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- wong chee tat :)
Showing posts with label Love In A Cab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love In A Cab. Show all posts
Friday, June 17, 2016
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Scams exploiting infocomm tech on the rise in Singapore: Police
Scams exploiting infocomm tech on the rise in Singapore: Police
From January to April this year, authorities received at least 190 reports of internet love scams involving approximately S$7.5 million, almost matching the 198 cases involving S$8.8 million for the whole of 2014.
By Loke Kok Fai
Posted 15 Jun 2016 00:20 Updated 15 Jun 2016 23:30
SINGAPORE: The 19-year-old man entered a 7-Eleven store along Yishun Avenue 5 around 2am, wanting to buy an iTunes gift card.
But when Rosida Arshad saw that he was already holding a gift card worth about S$100 in his hands, the quick-thinking sales assistant decided to caution him that the card was non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
She also showed him an information card given by the police that explained a common scam - an attractive lady on social networking app WeChat approaches and convinces victims to buy and transfer online credit from gift cards, for the promise of a date or sexual services which never materialise.
"Once he saw it, he said: 'I've been scammed'," said 47-year-old Madam Rosida.
FRAUDSTERS USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROFILE VICTIMS: POLICE
Police said that the number of such scams, which exploit infocomm technologies, has surged in Singapore since the start of the year and are involving increasingly large sums of money.
Police Superintendent Chew Jingwei, who heads the Commercial Affairs Department's Syndicated Fraud Branch, said fraudsters have been able to exploit the cloak of anonymity afforded by the internet and the increasing popularity of social media platforms in Singapore to reach across borders "within seconds".
"Today's internet users share quite a bit of their social lives and personal information on social media platforms, so it's easy for fraudsters in certain scams to target who exactly they want as victims by doing a bit of profiling on the internet," said Supt Chew. "For example in credit-for-sex scams, we see that the victims are all men who are looking for female friends on Chinese-based social media platforms."
While he said the police will continue to intensify public education efforts to increase awareness of such scams, they appear to face an uphill task.
Despite police community engagement efforts in the Yishun North neighbourhood since September 2015, Madam Rosida said more are falling victim to scams. She told Channel NewsAsia that what used to be a single customer demanding a refund for purchasing gift cards every two or three weeks has slowly grown to one or two customers every one or two weeks.
"I show them the poster and tell them ‘no refund or exchanges’. I ask them to read - I don't know whether they read it or not, but they just look at the poster and insist on buying," she said.
These customers often return after half an hour trying to insist on refunds or exchanges. When they are rejected, Madam Rosida often spots them pacing outside the shop and talking on the phone.
"Then I know that this guy has been scammed," she said.
Police said 200 cases of credit-for-sex scams have been reported from January to April this year, involving at least S$422,200 in total. These figures surpass the 66 cases involving S$118,000 reported for the whole of 2014.
In the same time period this year, authorities received at least 190 reports of internet love scams involving approximately S$7.5 million, almost matching the 198 cases involving S$8.8 million for the whole of 2014.
Most victims of such scams are women aged between 30 and 59, and holding professional jobs. They are approached on social media platforms such as Facebook, Meetup.com and Skout, and form relationships with online "lovers", who then feign financial difficulties and ask for money.
Internet love scams such as these cheated victims of the greatest amount of money in the first four months of this year out of the scams involving infocomm technologies, followed by scams involving fraudsters impersonating authorities from China or Singapore who tell victims that parcels containing illegal items have been shipped in their name.
Using convincing methods such as spoofed local phone numbers and addresses for the appearance of greater authenticity, the impersonators trick victims into transferring funds into foreign bank accounts or into disclosing personal information to "settle the case". To date, more than 50 such scams have been reported, involving around S$4 million.
Impersonation scams and internet love scams account for the top 10 largest single cheating cases in the first four months of the year, with an impersonation scam claiming the highest amount lost by a victim in a single case this year - S$2.3 million.
- CNA/mz
- wong chee tat :)
From January to April this year, authorities received at least 190 reports of internet love scams involving approximately S$7.5 million, almost matching the 198 cases involving S$8.8 million for the whole of 2014.
