Tag Archives: Internet Safety

Nurse Lost RM380K After Pressing Instagram ‘Like’ Button?!

Did a Malaysian nurse lose RM380,000 after pressing the Instagram Like button?!

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

 

Claim : Nurse Lost RM380K After Pressing Instagram Like Button!

People are sharing an article which claims that a Malaysian nurse lost RM380,000 after pressing the Like button in Instagram for RM5 commissions! Here is an excerpt from the article:

M’sian Nurse Loses RM380K After Pressing Instagram ‘Like’ Button For RM5 Commission

Too late to unlike

Recommended : Scam Alert : How Fake Job Syndicates Operate!

 

Nurse Did Not Lose RM380K After Pressing Instagram Like Button!

First of all, I would like to applaud the website for writing about job scams, but that’s really a misleading title.

Unfortunately, many people don’t read beyond the headlines. People are even asking if they will get “hacked” like the nurse if they like Instagram posts!

The truth is – the Malaysian nurse did not lose RM380,000 because she pressed on the Like button in Instagram. In fact, Instagram and its Like button have nothing to do with the actual scam!

Social Media Jobs Are An Easy Lure

As I have earlier written on how fake job syndicates operate, the “job” and “platform” are not important. These scammers generally offer social media jobs, because that’s what most people already use, so it’s easy to hook victims.

These syndicates will offer quick and easy tasks to do on social media, for example – liking Instagram photos and Facebook posts. Other (non-social media) tasks include liking YouTube videos and/or subscribing to YouTube channels, or even making comments on businesses in Google Maps.

Whether the job is on Instagram / Facebook / YouTube / Google Maps, etc. is irrelevant. The first few “jobs” you are given are the bait. You will be paid for those simple tasks, like RM5 for liking an Instagram post, or RM10 for subscribing to a YouTube channel. Such an easy way to make money!

Paying For Jobs Is The Scam!

After you get the first payment, you will be asked to participate in a “prepaid job”. All you have to do is pay a “deposit” for the opportunity to make a lot of money in high-paying “jobs”.

At this point, you may feel that this is a genuine side job opportunity. After all, they paid you for the earlier jobs, didn’t they? Real scammers wouldn’t pay their victims, right? WRONG!

Once you make that first deposit, you are “hooked”. The scammers will not let you withdraw the money, but insist that you must continue with the next “prepaid job”, which would require another deposit. Then, you will be asked to pay again to participate in another “prepaid task”, and so on.

On paper, you appear to be earning a lot of money, but you won’t be able to withdraw any of that money. By the time you realise it’s a scam, you would have lost a LOT of money. That is the scam, not pressing on the Instagram Like button.

Recommended : How A University Student Lost RM22K In Online Job Scam!

Trying To Recover The Money Is The Scam!

In the nurse’s case, she fell for their trap to participate in the “prepaid assignment”. She ended up making 36 transactions worth RM387,000 to 21 different bank accounts over 13 days! She not only emptied her savings, she even loaned money from her friends and family members!

Why would any victim do that? Simple – the more money you invest in this fake job offer, the more desperate you will be to recover the money you “invested” and “earned”. To quit would mean losing everything, so you will feel that you have “no choice” but to continue.

To help you make that decision to “stick with the programme”, the syndicate have fake users in their Telegram group continuously posting bank deposit screenshots, while claiming that they just received their earnings.

The truth is – any money you send to their mule accounts will be quickly transferred to the scammers’ account. You will never see the money again.

As one student shared, he lost over RM22,000 in just two days, because he was so engrossed in trying to get back the money he “invested” earlier:

There’s one trick that this scammer is using. He let me start with a small investment, then proceed with stages.

They force me to continue because I want to rescue the money that I put in in the previous task. So it keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Just like that, two days, RM22300, gone.

Recommended : Must You Disable Facebook Auto-Fill To Block Scams?!

Again, I’m glad to see more publicity about fake job scams. But it is important that YOU understand that the scam does not involve the pressing of the Like button in Instagram, or Facebook, or YouTube, or any other online platform.

This is ultimately just another case of a fake job scam. In this nurse’s case, the scammers used the simple job of liking Instagram posts as the lure, but it will be different for other victims. These scammers will use any convenient platform to give you simple jobs to trick you into falling for their scam.

Just remember – there is no such thing as easy social media jobs. Even unscrupulous social media promoters do not need to pay anyone to like a post, or follow someone. They simply use bots (automated software)!

Don’t fall for such fake job scams. No matter how enticing the offer is – NEVER pay for any job.

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

 

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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Can SIM swap attack empty bank account without warning?!

Can a SIM swap attack empty your bank account without warning?! Take a look at the viral warnings, and find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-10-07 : Added new viral message, and other updates.
Originally posted @ 2022-01-16

 

Claim : SIM Swap Attack Can Empty Bank Account Without Warning!

This message has gone viral on social media and WhatsApp, warning about a new high tech fraud called SIM Swap Fraud that can empty bank accounts without warning.

The message includes a link to a Straits Times report about a young couple who lost $120,000 in a fake text message scam targeting OCBC Bank customers.

Your BANK Account could be Emptied without an Alert!

Dear All, Please let’s be very careful.. There is a new HIGH TECH FRAUD in town called the SIM SWAP FRAUD, and hundreds of persons are already VICTIMS.

Here is a new variant circulating in 2023:

My cousin received a call , asking if he had been vaccinated, if vaccinated to press 1.

If not vaccinated, press 2. As a result, he pressed 1, the phone was blocked and his online bank information/account were all transferred. Please be Alert and Careful and forward to more people to know about this new trick/scam. Forwarded as received.

Recommended : Beware Of Telegram Screenshot Hack + Scam!

 

Truth : SIM Swap Attack Is Real, But Don’t Work Like That

The truth is – SIM swap attacks are real and very dangerous, but they do not work like the viral messages claim.

Here is what you need to know about the viral message, and SIM swap attacks.

Fact #1 : SIM Swap Attacks Are Not New

SIM swap attacks are really not new. Scammers have been using SIM swap attacks since 2015, if not earlier.

Fact #2 : SIM Swap Warnings Are Mostly False

The viral message is correct about the risk of SIM swap attacks, but pretty much wrong about everything else.

In fact, the method by which the SIM swap attack works is completely made up. So the viral message is really FAKE NEWS.

There’s no way your bank account will be emptied without any action on your part. Neither will your bank accounts be emptied because you participate in a COVID-19 vaccination SMS survey.

Fact #3 : No Evidence Of Such Fraud

There is no evidence of SIM swap attacks requiring users to complete the process by responding to an SMS survey about vaccination.

Neither is there any evidence that SIM swap attacks alone can lead to your bank accounts being emptied.

Fact #4 : Straits Times Article Was Not About SIM Swap Attack

One of the viral messages include a link to a Straits Time article to mislead you. That’s because the article was about a phishing attack, not a SIM swap attack.

In that phishing attack, the victim received an SMS  with a link that took him to a fake website that “looked exactly like the OCBC login page“. He then keyed in his bank login details, thus handing over control of his bank account to the scammers.

The victim also ignored automated messages warning him that his “account was being setup on another phone“. That had nothing to do with a SIM swap attack. It was an SMS-based phishing attack.

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

Fact #5 : SIM Swap Attacks Generally Do Not Require Any Action

In most SIM swap attacks, scammers use your personal information, either purchased from other criminals or obtained through earlier phishing attacks or social engineering, to request for a SIM card replacement.

All that does not require any action on your part. In most cases, you only realise you’ve been hit when you lose access to your mobile number.

Fact #6 : SIM Swap Attack May Require Action In Some Cases

The Press 1 claim in the viral message is partially correct, but it only happens in a particular circumstance.

In India, scammers have tricked people by offering a free network upgrade, or to help improve signal quality on their phones :

  1. The scammer will call the victim, claiming to be from their mobile service provider.
  2. The scammer will try to get the victim to reveal his/her 20-digit SIM card number.
  3. The scammer will use the 20-digit SIM number to initiate a SIM swap with the mobile service provider.
  4. The mobile service provider will automatically send an SMS to confirm the swap.
  5. Once the victim confirms the swap, his/her SIM card will stop working.
  6. The scammer now has access to the victim’s mobile number.

Fact #7 : SIM Swap Attack Does Not Hack Your Phone

The SIM swap attack does not involve any hacking of your phone.

You only lose access to your mobile number. Your phone is not hacked.

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

Fact #8 : SIM Swap Attack Does Not Empty Bank Accounts

Once the scammers successfully gain control of your mobile number, they can use it to intercept one-time passwords (OTP) like TAC numbers.

This allows them to change passwords to your bank accounts, social media accounts, etc. which is why SIM swap attacks are so dangerous and damaging.

However, it does not mean your bank accounts are immediately emptied. For one thing – the scammers need to know your bank login.

That’s why SIM swap victims often have had their bank logins and passwords stolen earlier though phishing attacks. The scammers only need their mobile numbers to receive OTP / TAC numbers to authenticate the transfers.

Fact #9 : SIM Swap Attack Can Be Used To Cheat Friends Too!

Stealing money from your bank account requires extra work, so scammers who do not have your bank login details will resort to cheating your friends.

With access to your phone number, they can easily gain access to your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) as well as instant messaging apps (WhatsApp, Telegram).

Once they have control, they can send messages to your friends, pretending to be you. Naturally, they will concoct some story to ask your friends for money.

The idea is to use your (now) stolen accounts to convince your friends that you genuinely need their help. The money that they transfer goes directly to the scammers, or their mules (people who rent their bank accounts to scammers).

Now that you know the facts behind the SIM swap attack or scam, please SHARE this article with your family and friends!

 

Please Support My Work!

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

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

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

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

 

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Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia Scam Alert!

Watch out for the Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia scam on WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and Twitter!

Find out how this scam works, and WARN your family and friends!

 

Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia 2023 Scam Alert!

These scam messages about Bantuan Tunai Rakyat (BTR) 2023, or Bantuan Percuma Kerajaan Malaysia 2023, is going viral on WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

CARA SEMAKAN TARIKH BAGI PENERIMA BANTUAN RM600 DIKREDITKAN SETIAP BULAN

Untuk mereka yang layak, anda boleh lakukan semakan dengan mengikuti cara yang diterangkan.

Baca Cara Semakan Bantuan 👇
https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/

SHARE INFO ini kepada rakan-rakan dan saudara mara untuk manfaat semua

HOW TO CHECK THE DATE FOR RECIPIENTS OF ASSISTANCE RM600 CREDIT EVERY MONTH

For those who are eligible, you can check by following the described method.

Read How to Check Help 👇
https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/

SHARE this INFO to friends and relatives for the benefit of all

As one lady shared in the video below, she got tricked by the scammers, who took over her Telegram account to send the same scam message to all of her contacts!

While she claimed that she did not click any link, I will show you how she got scammed…

Recommended : Beware Of Telegram Screenshot Hack + Scam!

 

Bantuan Rakyat Malaysia Scam : How Does It Work?

Warning : To show you how the scammers work, I will share the links they use. I will highlight those dangerous links in red. Do NOT go to those links.

Super Long Link

To trick people into clicking on the scam links, the scammers intentionally use a misleading and very long URL, so you are less likely to notice the domain.

This is the scam link : https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/

Note how the scammer used a long list of descriptive keywords – “bantuan“, “rakyat“, “malaysia“, “lynk“, which helps to mislead people, and make it more difficult for them to notice that the domain is “eu.org“.

Obviously, eu.org is not a Malaysian government domain (which ends with .gov.my), and it has nothing to do with Malaysia or financial aid. This domain also has nothing to do with the European Union.

EU.org provides free subdomains, and so scammers use it to not only run their scams, but to give their scams a more “legitimate-looking domain”.

Pro Tip : Always check the domain of a link before you click on it. Avoid super-long links like this because they are often used to mask the domain name.

Recommended : Will Scanning RFID Bar Codes Hack Your Phone?!

Fake Telegram Invitation

After clicking to go to https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/, you will be taken to what looks like an invitation to join a Telegram group. But in reality, it is a fake Telegram invitation.

A real Telegram invitation will have a link like this – https://t.me/XXXXXXXX. But this scam page has the link – https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/my.php.

Also, a real Telegram invitation can detect if you are using Windows / Mac or Android / iOS, and suggest that  the right download for your device.

The invitation also has a glaring typo – the link says Massage Now, rather than Message Now. Hilarious!

In any case, a real Telegram invitation will not ask you to Message Now. Rather, it will allow you to either View In Telegram, or Preview channel in the web browser itself.

Recommended : Bantuan Tunai Rakyat Malaysia 2023 Scam Alert!

