is a passive reporting system that relies on individuals to submit reports of their adverse reactions to vaccines.

This open design used by both VAERS and Yellow Card lets scientists catch very rare adverse effects that even large trials may not catch.

For example, anaphylactic reactions to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are so rare, they didn’t show up in their large Phase 3 trials at all. They were only identified through VAERS after mass vaccinations started.

 

Here’s How Antivaxxers Create Fake News Using VAERS!

Both the American VAERS and the British Yellow Card system suffer from the same problem – their open catch-all design lets ANYONE file a report.

Not just parents and patients, but also any Tom, Dick or Harry with nothing better to do. And you don’t even have to ever been to the United States to file a report!

This allows antivaxxers to abuse both the VAERS and Yellow Card systems to create fake news about vaccines.

Back in 2004, James Laidler famously filed an adverse reaction report into VAERS, claiming that his annual influenza vaccine turned him into the Incredible Hulk!

Incredibly, the CDC had to ask for his permission to remove the fake report. Otherwise, it would remain in the database forever!

More recently, anti-vaccination websites are using VAERS and Yellow Card reports to fabricate fake news that vaccines are killing people.

The CDC is well-aware of this problem, which is why they explicitly pointed out to everyone that :

  • Reports may include incomplete, inaccurate, coincidental and unverified information.
  • The number of reports alone cannot be interpreted or used to reach conclusions about the existence, severity, frequency, or rates of problems associated with vaccines.

So the next time you read an article claiming that VAERS or the Yellow Card system are reporting injuries and deaths from this or that vaccine, take them with a BIG, BIG PINCH of salt. None of those reports are verified.

 

VAERS : Anyone Can File A Fake Report!

To demonstrate this point, here is a FAKE report I attempted to file into VAERS, with the following information :

First Name : Donkey
Last Name : Kong
Street Address : Rolling Barrel Avenue
City : Jungle
County : Donkey
Date Of Birth : 1 January 1908
Age : 113 Years Old
Race : 1% white, 2% black, 3% Asian, 4% Latin, 90% alien

Date of Vaccination : 31 May 2021, 1:00 AM
Date of Adverse Event : 31 May 2021, 1:01 AM
Facility / Clinic Name : Jungle Clinic
Facility / Clinic Address : Jungle Clearing, Jungle

Vaccine : COVID19 (Pfizer-BioNTech)
Lot Number : 1110654
Dose Number : 6 (it actually only has 2 doses)

Description of Adverse Event(s)

I asked to be jabbed in my left arm, the doctor insisted right arm is better because right is right, no?

After the jab, I went back and on the way back, two young punks pulled up in their fancy Mercedes at the traffic light.

I challenged them to a race in my Mustang, and midway, they clipped me and sent me flying through the walls of the Grand National Bank.

As a result, I suffered two broken legs and my right arm was ripped off.

I’m absolutely confident that my driving skills were impaired by the vaccine, and it also made my right arm easy to tear off.

Medical tests and lab results

The doctors at AdventHealth Orlando have all my medical reports and my right arm.

Days hospitalised : 300
Life threatening illness : Yes
Disability or permanent damage : Yes
Congenital anomaly or birth defect : Yes

Other Vaccine : Bullshit Vaccine
Manufacturer : Google
Adverse Event From That Vaccine : My penis fell off after getting the MMR vaccine

I did not hit Submit though, because I did not want to add another fake adverse event to the holster of anti-vaccination advocates.

But take a look at the screenshots, and see just how easy it is for anyone to make a fake VAERS report. There is no need to verify any personal details, and you can do this from anywhere in the world!

 

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