By Loke Kok Fai
Posted 15 Jun 2016 00:20 Updated 15 Jun 2016 23:30
SINGAPORE: The 19-year-old man entered a 7-Eleven store along Yishun Avenue 5 around 2am, wanting to buy an iTunes gift card.
But when Rosida Arshad saw that he was already holding a gift card worth about S$100 in his hands, the quick-thinking sales assistant decided to caution him that the card was non-refundable and non-exchangeable.
She also showed him an information card given by the police that explained a common scam - an attractive lady on social networking app WeChat approaches and convinces victims to buy and transfer online credit from gift cards, for the promise of a date or sexual services which never materialise.
"Once he saw it, he said: 'I've been scammed'," said 47-year-old Madam Rosida.
FRAUDSTERS USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO PROFILE VICTIMS: POLICE
Police said that the number of such scams, which exploit infocomm technologies, has surged in Singapore since the start of the year and are involving increasingly large sums of money.
Police Superintendent Chew Jingwei, who heads the Commercial Affairs Department's Syndicated Fraud Branch, said fraudsters have been able to exploit the cloak of anonymity afforded by the internet and the increasing popularity of social media platforms in Singapore to reach across borders "within seconds".
"Today's internet users share quite a bit of their social lives and personal information on social media platforms, so it's easy for fraudsters in certain scams to target who exactly they want as victims by doing a bit of profiling on the internet," said Supt Chew. "For example in credit-for-sex scams, we see that the victims are all men who are looking for female friends on Chinese-based social media platforms."
While he said the police will continue to intensify public education efforts to increase awareness of such scams, they appear to face an uphill task.
Despite police community engagement efforts in the Yishun North neighbourhood since September 2015, Madam Rosida said more are falling victim to scams. She told Channel NewsAsia that what used to be a single customer demanding a refund for purchasing gift cards every two or three weeks has slowly grown to one or two customers every one or two weeks.
"I show them the poster and tell them ‘no refund or exchanges’. I ask them to read - I don't know whether they read it or not, but they just look at the poster and insist on buying," she said.
These customers often return after half an hour trying to insist on refunds or exchanges. When they are rejected, Madam Rosida often spots them pacing outside the shop and talking on the phone.
"Then I know that this guy has been scammed," she said.
Police said 200 cases of credit-for-sex scams have been reported from January to April this year, involving at least S$422,200 in total. These figures surpass the 66 cases involving S$118,000 reported for the whole of 2014.
In the same time period this year, authorities received at least 190 reports of internet love scams involving approximately S$7.5 million, almost matching the 198 cases involving S$8.8 million for the whole of 2014.
Most victims of such scams are women aged between 30 and 59, and holding professional jobs. They are approached on social media platforms such as Facebook, Meetup.com and Skout, and form relationships with online "lovers", who then feign financial difficulties and ask for money.
Internet love scams such as these cheated victims of the greatest amount of money in the first four months of this year out of the scams involving infocomm technologies, followed by scams involving fraudsters impersonating authorities from China or Singapore who tell victims that parcels containing illegal items have been shipped in their name.
Using convincing methods such as spoofed local phone numbers and addresses for the appearance of greater authenticity, the impersonators trick victims into transferring funds into foreign bank accounts or into disclosing personal information to "settle the case". To date, more than 50 such scams have been reported, involving around S$4 million.
Impersonation scams and internet love scams account for the top 10 largest single cheating cases in the first four months of the year, with an impersonation scam claiming the highest amount lost by a victim in a single case this year - S$2.3 million.
- CNA/mz
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Nearly 14,700 foreign spouses on long-term visit passes in Singapore
Nearly 14,700 foreign spouses on long-term visit passes in Singapore
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean gave this update, after NCMP Gerald Giam asked in Parliament how many foreign spouses of Singapore citizens have social visit passes, Long Term Visit Passes and an immigration status.
SINGAPORE: As of Dec 31, 2014, there were 14,694 foreign spouses in Singapore on a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or a Long Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+).