Fake Telegram Login Page

If you click on Join Group, you will be taken to this Telegram login page. Even though it offers you a list of countries to select from, the only option is Malaysia.

WARNING – THIS IS A SCAM PAGE. This is what is known in cybersecurity as a “phishing attack”.

First of all, Telegram invitations will never ask you to log into your Telegram account. It will simply launch the Telegram app and load the group for you.

Secondly, if you look at the link, it leads to the same scam domain, specifically https://bntuanrakyatmalaysia.lynk.eu.org/my.php.

Do NOT log into your Telegram account in this page.

Recommended : Scam Alert : How Fake Job Syndicates Operate!

If you log into your Telegram account using this phishing page, then the scammers will gain access to your Telegram account, and take it over for their own use.

They can then use your Telegram account to send the same scam message, or worse, cheat your family and friends of their money!

Recommended : Can Restaurant Menu QR Code Hack Your Phone?!

The lady in the viral video likely logged into this phishing page, thus giving the scammers control of her Telegram account. That was likely how they were able to message everyone on her contact list.

She also likely did not enable Two-Step Verification in Telegram, which would let her recover her account even after scammers have gained access.

That is why people who were hit by this scam had to call and inform their relatives and friends, or publicly post about it to warn all of their contacts.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to warn all of their contacts, and inevitably, someone will get cheated of their hard-earned money. That’s why these scams are so popular – they really work, and scammers are making a ton of money!

Help us fight against these scammers. SHARE this article out, and WARN your family and friends!

 

Please Support My Work!

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

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

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

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

 

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

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.

 

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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!

 

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 | Mobile | 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!

Maybank To Fully Migrate SMS OTP To Secure2u!

Maybank just officially announced that it will fully migrate from SMS OTP to Secure2u, as part of efforts to crack down on scams!

Here is what you need to know…

 

Maybank To Fully Migrate SMS OTP To Secure2u!

On 28 September 2022, Maybank officially announced that it will fully migrate from SMS OTP to Secure2u, as part of efforts to crack down on scams!

By June 2023, all online activities or transactions involving account opening, fund transfers and payments, as well as changes to personal information or account settings, will require Secure2u authentication.

This announcement came after Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) ordered banks to migrate from the SMS OTP (One Time Password) to more secure authentication methods.

We remain highly committed in helping our customers to avoid being scammed by fraudsters.  This is done through existing security measures that are already in place and as we progressively rollout more measures that can help deter or minimise the likelihood of customers falling prey to financial scams.

We are also supportive of Bank Negara Malaysia’s announcement on 26 September 2022 in relation to the five measures to be adopted by banks in Malaysia to ensure higher standards of security, especially for Internet and mobile banking services.

The banking industry is committed to working together to combat financial scams which are increasingly prevalent in today’s digitalised environment.

– Dato’ Khairussaleh Ramli, Group President & CEO of Maybank

Read more : BNM Orders Banks To Stop Using SMS OTP To Fight Scams!

 

Details Of How Maybank Secure2u Will Replace SMS OTP

Secure2u isn’t new. It was introduced in April 2017 as a more secure way for Maybank customers to authorise Maybank2u and MAE transactions using Secure Verification (one-tap approval) and Secure Transaction activation codes (a 6-digit TAC number generated in the app), as an alternate to SMS OTP.

Maybank also revealed some details of how Secure2u will be enhanced as it replaces SMS OTP :

  • Only one Secure2u device will be allowed per account holder (customer) to minimise the possibility of compromise by a third party
  • Maybank will alert the customer by SMS, a push notification, and an email when Secure2u is registered on a new device.
  • In Q4 2022, Maybank will introduce a cooling-off period whenever customers enable Secure2u on a different device. This cooling-off period will give customers the opportunity to verify and report to the bank in case of any unauthorised Secure2u registration on a new device.

In addition to Secure2u, Maybank is heeding BNM’s call for tightened fraud detection rules and triggers, and has in place a call-back verification process to alert customers of suspicious transactions.

Read more : Maybank: New Secure2u Activations Only On MAE App

 

Maybank Advice On Fighting Scam

Maybank has a dedicated 24/7 hotline for customers to report financial scams at +603-5891-4744. Customers are advised to call the hotline immediately, as soon as they suspect that their banking details have been compromised, or whenever they notice suspicious transactions, so their bank accounts can be suspended swiftly.

Alternatively, customers can also contact the general Maybank Customer Care Hotline at 1-300-88-6688 to report scams / fraud, or to seek assistance in suspending their bank accounts.

Finally, here are some tips from Maybank on how to protect yourself while using online platforms:

  • Avoid installing/downloading apps/Android Package Kit (APK) files or clicking on suspicious links sent via chat messages such as SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger or other similar services.
  • Do not provide permission for any app to send or view your SMSes.
  • Do not ignore any warnings from your devices, especially when downloading or installing a new file.
  • Do not enter your banking details, especially username or password, in any suspicious apps or websites.
  • Always keep your antivirus software updated for constant protection.
  • Only download apps from the genuine app stores such as Apple App Store, Google Play Store or Huawei AppGallery and not from a link.
  • Be alert if you are being prompted to download a file that is not compatible with your device i.e.: iPhone/iPad device being asked to use an Android device to download a file.
  • Always look out for your online banking security image and phrase (i.e.: Maybank2u security image and phrase), to ensure the website and app are legitimate.
  • Do not root or jailbreak your device.
  • Update your mobile device’s operating system (OS) and apps regularly.

Finally, we must all remember to NEVER share with anyone (not even bank employees) details of our bank accounts.

Please SHARE this article and these tips 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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Are MySejahtera 68808 SMS Messages A Scam?!

Are MySejahtera messages sent through the 68808 SMS service really a scam?!

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

 

Claim : MySejahtera 68808 SMS Messages Are A Scam!

People are sharing this warning on social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, as well as in WhatsApp and Telegram groups :

MySejahtera 通过 68808 发送短信要求用户 重置资料,请不要点击链接,这是钓鱼陷阱 骗局。
请转发广传出去给大家警惕,谢谢。

MySejahtera sending sms through 68808 to ask users to reset, pls do not click link. It’s a scam.

 

MySejahtera 68808 SMS Messages Not Necessarily A Scam!

Many Malaysians are rightfully wary about clicking on links sent by SMS or WhatsApp.

There have been many scams involving fake SMS or WhatsApp messages, which we covered here in Tech ARP :

However, Malaysians are also too gullible, accepting all warnings on WhatsApp as genuine, without first verifying if they are even true.

Here are the reasons why the MySejahtera reset messages delivered by the 68808 SMS service are not necessarily a scam!

Fact #1 : 68808 Is Used By MySejahtera

Despite what people may tell you – 68808 is an official SMS service number used by MySejahtera.

In fact, MySejahtera uses three SMS service numbers to send you notifications (like your vaccination appointments), as well as your password renewal link :

68808
68088
63001

Fact #2 : 68808 Messages Are Generally Legitimate

Despite what is shared on social media, messages sent through 68808 are genuine. What you need to be wary of are SMS messages sent via other numbers.

Take a look at this example of fake news shared on social media, and some websites. It was touted as an example of fake MySejahtera messages sent by 68808.

The truth is “original” message was sent through 63839, which is not a legitimate MySejahtera SMS service. The “fake” message was sent through 68808, which is a legitimate MySejahtera SMS service.

In this misleading example, you can also see a prior SMS message on vehicle servicing in the 63839 channel. Official MySejahtera SMS channels (68808, 68088 and 63001) will only show messages from MySejahtera, not other services.

Note : The links in both messages appear to be genuine, linking to https://mysejahtera.malaysia.gov.my/.

Fact #3 : MySejahtera Sends Reset Links Via SMS

Despite what social media “experts” may tell you – MySejahtera will send password reset links through SMS, as a verification method.

If you are trying to reset your MySejahtera password (because you forgot it), you will be sent an SMS message with a link to https://mysejahtera.malaysia.gov.my/, as the example above shows.

Fact #4 : SMS Messages Can Be Spoofed

That said, SMS messages can be spoofed to appear to come from the three legitimate MySejahtera channels – 68808, 68088 and 63001.

So you should avoid clicking on MySejahtera password reset links, even from legitimate channels, unless you have specifically asked to reset the MySejahtera password.

Fact #5 : MySejahtera Team Clarified This In April

The MySejahtera team actually refuted these false claims in April 2022. Unfortunately, people still continue to share this fake news.

So please help us fight fake news – share this fact check with your family and friends!

 

How To Avoid MySejahtera (Or Other) SMS Scam!

So here is what I recommend when it comes to SMS messages, whether they were sent by MySejahtera, banks, etc. :

  1. Always check to make sure they come from legitimate SMS channels. For MySejahtera, that’s 68808, 68088 and 63001.
  2. If you are not sure about an SMS message from the authorities / banks / telcos, please do not hesitate to call them to verify the authenticity of that message.
  3. Never click on a link to log into a website (like your bank). Always use your banking app, or log in manually using a Internet browser on your computer or phone.
  4. Only click on a link in specific circumstances that do not require a login – for example : to verify your request to reset your MySejahtera password.
  5. Do NOT click on any link to confirm that you are resetting a password, or confirm your new SIM card, unless you just requested to performed those actions.
  6. Before you click on a link, always check the link goes to the official website (like https://mysejahtera.malaysia.gov.my/). Never click on a link that goes to suspicious websites.

I hope this article helps you differentiate between fake claims circulating on social media and WhatsApp groups, and proper cybersecurity measures we should take to prevent being scammed of our hard-earned money!

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

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

 

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Are These Shanghai Disneyland Robot Dancers Real?!

Did China create these amazing robot dancers at the Shanghai Disneyland, beating even the Japanese?

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

 

Claim : China Created Classic Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!

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.

This classic dance is only created in China and broadcast in Shanghai Disneyland. They are not female dance artists, but all robots made in China.

The performance time is only about 5 minutes, but the ticket queue time takes 4 hours. The ticket price is 499 yuan.

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

 

Truth : They Are NOT Robot Dancers At Shanghai Disneyland!

The agility and grace of these dancers are amazing, but they are NOT robot dancers created by China for Shanghai Disneyland!

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

Fact #1 : That Is A Video Of A CBDF Competition

That was actually a video clip from one of the many competitions organised and broadcast by the CBDF (Chinese Ballroom Dance Federation).

Although we cannot ascertain who the dancers are, you can see the CBDF logo in the background, at 4:03 and 4:38.

No robot made today can match their agility and grace.

Fact #2 : 499 Yuan Was The 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 single show.

In truth, that 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).

Fact #3 : Disneyland Does Not Charge Extra To Watch Certain Shows

Anyone who has been to Disneyland knows that the entry fee is pricey. That’s because it covers all rides and shows inside Disneyland.

You only need to pay for food and drinks, and arcade games. Or if you opt to purchase Disney Fastpasses (Fastpass, FastPass+, MaxPass) to bypass long queues at popular rides or shows.

Otherwise, all rides and shows are free to enjoy once you enter Disneyland.

Fact #4 : That Is Not The Only Fake Video Of Chinese Robot Dancers

That is not the only fake video of Chinese robot dancers.

This one circulated earlier, claiming to be of a female robot dancer that handily beats all Japanese made-robots.

In that example, they took the video clip from the 2018 World Dance Sport Federation Championship in Lithuania…

Recommended : Did China Create This Amazing Female Dancing Robot?

 

Who Would Create Fake Stories About Robot Dancers?

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!

 

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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Are Robbers Using Business Card Knife To Rob Drivers?!

Are robbers using a business card knife to attack and rob drivers?

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

 

Claim : Robbers Are Using Business Card Knife To Rob Drivers!

People are anxiously sharing a set of photos, together with these messages in English and Malay, on Facebook and WhatsApp :

Just now, according to info received from a traffic police friend, there are already six card owners made police reports, if there is someone holding a name card and knock at your car window asking for direction.

Please do not open your car windows, as there is a cutter placed under the name card which is used for slashing victim’s face and rob.

Please be extra careful! Kindly convey this message! Please also send to those who are not driving too, for the sake of their friends who are driving!

 

Truth : Robbers Are NOT Using Business Card Knife To Rob Drivers!

The truth is – this is FAKE NEWS that has been circulating since 2014.

It resurfaces every year or so, and here are the reasons why it remains fake news!

Fact #1 : Business Card Knife Don’t Look Like Actual Name Card

Despite its name, the business card knife does NOT look anything like a business card or name card.

It’s much thicker and usually black in colour, and looks like a business card holder than an actual name card.

The more bespoke models are thin enough to fit into the credit card slot of your wallet, which usually fits 2-3 credit cards.

But NO ONE will be foolish enough to believe that such a device is an actual name card…

Fact #2 : Business Card Knife Unfolds Like Origami

The business card knife is designed as an emergency pocket knife that fits the credit card slot of your wallet, so quick deployment is not the purpose.

It does not work like a switchblade, but literally unfolds like origami – this looks impressive but is not easy to do quickly.

It would therefore be pretty idiotic for any robber to use a business card knife. It makes far more (criminal) sense to use a real name card / map, and a real knife hidden out of sight!

Some people claim that the robber could have stuck a real name card on top. But in reality, it would prevent the knife from unfolding properly.

Photo Credit : MrEssentist

Fact #3 : Injury Photos Unrelated To Car Robbery

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) confirmed that the photo of an injured lady was “from a different robbery incident“, and unrelated to this viral claim of a car robbery involving a business card knife.

The injured man is London Rene, a US reality star who appeared in the WH1 series – Mob Wives.

He was slashed with a box cutter at Club Output in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Williamsburg in December 2014, requiring 120 stitches on his face and 30 stitches each on his stomach and arm.

Obviously, his injuries had NOTHING to do with any car robbery attempt. Neither were they a result of a business card knife.

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

We need to stop the spread of this fake news which has been circulating since 2014!

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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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!

 

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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MySJ Trace : Should You Enable Or Disable?

Should you enable the new MySJ Trace feature in MySejahtera, or should you disable it?

Let’s take a look at people’s deepest fears about MySJ Trace, and find out what the facts really are!

 

MySJ Trace : Should You Enable Or Disable?

MySejahtera just introduced a new MySJ Trace feature, which uses Bluetooth technology to track your close contacts.

The proximity data it collects allows Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) to accurately determine if you are a close contact of a COVID-19 positive person.

KKM has been strongly urging people to turn it on, but many people are offering conflicting advice on whether to enable or disable it.

Let’s take at what people are saying, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Should You Enable MySJ Trace?

There are several good reasons to enable MySJ in MySejahtera :

  1. MySJ Trace allows for more accurate contact tracing. If you test positive for COVID-19, the data it collects lets KKM accurately identify your close contacts, and inform them.
  2. MySJ Trace automatically tracks your close contacts. All you have to do is turn it on, and forget about it.
  3. MySJ Trace removes the need to manually check out from locations, which was tedious and easy to forget.
  4. Those who use MySJ Trace will avoid being wrongly identified as casual or close contacts, due to the inaccuracy of using check-in and check-out times.

MySJ Trace gets more accurate and more useful, when more people use it. So KKM is strongly encouraging everyone to use it.

Plus, when enough people start using it, we will all enjoy an additional benefit :

  1. When enough people use MySJ Trace, we will no longer need to check-in at every location!

Read more : What You Need To Know About The New MySJ Trace Feature!
Read more : MySJ Trace : Answers To Your Frequently Asked Questions!

 

Should You Disable MySJ Trace?

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why people are disabling MySJ Trace, and see what the facts really are!

Claim #1 : Government Uses MySJ Trace To Track Our Movements
Verdict : False

People are falsely claiming that the Malaysian government will use MySJ Trace to track our movements.

The truth is MySJ Trace does not record or collect geolocation data, so it cannot possibly track your movements.

MySJ Trace also does not transmit data, unless we consent. In fact, we are only asked to transmit MySJ Trace data if we test positive for COVID-19.

Claim #2 : MySJ Trace Not Useful Because No One Is Using It
Verdict : False

Some people are discouraging people from using MySJ Trace because “not many people are using it yet“.

Switching to MySJ Trace immediately helps you by removing the need to check-out of locations. Isn’t that useful?

For healthcare professionals who need to quickly and accurately trace close contacts of infected individuals, MySJ Trace works better when more people use it, but that doesn’t mean it’s completely useless when few people use it.

Claim #3 : Old Check-In, Check-Out System Is More Accurate
Verdict : False

Some people claim that the old method of checking in and out of locations is more accurate than MySJ Trace.

That may be true in the early days, when very few people are using it, but that is no longe true once many of your close contacts are using it.

MySJ Trace not only automatically determines who comes into close contact with you, it also logs how long they are in close contact, and their proximity (distance) to you.

The manual check-in and check-out system is unable to determine time of contact, and distance of contact; and can easily lead to false positives – people wrongly identified as casual or close contacts.

Claim #4 : MySJ Trace Uses A Lot Of Battery Life
Verdict : False

This is a real concern for many people as MySJ Trace requires Bluetooth to be turned on all the time. However, it uses Bluetooth Low Energy technology, which uses very little power.

I had earlier tested MySJ Trace on an old Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone, and did not notice any noticeable drain on its battery life.

For people who have strong concerns over this aspect, it is possible to temporarily turn off MySJ Trace while you are at home, and only turn it on when you go out.

Claim #5 : Bluetooth Increases Risk Of Hacking
Verdict : Misleading

It is possible for criminals to hack your smartphone using Bluetooth, and it is good cybersecurity practice to turn off wireless connections that you are not using.

However, it is far more difficult to hack you through your Bluetooth connection, than your Wi-Fi connection.

After all, Bluetooth only has a range of 10 metres! The hacker will have to remain in close proximity to hack you.

Claim #6 : Hackers Can Grab Our Personal Information
Verdict : False

Some people are claiming that hackers can hack into MySJ Trace and use it to trawl for personal information of people nearby.

That’s nonsense, because MySJ Trace will only record the following information :

  • Unique User ID (UUID) that is created by the MySejahtera app.
  • Operating system version (Android or iOS)
  • Time of contact
  • Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI)

There is no personal information that would be useful to hackers, even if they grab these information.

The UUID, for example, is useless as an identification number without access to the KKM database of MySejahtera users and their personal information.

Claim #7 : MySJ Trace Continuously Uses Internet Data
Verdict : False

Some people are falsely claiming that MySJ Trace continuously uses Internet data, which is extremely limited for some users.

That’s not true. MySJ Trace does not require Internet connectivity, except :

  • when you first download and install MySejahtera,
  • whenever you update MySejahtera
  • when you consent to upload your MySJ Trace data to KKM

Since those are all optional, you can do it when you have access to a Wi-Fi network. You can use MySJ Trace without mobile Internet.

I hope that clarifies the reasons why you should enable or disable MySJ Trace. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask us.

Meanwhile, I hope you can share this article with your family and friends, and encourage them to turn on MySJ Trace.

 

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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Did US Supreme Court Just Cancel Universal Vaccination?!

Did the US Supreme Court just cancel universal vaccination because the COVID-19 vaccines are unsafe?!

Find out what’s going on, and what the FACTS really are!

 

Claim : US Supreme Court Just Canceled Universal Vaccination!

Alternative health / news websites are YET AGAIN claiming that the Supreme Court just cancelled universal vaccination in the United States!

Allegedly, Senator Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a group of scientists filed a lawsuit against Bill Gates, Dr. Fauci and Big Pharma, and they won!

It is a long essay, please SKIP to the next section for the FACTS!

URGENT: Supreme Court Has Canceled Universal Vaccination In The United States

Just Got this:

Has not been in the news anywhere. Looks like we are getting closer to the Final Scene in the movie.

Please ALERT everyone in the family, friends and relatives! BREAKING NEWS !

Supreme Court has canceled universal vaccination In the United States, the Supreme Court has canceled universal vaccination.

Bill Gates, US Chief Infectious Disease Specialist Fauci, and Big Pharma have lost a lawsuit in the US Supreme Court, failing to prove that all of their vaccines over the past 32 years have been safe for the health of citizens!

 

Truth : US Supreme Court Did Not Cancel Universal Vaccination!

It’s 2022, and yet again, the US Supreme Court just “cancelled” universal vaccination for the 4th or 5th time?

Just like COVID-19 variants, alternative health / news websites keep regurgitating this fake story for page views.

Let me repeat this yet again – this is FAKE NEWS!

Let’s break down the individual claims, and tell you what the FACTS really are :

Claim : Supreme Court canceled universal vaccination in the United States
Verdict : False

This claim is completely false, because the United States never mandated universal vaccination in the first place!

There is, therefore, no universal vaccination for the Supreme Court to overturn or cancel.

The government continues to have broad authority to make a vaccine mandatory during a public health crisis, as decided by the Supreme Court in their 1905 decision in Jacobson v. Massachusetts.

In 1922, the Supreme Court “settled that it is within the police power of a state to provide for compulsory vaccination” in their unanimous Zucht v. King decision.

However, compulsory or mandatory vaccination is quite different from universal vaccination.

Read more : Did Joe Biden Fire Over 200 Marines For Not Taking Vaccine?

Claim : Bill Gates, Dr. Fauci + Big Pharma Lost A Supreme Court Case
Verdict : False

Bill Gates, Dr. Fauci and Big Pharma were never part of any US Supreme Court case.

The new, ultra-conservative US Supreme Court did deal public health advocates a blow in 2020, when they ruled against the State of New York in Roman Catholic Diocese Of Brooklyn, New York v. Andrew M. Cuomo.

But that Supreme Court case had nothing to do with pharmaceutical companies, Bill Gates or even Dr. Fauci.

In that case, the Supreme Court ruled that the State of New York cannot bar people from gathering in churches and synagogues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was a ruling against New York’s lockdown measures, not vaccines.

I should also point out that all nine justices on the US Supreme Court were fully vaccinated by 5 May 2021, as confirmed by Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg.

Bill Gates, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, May 2016, Photo Credit : Bill Branson

Claim : Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is A Senator
Verdict : False

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is not, and has never been, a US Senator.

The writer probably confused him with his illustrious father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968.

Claim : Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Filed Supreme Court Lawsuit 
Verdict : False

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. never filed any lawsuit that was brought before the US Supreme Court.

In July 2019, he filed a lawsuit against the state of New York, to overturn a new state law that bars parents from refusing to vaccinate their children on religious grounds.

His family actually spoke out AGAINST him, calling him “an outlier in the Kennedy family“, and pointing out that his uncle President John F. Kennedy and his father, Robert F. Kennedy, both promoted vaccinations to stamp out preventable diseases.

He lost that lawsuit on 9 December 2019, after the New York state law was ruled constitutional.

That lawsuit was over the measles outbreak, and happened before the world first became aware of COVID-19 on 31 December 2019.

So it had NOTHING to do with COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccines.

Claim : mRNA Vaccine Changes Our Genetic Material
Verdict : False

It is physically impossible for vaccine mRNA to penetrate the cell nucleus, so it cannot possibly change the cell’s DNA.

The mRNA can only enter the cell cytoplasm, where it is taken up by the ribosomes to create the spike protein.

Vaccines based on the viral vector technology are the ones that enter the cell nucleus, but even that only affects a small number of cells, and does not become part of our DNA.

Vaccines do NOT integrate with our DNA. Vaccines will NOT turn us into GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms).

Claim : mRNA Vaccine Causes Irreversible Genetic Changes
Verdict : False

The mRNA instructions in an mRNA vaccine are automatically destroyed by the cell after use. Therefore, they can only exist for a short period of time.

As these mRNA instructions do NOT enter the cell nucleus or combine with our DNA, they cannot possibly cause “irreversible genetic changes”.

Claim : Genetic Engineering Is A Crime
Verdict : False

Genetic engineering is not a crime in any country. However, countries may set limits on what is permissible.

For example, the United States allows the genetic modification of human embryos for research purposes, but forbids its implantation without FDA’s approval.

Genetic engineering is being used to develop cures for diseases like :

  • acute and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia
  • multiple myeloma
  • various muscular dystrophies
  • cystic fibrosis
  • cancers

There have already been a few approved gene therapies :

  • 2003 : Gendicine was approved in China for certain cancers
  • 2011 : Neovasculgen was approved in Russian for peripheral artery disease
  • 2012 : Glybera was approved in the US and the US for lipoprotein lipase deficiency

Claim : mRNA Vaccine Is Not A Vaccine
Verdict : False

A vaccine is simply any biological preparation that gives your body an active, acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease.

The mRNA vaccine is a vaccine, even though it does not use the dead or attenuated (weakened) virus to provide the protection.

It works quite similarly to a viral vector vaccine, in that they both use our cells to create the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to trigger our body’s immune system.

Think of mRNA vaccines as instructions for your cells to make “enemy soldier puppets” for your immune system to train against.

Read more : Pfizer + Moderna mRNA Vaccines : How Do They Work?

Claim : COVID-19 Vaccines Cause Genetic Defects
Verdict : False

This is complete nonsense. COVID-19 vaccines do not cause genetic defects. Genetic defects are inherited, and cannot be introduced through a vaccine.

Genetic defects are also not caused by the inability to excrete toxins, which our liver and kidneys do every single day!

Vaccines also do not prevent the human body from excreting toxins. If that actually happened, vaccinated people would die within days… which obviously, did not happen.

Claim : Vaccinated People Will Die
Verdict : False

The claim by Michael Yeadon that 0.8% of people will die within 2 weeks of the first vaccination, and the rest will die within 2 years, is absolute nonsense.

Billions of people globally have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and there is no evidence of millions of people dying from the vaccines within two weeks of their first vaccination.

Frankly, if that’s true – they wouldn’t be alive to receive their second and third vaccinations, as billions of people have done.

Now that you know that this is yet another example of anti-vaccination FAKE NEWS, please SHARE this fact check with your family and friends.

Help stop the pandemic, by vaccinating against COVID-19!

 

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

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

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

 

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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).

 

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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Facebook, Instagram, Messenger + Workplace Down Again!

Just days after going down for SIX HOURS, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Workplace went down AGAIN!

Find out what happened!

 

Facebook, Instagram, Messenger + Workplace Down Again!

Just days after all of Facebook’s services went down for six hours, Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Workplace went down AGAIN!

At around 3:22 AM on 9 October 2021, they went down again… with people reporting that they were unable to log into their accounts, or send messages.

Fortunately, this time it didn’t take down WhatsApp and it took their engineering team just under 2 hours to get those Facebook services restored.

 

Why Did Facebook, Instagram, Messenger + Workplace Go Down Again!

Again, Facebook blamed another faulty “configuration change” for this downtime, but did not announce any details on what actually happened.

But coming right after an extraordinarily long downtime just days earlier and public testimony by Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, this new downtime may be shorter but is no less grievous.

It will feed growing opinion that Facebook has too much services under its control, and it’s dangerous and even folly to let a single company control so many social networks and communication services.

Regulators will no doubt be spurred by this new incident to look at breaking up Facebook.

EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said that the major Facebook outage highlighted the danger of relying on just a few big players, underscoring “the need for more rivals”.

Even Russia jumped into the fray, stating that Russia was right to develop its own Internet platforms and social networks.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said that the recent 6-hour outage of Facebook services “answers the question of whether we need our own social networks and Internet platforms“.

We will be looking forward to Facebook Engineering’s explanation of what happened, and whether it involved cutting through doors to get to their servers…

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

 

Please Support My Work!

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

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

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

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

 

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Jaya Grocer 20th Anniversary Scam Alert!

Please watch out for the Jaya Grocer 20th Anniversary survey scam!

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

 

Jaya Grocer 20th Anniversary Survey Scam Alert!

People are now sharing these Jaya Grocer 20th Anniversary messages on WhatsApp :

Jaya Grocer 20th Anniversary!

Click to enter to participate in the survey, have a chance to win $1000!

Jaya Grocer 20th Anniversary!

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

 

Jaya Grocer 20th Anniversary Survey : Why This Is A Scam

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

For one thing – Jaya Grocer was established in 2007, with its first outlet in Jaya 33 in Petaling Jaya 2007.

So they would only be celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2027!

Jaya Grocer 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.

Proper contests or events sponsored by major brands like Jaya Grocer 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!

Jaya Grocer 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 Jaya Grocer campaign would use their real domain – www.jayagrocer.com.

Or they would run it off the official Jaya Grocer page on Facebook – www.facebook.com/jayagrocer/.

If you see nonsensical domains like uglyarticle.club, 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.

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).

 

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 Giant Tsunami Waves Hit Second Penang Bridge?

Did giant tsunami waves hit the second Penang bridge – the Sultan Abdul Muadzam Shah Bridge?

Find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2021-08-22 : Updated parts of the article, and the fact check video.

Originally posted @ 2020-12-02

 

Claim : Giant Tsunami Waves Hit Second Penang Bridge!

A video claiming to show the Second Penang Bridge getting hit by giant tsunami waves, is going viral on social media… again!

Giant tsunami waves hit Penang 2nd bridge at 6.00pm yesterday!

Dramatically, a person appeared to be swept away by a giant wave, and a motorcyclist quickly fled another giant wave!

Here is my video fact check video of two examples I found so far…

 

Truth : Tsunami Waves Did NOT Hit Second Penang Bridge!

This is yet another example of fake news spreading like COVID-19 on social media.

The video is genuine, but it does NOT show giant tsunami waves hitting the Second Penang Bridge.

Fact #1 : This Bridge Is Too Small To Be Second Penang Bridge

In the main span, the Second Penang Bridge has a height clearance of 30 metres for ships to pass under. The bulk of the bridge has a much lower 6 metre clearance.

The Second Penang Bridge is also very wide – between 150 and 250 metres, with 4 car lanes and 2 motorcycle lanes.

The bridge in the video appears to be much shorter, with a 4 metre clearance; and much narrower with just 2 lanes.

Fact #2 : No Report Of Any Tsunami Affecting Penang

There have been no earthquakes nearby, or reports of any tsunami affecting Penang.

The waves appear to be approximately 12-15 metres high, and would have been big news. Yet there is no mention of it in the mainstream media. Very sus, no?

Fact #3 : It Was An Old Video

This video went viral earlier in July 2020, when it was posted as evidence of a tsunami hitting a bridge in Alaska after an earthquake there. However, that was false as well.

The earliest we could find was a December 2017 tweet by a CNBC-AWAAZ anchor, Deepali Rana, who claimed that it was a video of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. That was also false!

Fact #4 : The Video Was Recorded On Minicoy Island

The video was recorded on 23 August 2017, showing giant waves hitting the Eastern Jetty at Minicoy Island (Maliku), in Lakshadweep, India.

It is a much smaller structure than the second Penang bridge, or the Bandar-Worli Sea Link bridge.

Here is a picture of the Eastern Embarkation Jetty, with a surfer for size comparison.

 

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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Scam Alert : COVID-19 Relief Fund By Federal Government!

Please watch out for the COVID-19 Relief Fund by Federal Government scam!

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

 

Scam Alert : COVID-19 Relief Fund By Federal Government!

People are now sharing this COVID-19 RELIEF FUND message on WhatsApp :

Apply For The Covid-19 Relief Fund Provided By The Federal Government. Hurry Up, It takes few seconds to apply. Dont [sic] miss this opportunity.

Apply Here

Note : I added the Scam Alert overlay to prevent it from being further abused.

 

COVID-19 Relief Fund : Why This 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.

I will now show you why this COVID-19 Relief Fund message is just another scam. Please warn your family and friends!

Fact #1 : No Global Relief Fund By Any Federal Government

When a scam tells you that “the federal government” is giving away money, you should always ask yourself – WHICH federal government???

No government in the world is giving away money to anyone across the world. Not even the three richest economies in the world – US, China and the EU – have a COVID-19 relief fund to give money away like that.

Fact #2 : The Three Questions Are A Red Herring

Most of these scams employ simple but useless questions to trick you into thinking that this is genuine. Look at the three questions this scam is asking :

  • What’s your age range?
  • How much money do you want to receive?
  • What’s your employment status?

In a real government relief programme, your eligibility status will be based on some official document – your identity card, driver’s licence, passport, etc.

No one is going to give you money simply because you answer a few questions. And NO ONE is ever going to ask you how much you want to receive!

Fact #3 : No Government Will Ask You To Invite Friends / Groups

A real government relief programme will NEVER ask you to invite friends and groups on WhatsApp, much less insist that you invite 15 friends or 5 groups before they give you money.

That’s a dead giveaway that this is a scam, and the scammers want you to help them scam other people. So NEVER invite your friends to join the scam.

Fact #4 : SNF Global Relief Initiative Is Not By Any Federal Government

To make the scam look legit, the scammers used the SNF Global Relief Initiative for the COVID-19 Pandemic graphics.

That initiative is not by any government, but by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

And just in case you are wondering, no, the SNF does not give away money to individuals. They only make grants to non-profit organisations and collaborative funds.

Fact #5 : The Domain Is New + Protected

If you check the domain “relief-fund.live“, you will see that it was only created on 24 March 2021.

Even more suspiciously, all contact and ownership details have been REDACTED FOR PRIVACY. That’s often a sign that the owners are worried about being sued or prosecuted.

Name: relief-fund.live
Registry Domain ID: ac787c4c5c19460696fa1bf46d133faa-DONUTS

Nameservers:
dns1.registrar-servers.com
dns2.registrar-servers.com

Registry Expiration: 2022-03-24 11:41:35 UTC
Updated: 2021-03-29 11:42:31 UTC
Created: 2021-03-24 11:41:35 UTC

Name: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
Organization: Privacy service provided by Withheld for Privacy ehf
Email: Please query the RDDS service of the Registrar of Record identified in this output for information on how to contact the Registrant, Admin, or Tech contact of the queried domain name.
Tel: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
Fax: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY
Mailing Address: REDACTED FOR PRIVACY Capital Region REDACTED FOR PRIVACY IS

Fact #6 : The Comments Are Completely Faked

You may notice a bunch of comments at the bottom of the scam website. They are only there to trick you into thinking that other people received the money.

Try refreshing them. They will never change, unlike a real live comment stream. The time codes will not change either.

Try clicking on the Like option. Nothing will happen. Your Like will not register.

That’s because this is a fake comment stream. It’s all hardcoded and fixed.

Now that you know that this is just another scam, please warn your family and friends.

And please remember – no one gives away money like that. Don’t fall for these scams!

 

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Name : Adrian Wong

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Scam Alert : CIMB Customers Hit By Fake SMS Messages!

Scammers continue to target CIMB customers, using many different kinds of fake SMS messages.

Do NOT click or call if you receive any of these fake SMS messages!

And please warn your family and friends!

 

Scam Alert : CIMB Customers Hit By Fake SMS Messages!

Whether you are a CIMB Bank customer or not, you may receive one of these alarming SMS messages :

RM 0.00 CIMB: Confidential!

Dear CIMB users, your account will TERMINATED on 24/12/20. Verify via http://www.cimbclickikm.cc to keep on using CIMB Clicks services.

Please make verification within 24hours to avoid service interruption.

RM0 CIMB: Instant Transfer RM4998.78 to CHAY LEE FEN/HONG LEONG on 23-Dec-2020, 13:06:35. Call the no. at the back of your card for queries.

If you receive any of these SMS messages, please DO NOT click on the link, or call the number. JUST IGNORE THEM, or delete them.

RM0.00 CIMB: MYR 2968.00 was charged on your card num 4204 at Shopee.MY. If this is not your txn, call 1800-9767 now.

Cimb Your account is judged as high risk by the system, PLS re-verify your account. cimbclicksecurity.com

Note : These scams do not just affect CIMB Bank. In fact, all banks are affected :

 

Why These CIMB SMS Messages Are Fake

Let us show you how to identify these fake CIMB SMS messages.

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

Warning Sign #1 : Grammatical Mistakes

If you carefully read the first SMS messages above, you can easily spot numerous grammatical mistakes. A bank will never send such poorly worded messages to their customers.

However, they may copy the real SMS message from CIMB to trick you into thinking that this is a real transaction. Such fake SMS messages will have proper grammar.

Warning Sign #2 : Embedded Links

Banks will NEVER embed links (URLs) into the message. If you see embedded links, always think – SCAM SMS!

Unlike the Public Bank SMS scam, they used a copy of the real SMS message to trick you into clicking the URL in the first message.

Warning Sign #3 : Wrong Links

And always check the link – www.cimbclickikm.cc and cimbclicksecurity.com are not the correct addresses for the CIMB Bank websites (www.cimbclicks.com.my or www.cimb.com.my).

The best policy is to manually key in the bank website address. NEVER click on any link in an SMS, even if it looks legit.

When you see any website with .cc links, be wary because the .CC domains are registered in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands – an Australian territory of only 14 km², with only about 600 inhabitants.

Warning Sign #4 : No Personal Login Phrase / Picture

To avoid phishing attacks, banks now give you a secret response (like a picture or a phrase) to confirm that you are visiting their legitimate website.

If the website you are visiting gives you the wrong picture or secret phrase, you have been tricked into visiting a fake website designed to mimic the real bank website.

You should also remember that the bank website must show you secret picture or phrase right after you enter your login, but BEFORE you key in your password.

If you are asked to key in your password without the website displaying the secret phrase or picture, you have been tricked into visiting a fake website designed to mimic the real bank website.

 

CIMB Advice To Protect Against Fake SMS / Email Scams

Here is a list of DOs and DON’Ts to protect yourself against fake SMS / email scams.

Please DO follow these good practices

  1. Pay attention to your transaction alerts and check your account activities regularly. In case of any unusual activity, please contact us immediately.
  2. If you wish to contact us, ONLY call the number on the back of your card or refer to CIMB website “Contact Us” page.
  3. Always check the URL of the website that you are making purchases from. Ensure  the “lock” icon or “https” appears on the website’s address bar.
  4. Always find a reputable seller on online marketplaces by searching for reviews from other customers to know their experience.
  5. To access CIMB Clicks, type the entire URL as follows: www.cimbclicks.com.my
  6. Always remember to log out once you have completed your banking transactions.

Please DO NOT follow these bad practices

  1. Don’t panic and give personal information to fraudsters impersonating representatives of government agencies etc. even if they deploy fear tactics. Immediately call the number on the back of your card to verify with CIMB.
  2. Never apply for personal financing through unverified links or individuals promising a lower rate. CIMB does not impose any application charges for personal financing applications.
  3. Never take instructions from anyone to change the mobile number in CIMB records to any number other than your own mobile number.
  4. When transacting online, never continue with a purchase if you have any doubts if the seller is not genuine.
  5. Never share details such as your card number / User ID / PIN / password / TAC  with anyone or key them in in any website other than CIMB Clicks.
    (Note: CIMB will never ask for  your ‘User ID’, ‘Password’ or ‘TAC’ under any circumstances outside of CIMB Clicks).
  6. Do not click on links or open email attachments from unknown / unreliable senders / sources.
    (Note: Emails from CIMB will always end with @cimb.com such as cimb.marketing@cimb.com

 

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Must You Scan MySejahtera Every Hour At Cafe / Restaurant?

Is it true that you must scan MySejahtera every hour whenever you eat at a cafe, coffee shop or restaurant?

Find out what’s going on, and what the FACTS really are!

Updated @ 2021-03-15 : Added information on Pahang’s dining limit of 1 hour.

Originally posted @ 2021-03-13

 

Claim : You Must Scan MySejahtera Every Hour At Cafe / Restaurant!

On 13 March 2021, two different messages started going viral on WhatsApp.

They both claim that we must all scan MySejahtera every hour, if we are eating or drinking in a cafe, coffee shop or restaurant.

😱😱😱😱😱😱
You must remember this and share. ! If u eat in a restaurant or any outlet n spend over an hour there u must scan My Sejathera again. The same goes for drinking in a restaurant. You have to scan every hour, because the restaurant can only allow u to stay for one hour only. Many people don’t know this. Remember to tell your family members and friends the news. Don’t spend our innocent money on fine again. Come on our money are hard earned. 😭😭😭 We must be alert. 💪

各位请注意!去茶室飲吃或restaurant喝酒也一样,每过一个小时便要 scan,因为茶室餐厅只能逗留一个小时,这一点很多人不知道,记得把消息告诉你家人朋友,别又无辜花这些冤枉钱.

Attention everyone! The same goes for drinking in the coffee shop or restaurant. You have to scan every hour, because the coffee shop or restaurant can only stay for one hour. Many people don’t know this. Remember to tell your family and friends the news, and don’t let authority to fine you.

 

No, There Is No Need To Scan MySejahtera Every Hour At Cafe / Restaurant!

After checking out the latest SOPs, we can confirm that there is NO NEED to scan MySejahtera every hour at any coffee shop, cafe, restaurant or eatery.

There will be those who wonder – how do YOU know for sure? Never mind they would rather trust some random WhatsApp message, here are the facts!

Fact #1 : MySejahtera Only Required On Entry

MySejahtera is meant to log when you enter a public premise, not how long you stay in one premise.

There is NO NEED for you to log your presence at any cafe or restaurant every hour.

If they needed to know how long you lingered at any premise, they would have made it a requirement to use MySejahtera to “log out” when you leave.

Fact #2 : They Would Not Have Targeted Just Cafe / Restaurant

If the government wanted to log how long people stayed in a premise, they would have made it a requirement for ALL retail outlets.

This would include supermarkets and grocery stores; not just eateries, cafes, coffee shops and restaurants.

Fact #3 : No Time Limit On Dining-In During MCO

Malaysia allowed dining-in from 10 February 2021 onwards, with these two requirements :

  • Limited to two (2) persons per table.
  • Must have minimum physical distance of 1 metre

There was no time limit for customers who are dining in at any eatery, cafe, coffee shop, or restaurant.

When MKN lifted the 2 persons per table limit, there was only one requirement – a minimum physical distance of 1 metre.

Again, there was no time limit for eating or drinking at any any eatery, cafe, coffee shop, or restaurant.

Fact #4 : No Dining Time Limit In CMCO / RMCO SOP

The latest CMCO and RMCO SOP on dining in at restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and the like are the same.

You only need to comply with ONE requirement – a minimum physical distance of 1 metre.

Fact #5 : 1 Hour Dining Time Limit In Pahang

The Pahang state government recently added a 1 hour dining time limit that stated on 5 March 2021.

However, scanning MySejahtera every hour will not help you avoid this time limit.

A quick check on MySejahtera will show the police just how many times you scanned MySejahtera at the same dining outlet, and therefore, how many hours you were there.

Recommended : Pahang Limits Dining To Just 1 Hour!

Fact #6 : No Dining Time Limit In Food Sector SOP

The Food Sector SOP, released on 3 June 2020, only lists these requirements :

  • Workers with symptoms or temperature over 37.5 celsius are not allowed.
  • Tables must be arranged 2 metres apart, to ensure 1 metre social distancing between customers
  • Customers must be seated according to table size, and cannot exceed 4 for big tables.
  • Workers must wear face masks at all times.

This SOP has obviously been superseded by the newer SOP for CMCO and RMCO.

Fact #7 : No Dining Time Limit In Retail Sector SOP

The Retail Sector SOP (which covers cafes, coffee shops and restaurants), released on 24 Nov 2020, lists these requirements :

  • Ensure that workers and customers are recorded (using MySejahtera or a log book).
  • Ensure 1 metre physical distance within the premise
  • Limit the number of customers at any one time
  • Ensure that workers and customers wear face masks
  • Limit the time within the premise (no time limit).

Fact #8 : No Dining Time Limit In Social Event SOP

Just in case, we even looked at the Social Event SOP, released on 24 February 2021, which lists these requirements :

  • Guests with temperature over 37.5 celsius are not allowed.
  • Guests queuing to enter must maintain 1 metre distance.
  • Guests must wear face masks.
  • Guests are limited to 50% of venue capacity.
  • Tables must be arranged 2 metres apart, to ensure 1 metre social distancing between guests

Again, there is no mention of any time limit.

 

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Fact Check : Doctor’s Diary On Covaxin Side Effects?

Is an Indian doctor’s diary and advice on the side effects of the Covaxin vaccine genuine?

Take a look at the viral post on Covaxin side effects, and what the FACTS really are!

 

Doctor’s Diary On Covaxin Side Effects : A Viral Sensation

An Indian doctor’s diary on the Covaxin vaccine’s side effects, and his advice on how to deal with them, has gone viral on social media…

What’s amazing is that it’s gone viral even in countries where the Covaxin vaccine, is not, and will likely never be available!

A doctor’s report from his diary on his own health after receiving Covaxin vaccination

(Save for your reference till vaccination is done)

Diary for 2 days

I got my self vaccinated today (25/01/2021) at 11:25 am, on the left upper side of the arm. I had no side effects till 10:30 pm.

I had my dinner at 8:00 pm and I was all fine till 10:30 pm with no side effects, I went to bed around the same time. At 11:30 pm, while I was still lying in the bed, pain started at the vaccination site, which wasn’t before. I had a slight chill and my temperature started rising, at 12:30 am. I measured my temperature and I was having 99.4*F. As expected, along with the temperature started the rest of the side effects. I had bodyache, warmness in my eyes, neck pain. Pain at the vaccination site became worse and I also had slight choking in my throat.

Throughout the night I was restless, could not sleep much, my temperature at 2:00 am was 100.4*F. I kept myself observing closely.

I was happy though, as all these side effects indicated that the vaccination was successful and my body is giving robust response.

26/01/2021

I slept around 4:00 am got up at 6:00 am, feeling drained, my temperature was again 100.4*F at 6:30 am. Throughout the day I had fever ranging between (99.7*F-100.2*F) body ache, pain at vaccination site, sore throat, mild cold. In the evening, around 6:30 pm, my temperature was 99.3*F, pain slightly reduced at the vaccination site, some relief was also observed in my sore throat.

I had my dinner at 8:30 pm and went to bed at 10:30 pm, before bedtime my temperature was 99.2*F.

27/01/2021

I woke up at 6:00 am, feeling quite well, body temperature was 98.7*F, pain at vaccination site grossly reduced, pain only felt when I press my vaccination site with my hands, sore throat, neck pain gone.

All these side effects were like having mini-Covid symptoms.

Importantly, the whole batch of the doctors who got vaccinated the same day kept on sharing their side effects within our group and about 80-90% of us had common side effects as mentioned above.

The other symptoms which my colleagues had.

1. Dizziness, at the time of administering the vaccination and afterwards as well.

2. Rise in blood pressure.

3. Nausea.

I am sharing with you the first-hand experience which we doctors had at the time and after vaccination. You all will be experiencing the same, whenever you get vaccinated, so do not get anxious, as you all now, know the side effects.

 

Fact Check Of Doctor’s Diary On Covaxin Side Effects

There’s no way to tell if the viral diary was actually written by a doctor, since it’s unsigned and not attributed to anyone. So we cannot verify his/her account.

However, we can fact-check a few interesting points, claims and advice in that viral account. Let’s see what the FACTS really are…

Fact #1 : India Uses The Metric System

Interestingly, the writer recorded his/her body temperature in Fahrenheit, instead of Celsius.

Like the vast majority of the world, India uses the metric system, and an actual Indian doctor would use Celsius.

Fahrenheit is only used in the United States, Belize, Palau, the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands – none of which has the Covaxin vaccine.

Fact #2 : The Writer Use Terms Doctors Generally Won’t

Generally, doctors will not use terms like vaccination site, temperature started rising, warmness in eyes, rise in blood pressure, or mini-Covid symptoms.

The proper terms, which normal people would have understood, would have been injection site, fever, hypertension or increased blood pressure, or COVID-like symptoms.

Fact #3 : How High Was Their Blood Pressure?

The writer claimed that his/her medical colleagues reported “rise in blood pressure”, without stating how much higher.

This is important, because a significant increase in blood pressure is defined as an increase in systolic blood pressure of greater than 20 mm Hg, or an increase in diastolic blood pressure of greater than 10 mm Hg.

If the writer is an actual doctor, and his colleagues only reported slightly elevated blood pressure, he/she should have written it off as irrelevant, or normal physiological variances.

Blood pressure can also temporarily increase for all sorts of perfectly normal reasons – smoking, caffeinated drinks, anxiety, or even mild exertion before the reading was taken.

A single elevated BP reading is not indicative of the blood pressure actually being high. In fact, blood pressure readings are only accurate if you follow these rules :

  • you did not drink a caffeinated beverage or smoke in the last 30 minutes.
  • you did not rest (sit quietly) for at least 5 minutes
  • you are seated with your arm rested, so that your elbow is about heart level
  • you did not talk during the measurement
  • there is a difference of less than 5 mm Hg between two readings taken consecutively.

Fact #4 : Dizziness During Injection 

Dizziness during injection is not a side effect of the Covaxin vaccine, because it’s in the process of being injected into the body, and thus have no effect yet.

It is actually a symptom of vasovagal syncope – the same physiological response that caused Tiffany Dover to faint on TV after receiving an injection of the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine.

People with vasovagal syncope will feel dizzy or faint when exposed to certain triggers like pain, emotional stress, fear of needles or even just the sight of blood.

So it is not surprising if some people feel dizzy or faint after getting an injection, whether it’s of a COVID-19 vaccine or a placebo.

Fact #5 : Some Side Effects Are A Good Sign

The known Covaxin vaccine side effects include :

  • injection site pain, swelling, redness, itching
  • stiffness and weakness of the injection arm
  • body ache, headache
  • fever, malaise, weakness
  • rashes, nausea, vomiting

While side effects like allergic reaction, rashes and vomiting are obviously not good, other side effects are a good sign.

Vaccine “side effects” like fever and muscle ache are actually a sign that the vaccine is working, and your body’s immune system is kicking into action.

Remember – COVID-19 vaccines like Covaxin basically use the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus or its spike protein to train your body’s immune system to fight against the real virus.

So you should at least expect some symptoms of a real COVID-19 infection, as the body works to fight off the “fake infection” that the vaccine just delivered.

Fact #6 : Hydrate With Water, Period

Hydration is simple – drink water. It really doesn’t matter if it’s cold, hot, warm, lukewarm, or room temperature.

There is also no fixed rule on how much water to drink a day. It very much depends on the individual’s life and environment.

Someone who is physically exerting himself in a dry climate would naturally require more hydration than a rich socialite chilling out in the sauna.

Fact #7 : Hydration Has No Effect On Vaccines

Any doctor worth his/her salt would know that body maintains its biological equilibrium through homeostasis.

So additional hydration after vaccination will not have any effect. You will just piss it out.

Fact #8 : Perfume Isn’t Bad For Vaccination

This needs some context. It’s not wrong to smell nice when you meet people.

Some health authorities are advising people to avoid wearing scented products like perfume or cologne, as other people waiting for their vaccinations may be allergic to them.

Fact #8 : Alcohol Rub / Swab Is Fine

WHO recommends against swabbing the skin with alcohol before injecting the vaccine, consider it an unnecessary waste of time and money. So don’t be worried if the nurse or doctor skips this step.

However, there is nothing wrong if you let the nurse or doctor swab your skin with alcohol before injecting the vaccine.

No one swabs the skin with alcohol after an injection, so we have no idea why the writer would ask you to refrain from doing so.

Fact #9 : Alcohol Consumption Before / After Vaccination Is Fine

There is no evidence that alcohol consumption has any effect on any COVID-19 vaccine, so there is no rule against consuming alcohol before or after vaccination.

But it would be make sense not to drink alcohol before driving to the vaccination centre – which is both unsafe, and against the law.

Fact #10 : Hypertension Is Not A Side Effect

So far, no COVID-19 vaccine (Covaxin or otherwise) has listed hypertension – high blood pressure – as a side effect. So there is no need to monitor your blood pressure after vaccination.

If you already have hypertension, then you should monitor your blood pressure regularly… as you normally would.

 

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460 Deaths + 243,612 Injuries From COVID Vaccines In UK?

Did the UK government report 460 deaths and 243,612 injuries from COVID-19 vaccines in the latest 4 March 2021 report?

Find out what’s going on, and what the FACTS really are!

 

460 Deaths + 243,612 Injuries From COVID Vaccines In UK?

Health Impact News continues to share misleading news about the COVID-19 vaccination programme in the UK.

Framing it as a report, Brian Shilhavy from Health Impact News listed what appears to be a shocking list of 460 deaths and 243,612 injuries from the Pfizer and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines in the UK.

To avoid being outright labelled as fake news, he shared the report without context, only presenting them as raw numbers.

For the COVID-19 mRNA Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine analysis they report:

  • 2033 Blood disorders including 1 death
  • 1032 Cardiac disorders including 25 deaths
  • 3 Congenital disorder
  • 713 Ear disorders
  • 10 Endocrine disorders
  • 1242 Eye disorders
  • 9360 Gastrointestinal disorders including 11 deaths
  • 26,394 General disorders including 111 deaths
  • 17 Hepatic disorders
  • 466 Immune system disorders
  • 1863 Infections including 33 deaths
  • 393 Injuries including 1 death
  • 965 Investigations
  • 525 Metabolic disorders including 1 death
  • 11,565 Muscle & tissue disorders
  • 20 Neoplasms
  • 16,107 Nervous system disorders including 14 deaths
  • 29 Pregnancy conditions including 1 death
  • 1235 Psychiatric disorders
  • 187 Renal & urinary disorders
  • 338 Reproductive & breast disorders
  • 3575 Respiratory disorders including 12 deaths
  • 6042 Skin disorders including 1 death
  • 16 Social circumstances
  • 45 Surgical & medical procedures
  • 992 Vascular disorders including 1 death

Total reactions for the COVID-19 mRNA Pfizer- BioNTech vaccine212 deaths and 85,179 injuries

 

UK Report On COVID Vaccine Deaths + Injuries : The Facts

Health Impact News basically summarised the weekly Yellow Card report from the UK MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency).

However, by omitting context about this report, the article conveys the false perception that the COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous.

Here are the facts…

Fact #1 : It Was A Yellow Card Summary Report

The UK government report mentioned in the article was the weekly Yellow Card summary report (as of 21 February 2021).

As you can tell – it is released on a weekly basis, and is otherwise not special in any sense. The 21 February edition will soon be superseded by the 28 February edition.

Fact #2 : Anyone Can Report Anything On The Yellow Card Site

What Health Impact News “neglected” to mention was that ANYONE from ANYWHERE can report ANYTHING on the Coronavirus Yellow Card reporting site.

You can report that the COVID-19 vaccine caused you all kinds of injuries, from giving you AIDS or brain cancer to killing you outright.

Heck, you can create a Yellow Card report even if you are NOT living in the UK, and have NOT actually received the vaccine!

Here are screenshots of us reporting that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine caused a leg fracture, that resulted in an abnormality in an unborn child!

This is how absurd the Yellow Card reporting system really is. No different from the US VAERS system really.

Fact #3 : Yellow Card Reports Are NOT Evidence Of Side Effects

Health Impact News also “neglected” to mention that Yellow Card reports are NOT evidence of actual adverse reactions.

The UK MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) which operates the Yellow Card programme stated very clearly that (with our emphasis) :

It is very important to note that a Yellow Card report does not necessarily mean the vaccine caused that reaction or event.

We ask for any suspicions to be reported, even if the reporter isn’t sure if it was caused by the vaccine. Reports to the scheme are known as suspected adverse reactions (ADRs).

Many suspected ADRs reported on a Yellow Card do not have any relation to the vaccine or medicine and it is often coincidental that they both occurred around the same time.

It is therefore important that the suspected ADRs described in this report are not interpreted as being proven side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.

Fact #4 : Known Side Effects Are Mild / Inconsequential

Health Impact News also intentionally “failed to expose” the fact that the side effects of both Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines are mild and/or inconsequential.

Thanks to large trials involving over 100,000 people, scientists have determined that the side effects of the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines for COVID-19 are mild and/or inconsequential.

The UK MHRA classified the known side effects into how commonly they occur, as follows :

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects

  • Very Common : pain at injection site, tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever
  • Common : injection site swelling, redness at injection site, nausea
  • Uncommon : enlarged lymph nodes, feeling unwell
  • Rare : temporary one-sided facial drooping (Bell’s palsy)
  • Very Rare : severe allergic reaction

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effects

  • Very Common : tenderness, pain, warmth, redness, itching, swelling or bruising at injection site, generally felling unwell, feeling tired, chills, headache, nausea, joint pain or muscle ache
  • Common : a lump at injection site, fever, vomiting, flu-like symptoms
  • Uncommon : feeling dizzy, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, enlarged lymph nodes, sweating, itchy skin / rash

Fact #5 : COVID-19 Killed Almost 2.6 Million People… So Far

It is perplexing why Health Impact News is focusing only on the 460 “reported deaths” in the UK Yellow Card database, that have NOT been proven to be caused by the vaccine.

We should point out that as of 27 February 2021, COVID-19 has killed :

  • Almost 2.6 million people worldwide
  • Over 124,000 people in the UK

Those are real people who died from COVID-19. Real people with families who have to live with the loss.

On the other hand, the COVID-19 vaccines have been proven to be safe, and will prevent millions of deaths from what is now a preventable disease in the UK and all around the world.

 

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Seafood Scams On Facebook : How To Detect Them!

Seafood scams on Facebook have been proliferating recently, and Facebook just doesn’t care.

So it is up to all of us to spread the word and WARN EVERYONE about these seafood scams on Facebook.

Updated @ 2021-03-07 : Added another confirmed seafood scam page and two reported bank accounts.

Originally posted @ 2021-02-14

 

Seafood Scams On Facebook : What’s Going On?

We were first alerted to the world of Facebook seafood scams by people who were cheated by Ocean Sense and East Malaysia Seafood Agent.

These Facebook seafood scam pages have a simple modus operandi :

  • offer online seafood delivery at very attractive prices and even free delivery
  • advertise on Facebook to reach out to people, and avert Facebook’s ire
  • ghost you after you deposit money into their bank accounts
  • delete your negative comments on their Facebook page

Even though many people reported Ocean Sense and East Malaysia Seafood Agent as scam pages, Facebook declined to take action and they are STILL ACTIVE.

 

Seafood Scams On Facebook : How To Detect Them!

The problem with seafood scams on Facebook is how easily scammers create them. Even if they get banned by Facebook, they will simply create a new one.

Facebook also partly enables them to continue with their scam by ignoring reports, claiming that there is nothing on the scam pages that go against their Community Standards. Duh – as if the scammers will post on Facebook admitting that they are scammers.

So how do we detect these seafood scams on Facebook?

Step 1 : Check List Of Reported / Confirmed Seafood Scams

The first thing you should do is run a quick search online on the name of the seafood vendor. See if anyone has reported them to be a scam.

Confirmed Seafood Scams On Facebook

Multiple people have reported that these Facebook seafood vendors have cheated them :

Reported Seafood Scams On Facebook

These Facebook pages have been reported to be scam pages, but we haven’t been able to independently verify their reports :

Step 2 : Check With The Commercial Crimes Department

Next, use the Commercial Crimes Department’s website to check for bank accounts that have outstanding police reports.

For example, the CIMB 8604503834 has two outstanding police reports lodged against it.

DO NOT BANK ANY MONEY to any account flagged by the Commercial Crimes Department’s website.

Step 3 : Check List Of Reported Company + Bank Accounts

Just because a bank account has not been flagged by the Commercial Crimes Department’s website doesn’t mean it’s safe.

That’s because many people do not bother to lodge a police report, or it may be a recent scam.

Here is a list of reported company and bank accounts, which you should AVOID :

Name Bank Account
Yap Kok Keong CIMB 7635-3713-28
A&B Bintang Trading CIMB 8604-5038-34
Car Boutique Venture CIMB 8604-5267-74
GS 028 Seafood Trading CIMB 8604-5270-14
Lee Pea Ching CIMB 7075-3700-47

Step 4 : Look For An Address

Genuine seafood vendors on Facebook will share with you their address, so you can drop by and select your seafood if you wish.

But don’t just trust the address they post. Always check the address on Google Maps, and use Street View to check if the shop really exists.

Step 5 : Look For Angry Emojis

A genuine seafood vendor may have one or two angry emojis by dissatisfied customers, but scam pages will have A LOT of them.

Hover over the reaction emojis, and look at how many are positive (likes or wow), and how many are negative (angry).

Scam pages will have a lot of angry emojis because they often delete negative comments, so angry customers have only one option – show angry emojis to warn potential customers.

Step 6 : PM People With Angry Emojis

To find out for sure if this is a scam, just PM (private message) those who left an angry emoji react to the Facebook page.

That’s how we were able to confirm that Ocean Sense and East Malaysia Seafood Agent are seafood scam pages.

Step 7 : Pay Only By Credit Card / Cash On Delivery

If you are still enticed by the great offer and want to take a risk, insist on paying with a credit card, or cash on delivery.

NEVER PAY to a bank account directly, because there is simply NO PROTECTION, and NO WAY for you to get your money back.

Using a credit card protects you against fraud, because the payment is not instantly credited to the vendor.

If you did not receive the seafood you ordered, simply call up the bank and inform them. They will refund the money.

If the seafood vendor insists on a direct bank transfer and refuses even cash on delivery, it is highly likely that they are scammers.

 

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Focus On Fauci : These Vaccine Lies Can Get You KILLED!

The viral video of four “experts” talking about the dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine is full of lies that can get you and your family KILLED!

Find out what’s going on, and why the lies being told about the COVID-19 vaccine could get you (and your family) killed!

 

Focus On Fauci : What Is It?

Focus on Fauci was a two-hour livestream by former rock musician, Sacha Stone, and headlined four “experts” on 5 January 2021 :

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr – renown anti-vaccinationist, and nephew of John F. Kennedy
  • Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD – former biochemistry research scientist
  • Dr. David E. Martin, PhD – a Fellow at the Darden School of Business Administration, University of Virginia
  • Dr. Rocco Galati  – a Canadian lawyer specialising in constitutional law

It claims to bring before the public, “the vast pathology of crimes against humanity, which many key researchers and experts allege against Anthony Fauci (the most powerful man on earth in the public health administration sector)”.

 

The Bombshell Revelation Of Vaccine Lies

None of them have any expertise in medicine or vaccine, and the entire livestream was full of lies and misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. David Martin, in particular, dropped a “bombshell” – the clip of which many people have been sharing on WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

It has also been posted on many natural health and antivax websites as a “shocking bombshell revelation”.

We will show you why the many claims about the COVID-19 vaccine in that video clip are nothing more than LIES that can get you and your family killed.

 

Why These Lies About The COVID-19 Vaccine Can Get You KILLED!

Let us be clear – the Focus on Fauci event was nothing more than a livestream of vaccine lies and deceit, by people who have no conscience about getting other people killed.

Now, we are not trying to be hyperbolic, but those vaccine lies they told can get YOU, and your family, KILLED.

If they convince you not to vaccinate against SARS-CoV-2 virus, it puts your family at risk of getting infected and developing a serious case of COVID-19.

The chance of dying from COVID-19 ranges from 0.2% to 8.6%. That’s an average of 4.4%, or 44 people dying out of every 1,000 patients.

Let us put it this way. Would you risk getting on a plane without a parachute, knowing that 9 out of every 200 passengers will be thrown out the door mid-flight?

The vaccine is your parachute. It can save your life if you are amongst the unlucky nine to be thrown out of the plane!

Workers wearing protective gear bury bodies in a trench on Hart Island in New York City on April 9.

 

Focus On Fauci : The Lies Debunked!

Now, let’s go through the claims Dr. David Martin, PhD made about the COVID-19 vaccine, and show you why they are all LIES.

Claim #1 : Let’s make sure we are clear… This is not a vaccine.

FALSE. The Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are vaccines, which by definition, are biological preparations that provide “active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease“.

Claim #2 : They are using the term “vaccine” to sneak this thing under public health exemptions. This is not a vaccine.

FALSE. There is no public health exemption for COVID-19 vaccines. Neither is there a public health requirement for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination.

As a finance expert, and not a medical expert, he could be referring to the insistence by vaccine companies to be protected from legal liability for any side effects.

That, however, has to be approved by each individual country, and is constitutionally or financially impossible in most countries.

In countries that provide partial liability waivers for vaccine candidates that focus on fair distribution, instead of profits (e.g. AstraZeneca), the governments will pay claims that exceed an agreed limit.

Claim #3 : [The vaccine] is a medical device designed to simulate the human cell into becoming a pathogen creator.

FALSE. These vaccines do NOT turn your cells into pathogen creators. As we explained in our mRNA vaccine article, the mRNA only trains some of your cells to create the viral spike proteins.

These viral spike proteins are like the uniforms that identify the virus, and by expressing them on the surface of some of your cells, your body’s immune system is triggered.

Your body will learn to identify these “foreign uniforms” and create antibodies that target them, to prevent your cells from being infected when you get exposed to the real SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Claim #4 : [The vaccine] specifically has to stimulate both immunity… and disrupt transmission.

FALSE. Vaccines are, by definition, designed to confer active acquired immunity to the vaccinated. It does not need to prevent transmission, even though that would be ideal.

What this means is a fully-vaccinated person is protected against COVID-19, but may still inhale and retain the SARS-CoV-2 viral particles in his/her respiratory passages, and transmit them to an unvaccinated person.

That’s why it is important to vaccinate everyone, and not rely on the vaccinated to prevent transmission.

Claim #5 : [Pfizer and Moderna] have been abundantly clear [the vaccine] is not going to stop the transmission. 

FALSE. Pfizer and Moderna said no such thing. They only said that there is NOT ENOUGH EVIDENCE YET to determine if their vaccines can ALSO prevent asymptomatic infection and transmission.

Claim #6 : It is a treatment [not a vaccine].

FALSE. They are vaccines that must be taken in advanced to train your body to build its own immunity. It cannot be used to treat anyone who has already contracted COVID-19.

Claim #7 : Moderna started as a chemotherapy company for cancer, not a vaccine manufacturer for SARS-CoV-2.

FALSE. Moderna started out specifically to commercialise mRNA technology. It’s even in their name – ModeRNA Therapeutics. That makes them perfectly suited to create and deliver mRNA vaccines.

Dr. David Martin is disingenuously insinuating that Moderna does not have any expertise in manufacturing SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. That’s true for every pharmaceutical company, big and small – because SARS-CoV-2 is a new virus!

We should also point out his hypocrisy – he is an expert on finance, not COVID-19. By his own standard, no one should bother with what he has to say about COVID-19! 🙂

Claim #8 : It Is A Medical Device (According To) CDRH Definition

FALSE. These mRNA vaccines are not defined as medical devices by the CDRH (Center for Devices and Radiological Health) of the US FDA, because :

  • the mRNA is absorbed and metabolised by the cells, and creates proteins through chemistry.

Like drugs, vaccines are NOT medical devices. It is illogical to call them devices.

Section 201(h) of the Federal Food Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) Act defines a device as an “instrument, apparatus, implement, machine, contrivance, implant, in vitro reagent, or other similar or related article, including a component part, or accessory which is:

  • recognized in the official National Formulary, or the United States Pharmacopoeia, or any supplement to them
  • Intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, in man or other animals, or
  • Intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of man or other animals, and

which does not achieve its primary intended purposes through chemical action within or on the body of man or other animals and which is not dependent upon being metabolized for the achievement of its primary intended purposes.

Claim #9 : It Is Designed To Make You Sick

FALSE. These mRNA vaccines have been PROVEN in their stage 3 trials to be about 95% efficacious in PREVENTING sickness.

Claim #10 : 80% of [vaccinated] people experience a clinical adverse event

FALSE. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine’s trial result showed that there were only 8 adverse events out of 18,904 people who were vaccinated.

That’s 0.04%, not 80%. Dr. David Martin either miscalculated, or intentionally inflated the risk by 2000X. Quite a mistake for a finance expert…

 

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COVID-19 Hot Spot Areas In KL : Hoax Debunked!

The map of COVID-19 hot spot areas in KL has gone viral on WhatsApp, but it’s really just a hoax.

Find out what happened, and what the facts really are!

 

COVID-19 Hot Spot Areas In KL : The Viral Map

This is the map that went viral on WhatsApp – showing 7233 cases in seven COVID-19 hot spot areas in KL :

  • Dorsett KL : 1446 cases
  • Pavilion : 1419 cases
  • Times Square : 1419 cases
  • Lot 10 : 1066 cases
  • Low Yat Plaza : 1027 cases
  • Wisma Genting : 701 cases
  • Petaling Street : 155 cases

 

COVID-19 Hot Spot Areas In KL : Hoax Debunked!

The map of COVID-19 hot spot areas in KL claims to be based on the MySejahtera app.

However, it is FALSE and here are the reasons why…

Reason #1 : KKM Confirms It’s False

The Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) confirmed that this map is false.

Reason #2 : MySejahtera Does Not Show Cases For Specific Locations

The MySejahtera app allows you to look up specific locations, but it will NOT show the case numbers for any specific location.

So it is not possible for anyone to use MySejahtera to find out that Low Yat Plaza has 1027 cases, for example.

Reason #3 : MySejahtera Shows Cases In 1 KM Radius In Past 14 Days

The MySejahtera Hot Spot tracker feature only lists the number of reported COVID-19 cases within a 1 km radius in the last 14 days.

In other words, it shows you how many COVID-19 cases were reported within a 3.14 square kilometre area over the past 14 days.

If you try it out now, you can search for Pavilion KL, and it will say,

There have been 805 reported case(s) of COVID-19 within a 1 km radius from your searched location in the last 14 days.

 

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HUAWEI New Year Gift Scam : Don’t Click Or Share!

Watch out for the HUAWEI New Year Gift scam that’s circulating on WhatsApp!

Do NOT click or share. Just delete it, and WARN YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

 

HUAWEI New Year Gift Scam : Do NOT Click Or Share!

Scammers are sending out this message on WhatsApp, claiming that HUAWEI is giving away New Year gifts.

Please do NOT click on the message, or share it. Just delete it and warn your family and friends!

 

Why This HUAWEI New Year Gift Offer Is A Scam

Let us show you why this HUAWEI New Year Gift offer (and similar offers) is just a scam.

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

Warning Sign #1 : Not Using The Real HUAWEI Domain

A genuine HUAWEI campaign would use the real HUAWEI domain – www.huawei.com.

The use of a different domain (2021-whatsapp3w.bar) should warn you that this is not a legitimate HUAWEI website.

Warning Sign #2 : HUAWEI Does Not Give Away Free Gifts

HUAWEI is a for-profit corporation whose goal is to make money, not give it away.

They are not a charity, and will never give free gifts to celebrate a new year, or anniversary.

They only give free gifts to promote the purchase of their latest products.

Warning Sign #3 : Ridiculous Prizes

While brands may sometimes give away branded swag like a face mask, a t-shirt, or a cap; they will NEVER give away CASH as a prize.

And there is no way they would give away US$5,000 cash prizes. That’s just nuts! It should be cheaper to just give away one of their latest Mate 40 Pro smartphones.

 

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Maybank B40 Subsidy Scam : Do NOT Click Or Call!

Watch out for the new Maybank B40 subsidy scam! It is a phishing attack to gain access to your Maybank account!

Do NOT click or call. Just delete it, and WARN YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

 

Maybank B40 Subsidy Scam : Do NOT Click Or Call!

Scammers are sending out this SMS claiming that Maybank (MBB) will issue the B40 subsidy after you fill in some information.

Please do NOT click on the message, or call the telephone number. Just delete it and warn your family and friends!

 

Why This Maybank B40 Subsidy Offer Is Just A Scam

Let us show you why this Maybank B40 subsidy offer (and similar offers) is just a scam.

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

Warning Sign #1 : No Such B40 Subsidy Program

The Malaysian government has not announced any B40 subsidy program.

Neither would Maybank offer free money for the B40. It’s a bank, not a charity.

Warning Sign #2 : Bad Grammar

The bad English grammar should be a warning sign that this is not a legitimate offer.

Warning Sign #3 : Not Using The Real Maybank Domain

A genuine Maybank campaign would use the real Maybank domain – www.maybank.com.my.

The use of a different domain should warn you that this is not a legitimate Maybank website.

In fact, Google Chrome will warn you that this website is a phishing attack – to get your personal and banking information.

Warning Sign #4 : Asking You For Your Information

The banks – whether they are Maybank, Public Bank, CIMB, etc – will NEVER ask you to fill in your personal details.

Think about it – they already have your information because you have an account with them!

Even if there is a legitimate B40 subsidy programme, they only need you to log into your Maybank account. They do NOT need you to register your details again.

These scammers ask you for these details so they can use them in phishing calls, to convince you that they are really from Maybank.

Warning Sign #5 : Asking You For Your Bank Login!!!

This is a BIG warning sign. Banks will NEVER ask you for your user name and password.

If you key in this information, you are basically giving these scammers access to your Maybank account.

They will call or message you and try to get your TAC (Transaction Authorisation Code) number that is sent to your mobile number. DO NOT GIVE THAT TO THEM!

If you sent them your user name and password, please contact the bank immediately, and change your password!

 

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

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

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

 

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Tesco New Year Scam Alert : Do NOT Click / Forward!

Now that the New Year is almost here, the Tesco New Year Scam is going viral on WhatsApp!

Do NOT click on the message if you receive it. Do NOT forward it either!

Just delete it, and WARN YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

 

Tesco New Year Scam Alert : Do NOT Click / Forward!

People are sharing this Tesco New Year promotion that claims to offer a gift card valued up to RM1000, but it is really nothing more than a SCAM!

Please do NOT click on the message, or forward it to anyone. Just delete it and warn your family and friends!

 

Why This Tesco New Year Offer Is Just A Scam

Let us show you why this Tesco New Year gift card offer (and similar offers) is just a scam.

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

Warning Sign #1 : Bad Grammar

Most of these Tesco gift card scams have bad grammar (example #1, example #2), which is a big clue that this isn’t a genuine Tesco offer.

In this example, they capitalised TESCO and use the grammatically incorrect “win up to RM1000 Tesco Gift Card!

Warning Sign #2 : Offering You Free Money Or Gifts

Please do NOT be naive. Nothing is FREE in this world, much less a RM1000 gift card.

Tesco isn’t going to give you FREE money, just because it’s the new year, or 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 Tesco Domain

A genuine Tesco Malaysia campaign would use the real Tesco Malaysia domain – www.tesco.com.my.

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

This scam is using a BlogSpot.com domain – which is not something any genuine company would do.

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.

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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Antivaxxers Keep Creating Fake Tiffany Dover Death Claims!

Antivaxxers are still creating and spreading fake death claims about Tiffany Dover, while hounding her family and her!

Find out what’s going on, and what YOU can do to help Tiffany Dover and her family!

 

Tiffany Dover : Who Is She? What’s Going On?

Here’s a quick primer for those who have not heard of Tiffany Dover, or what has energised anti-vaccination groups recently.

On 17 December 2020, Tiffany Dover fainted on live TV after getting her Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, due to vasovagal syncope – a very common condition.

She recovered within minutes, and explained that it wasn’t a surprise because she often faints when she feels pain.

However, antivaxxers pounced on the incident as evidence that the Pfizer BNT162b2 vaccine is dangerous, sharing edited versions of the video to sow fear, doubt and uncertainty about the vaccine.

 

Antivaxxers Keep Creating Fake Tiffany Dover Death Claims!

After her fainting episode was explained and the full video was shared, antivaxxers had to switch gears.

They decided to claim that Tiffany Dover later DIED, after recovering from her fainting spell.

Here are three examples…

Joe Leonard

It looks like rumors of Tiffany Dover’s death are TRUE and it is being covered up.

No activity since her highly publicized public vaccination despite regular use of Instagram. No replies to dozens of questions. Family set their profiles to private.

RIP

Kitty Lynn

OMFG! FAINTING NURSE DIED
Tiffany Dover IS DEAD

I saw that fainting nurse died, so I checked it out!
This death record has to be her! Same town, age, and most importantly, the family listed all show up as her friends on fb!

Shannon Haas

BREAKING There is reports Tiffany Dover is dead. She is the nurse who collapsed on live television when being interviewed about the vaccine. We can’t confirm it, we are trying to collect as much intel as possible.
INTEL WE KNOW
– She is from Tennessee
– She collapsed 15+ minutes after taking the Pfizer vaccine on live television
– Her Instagram account is tiffany_dover_ and she hasn’t posted for 5 days, she generally posts every 2-3 days
– There is social media posts about her death from people who were allegedly connected to her or her family
– There is reports of death threats against her family for sharing the info
– There is reports of censorship
– The debunkers are saying it is all false but are providing very little evidence

Someone even created a fake Tiffany Dover memorial page on Instagram (now removed), saying :

She will always be remembered for her bravery. She was a wonderful nurse. #nurse #bravery #covid_19 #tiffanydover #inmemoryof #hospital #alwaysremember

It gained 1650 followers before Instagram finally shut it down. While it was up, antivaxxers used it to promote the claim that she truly did die after being vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

 

How To Help Tiffany Dover With These Fake Death Claims

Creating and sharing fake death claims about Tiffany Dover isn’t about “having an open mind” or “just investigating the truth” or “exploring the possibilities“.

This is literally cyberbullying!

And it doesn’t even stop with fake death claims. People are also hounding her family and friends, calling them fake or crisis actors.

Help stop this cyberbullying of Tiffany Dover, her family and her friends, by :

  • sharing such fact check articles, including this and this.
  • telling the truth to those who shared with you those fake claims
  • sharing the fact check links as comments on those fake social media posts
  • DO NOT SHARE those fake social media posts

 

Why Tiffany Dover Death Claims Are ALL FAKE!

Fact #1 : Tiffany Dover Is Alive And Well!

According to the NewsChannel 9 ABC crew who recorded the whole event on 17 December 2020, Tiffany Dover quickly recovered, and within minutes, was able to get up and speak with them again.

While antivaxxers are claiming that she subsequently died, those are complete lies. She did NOT die.

Her hospital – CHI Memorial – posted this tweet two days later, confirming that she is well, asking that people give her and her family privacy.

Fact #2 : Tiffany Dover Alive And Well On Video, 4 Days Later!

On 21 December 2020, CHI Memorial followed up with a short video showing that she is alive and well, surrounded by her colleagues.

To prove that it was not filmed before her vaccination and alleged “death”, they held up banners that said, “Nursing Leadership Vaccinated Together, #CHIMemorialStrong” and the date “12-21-20“.

Fact #3 : People Found The Wrong Death Record

Conspiracy theorists and antivaxxers are parading online search results showing her death record.

Many searched Tiffany Dover in the wrong state, because they thought she was a nurse in Alabama. Is it any wonder she got the wrong death record?

Some even assumed that SearchQuarry lists only dead people. It’s actually a search engine for public records in the United States.

With such amazing keyboard investigators, who needs the FBI?

Fact #4 : Tiffany Dover Is Not A Unique Name

As unique as Tiffany Dover surely is as a person, her name isn’t unique.

In the entire US, there are currently 47 Tiffany Dovers, with nine of them in Tennessee. And no, they are NOT CLONES, as some people are alleging.

And they do not include Tiffany Dovers who have actually passed away years or even decades ago.

Fact #5 : People Are Not Obligated To Be Active On Social Media

Skeptics like Shannon Haas claim that she must be dead because “she hasn’t posted for 5 days” even though “she generally posts every 2-3 days“.

First of all, NO ONE is obligated to post anything on social media, much less maintain their activity level.

Secondly, a lack of updates does NOT mean she is dead. Some of us actually have lives, like a real social life outside of social media?

Let’s not forget that she’s a nurse manager in CHI Memorial, which is not only actively treating COVID-19 patients, they are also working to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

So is it really that surprising if she has been too busy to update your stalkers with her latest selfies?

But since you are so “concerned” about her well-being, here’s a photo of Tiffany Dover with her CHI Memorial colleagues on 21 December 2020 :

Fact #6 : Claims Of Reports Are Just Claims, Not Actual Evidence

People like Shannon Haas, Joe Leonard and Kitty Lynn are not true skeptics. They are just too damn lazy to go beyond making unverified claims on social media.

He claimed that there are “reports of death threats against her family for sharing the info” and “reports of censorship“.

But when a friend asked for links for those reports, he could only reply, “Not sure.” I kid you not.

Yet, he had no qualms claiming too that “debunkers are saying it is all false but are providing very little evidence“.

If you see claims like that, WITHOUT EVIDENCE, please treat it the same way you would if someone told you he/she can fly without wings.

With the utmost skepticism : Yeah, sure, bro… sure… preferably with a middle finger.

 

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Is First Woman To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Critical Condition?

Is Margaret Keenan, the first woman to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, in critical condition after developing an inflammation of the spinal cord?

Find out what happened, and what the facts really are!

 

Margaret Keenan : First Woman To Get COVID-19 Vaccine

On 8 December 2020, Margaret Keenan entered the history books as the first person in the world to receive a COVID-19 vaccine outside of clinical trials.

At 6:45 AM, a nurse injected her 90 year-old grandmother’s arm with the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine.

It was such a momentous occasion, her vial and syringe will join the Science Museum Group Collection in South Kensington, London. The Museum is planning to put the vial on display at the “Medicine: The Wellcome Galleries” in early 2021.

 

Is First Woman To Get COVID-19 Vaccine In Critical Condition?

Soon after, people began sharing claims that Margaret Keenan is in critical condition after receiving her COVID-19 vaccination. Here is one example :

Update- Now the first woman to recieve covid-19 vaccine in the UK is in critical condition. Margaret Keenan 90, was of the first to receive the covid-19 vaccine earlier yesterday, and now it would appear that Margaret appears to have inflammation of the spinal chord, which is causing extreme neurological symptoms, possibly encephalitis

People also shared a screenshot of an article that appears to confirm that Margaret Keenan was in critical condition after receiving her COVID-19 vaccination.

Note : We added the HOAX overlay to prevent the screenshot from being further abused.

 

Margaret Keenan NOT In Critical Condition After Receiving COVID-19 Vaccine

All those posts about Margaret Keenan being in critical condition after receiving her COVID-19 vaccine are FALSE.

Yes, including the screenshot of that article above… and here are the reasons why.

Fact #1 : There Were No Complications With Her COVID-19 Vaccine

Margaret Keenan stayed in the hospital overnight and headed home on 9 December 2020. She suffered no complications from her COVID-19 vaccine.

In fact, she called the experience a “whirlwind“, saying that she felt “great“, and described the vaccination as “the best early birthday present” as she would be celebrating her 91st birthday on 16 December.

She also urged “everybody to get their vaccine as and when they are asked to do so.

COVENTRY, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 9: Margaret Keenan, 90, the first patient in the United Kingdom to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech covid-19 vaccine, leaves University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire with grandson Conor (L) and daughter Sue (R), the day after receiving the first of two doses of the vaccine, on December 9, 2020 in Coventry, United Kingdom. The UK is the first country in the world to start vaccinating people with the Pfizer/BioNTech jab. (Photo by Jonny Weeks/The Guardian – Pool/Getty Images)

Fact #2 : The Article Is Fake

The screenshot of an article by Sam Weinberg is fake. There is no such article.

There is also no News and Engagement Editor called Sam Weinberg at any known publication.

If it at all exists, it is probably a page from one of the “satire” websites that create such fake stories for page views.

Fact #3 : The Transverse Myelitis Case Was For A Different Vaccine

While some (including the fake article) claimed that Margaret Keenan suffered from an inflammation of the spinal cord, others claimed she suffered from transverse myelitis.

It is likely that these Google University doctors confused the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine with the adenovirus vaccine by Oxford-AstraZeneca. They are two completely different vaccines, using different methods.

In fact, some of them shared links to an article about a UK woman suffering from transverse myelitis – an inflammation of the spinal cord – during the AstraZeneca Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine – AZD1222 – uses an adenovirus as a vector for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine – BNT162b2 – uses the new, and completely different mRNA technology to create the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

They are completely different vaccines…

 

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Fact Check : Is There Pork In OLDTOWN Curry Mee?

A video claiming that OLDTOWN White Coffee used pork in their curry mee has gone viral, leading to an official investigation by the authorities!

Find out what happened, and what the FACTS really are!

 

Viral Video : Pork In OLDTOWN Curry Mee?

In the video that went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp, a man accused OLDTOWN White Coffee of using pork in their curry mee.

He pokes at the red-coloured meat, and insists that they put in 5-6 slices of pork.

For our foreign readers who may not understand, pork is haram (forbidden) for Muslims.

 

KPDNHEP Investigates Claims Of Pork In OLDTOWN Curry Mee

The accusation is so serious in Malaysia, that the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) launched an investigation.

Five KPDNHEP Selangor officers inspected the OLDTOWN White Coffee restaurant in Subang Jaya on 13 November 2020, and took samples of the alleged pork used in their curry mee.

Note that this officer is holding a packet of BBQ Chicken, and pointing at its halal stamp.

 

The Truth : There Is NO Pork In OLDTOWN Curry Mee!

Here is the short verdict on the viral video. It’s a FALSE ACCUSATION, and there is NO PORK in OLDTOWN White Coffee’s curry mee.

This is yet another viral video that has been proven to be FALSE, and here are the reasons why…

Reason #1 : JAKIM + KPDNHEP Confirmed The Claim As FALSE

After investigating the claim, both JAKIM and KPDNHEP confirmed that the claim in the video is false.

The meat used was chicken, not pork, as alleged by the man in the video.

JAKIM also warned the public not to make baseless accusations, while OLDTOWN is consulting their lawyers to determine if they should take action against those who made the false accusation.

Reason #2 : Char Siu Is Not Always Pork

It is likely that the man in the video mistook the red-coloured meat as char siu – barbecued pork.

However, char siu versions of other meats like chicken, beef and venison are available for Muslims, and those who prefer not to eat pork.

After all, the char siu seasoning is made from honey, five-spice powder, red fermented bean curd, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce and red food colouring, and can be applied to most meats.

In fact, OLDTOWN White Coffee uses chicken char siu in their curry mee, which is clearly visible in their product shot :

Reason #3 : OLDTOWN White Coffee Is Halal-Certified

OLDTOWN White Coffee is a chain of halal-certified restaurants. That means they have to abide by these rules :

  1. Equipment used shall be free from najs, does not contain any hazardous materials and results in side effects to the products produced;
  2. Appliances / brushes from animal hair are not allowed;
  3. The arrangement of equipments and goods in the factory shall be neat, tidy and safe;
  4. Workers are not allowed to live in the premise compound. If it is necessary, living quarters for the workers shall be:
    a. having separate entrance to the premise compound;
    b. no direct passage way from the worker’s living quarters to the premise compound; and
    c. there is a control mechanism on the movement in and out of workers.
  5. Non-halal food/ beverages are not allowed to be brought into the premise compound;
  6. The premise shall have an effective control system from premises that process/ prepare non-halal materials;
  7. All central kitchens and outlets for chain restaurants/ franchise/ food court shall apply for halal certification; and
  8. Liquor and materials sourced from liquor is strictly prohibited to be in the halal kitchen and hotel including the storage area.

While it is not necessary for Muslims to eat only from halal-certified restaurants, a valid Halal certificate means they undergo periodic inspections to ensure they follow the rules.

Reason #4 : Chicken Is Much CHEAPER Than Pork

One of our reader, Johari Jeffrey, points out that chicken is much cheaper than pork.

So it wouldn’t make sense for any business to substitute chicken for a more expensive meat like pork.

 

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