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean gave this update in written parliamentary reply on Thursday (Jan 29) to a query from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Gerald Giam. Mr Giam had asked about the number of foreign spouses who have social visit passes, LTVP and an immigration status which makes them ineligible to work in Singapore.
Mr Teo, who is also the Home Affairs Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, said details on the number of foreign spouses who enter Singapore as social visitors is not available. He said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority does not track this statistic.
- CNA/xk
- wong chee tat :)
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean gave this update, after NCMP Gerald Giam asked in Parliament how many foreign spouses of Singapore citizens have social visit passes, Long Term Visit Passes and an immigration status.
SINGAPORE: As of Dec 31, 2014, there were 14,694 foreign spouses in Singapore on a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or a Long Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+).
Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean gave this update in written parliamentary reply on Thursday (Jan 29) to a query from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Gerald Giam. Mr Giam had asked about the number of foreign spouses who have social visit passes, LTVP and an immigration status which makes them ineligible to work in Singapore.
Mr Teo, who is also the Home Affairs Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security, said details on the number of foreign spouses who enter Singapore as social visitors is not available. He said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority does not track this statistic.
- CNA/xk
- wong chee tat :)
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
No Visa transactions for ComfortDelGro cabs from July 15
No Visa transactions for ComfortDelGro cabs from July 15
POSTED: 10 Jul 2013 9:16 AM
From July 15, commuters will no longer be able to use their Visa cards to pay for rides in ComfortDelGro taxis.
SINGAPORE: From July 15, commuters will no longer be able to use their Visa cards to pay for rides in ComfortDelGro taxis.
In an email to its cabbies, the taxi operator said it was informed by Visa that it can no longer charge an administrative fee.
Those who use credit and debit cards now pay 10 per cent extra, excluding goods and services tax. This, however, is a breach of contract terms, said Visa, which issued an ultimatum to Singapore's largest taxi operator to stop the surcharge, saying it would pull out otherwise.
ComfortDelGro told its cabbies that the fee is needed to invest in and maintain payment terminals and systems, as well as to pay bank fees and telco charges. The fee is also meant as compensation for drivers before they receive bank payments on the next working day.
The operator said it will replace the fleet's cashless window decal in the coming weeks and a placard will be issued to inform passengers of the changes. Visa had previously said only one per cent of rides in the operator's taxis are paid for with its cards.
-TODAY/fa
- wong chee tat :)
POSTED: 10 Jul 2013 9:16 AM
From July 15, commuters will no longer be able to use their Visa cards to pay for rides in ComfortDelGro taxis.
SINGAPORE: From July 15, commuters will no longer be able to use their Visa cards to pay for rides in ComfortDelGro taxis.
In an email to its cabbies, the taxi operator said it was informed by Visa that it can no longer charge an administrative fee.
Those who use credit and debit cards now pay 10 per cent extra, excluding goods and services tax. This, however, is a breach of contract terms, said Visa, which issued an ultimatum to Singapore's largest taxi operator to stop the surcharge, saying it would pull out otherwise.
ComfortDelGro told its cabbies that the fee is needed to invest in and maintain payment terminals and systems, as well as to pay bank fees and telco charges. The fee is also meant as compensation for drivers before they receive bank payments on the next working day.
The operator said it will replace the fleet's cashless window decal in the coming weeks and a placard will be issued to inform passengers of the changes. Visa had previously said only one per cent of rides in the operator's taxis are paid for with its cards.
-TODAY/fa
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Friday, November 23, 2012
LTA sets operating requirements for taxi companies
LTA sets operating requirements for taxi companies
By Dylan Loh | Posted: 23 November 2012 1137 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has set minimum standards for taxi availability.
From January 2013, 70 per cent of all taxis, per cab company, will have to reach a minimum daily mileage of 250 kilometres.
This translates to around eight to nine hours on the road per day, five days a week.
Cab companies will also need to ensure that 70 per cent of their entire fleet are on the roads during the morning and evening peak periods.
Based on these indicators, authorities will evaluate if taxi firms are allowed to grow their fleet.
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
By Dylan Loh | Posted: 23 November 2012 1137 hrs
SINGAPORE: Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA) has set minimum standards for taxi availability.
From January 2013, 70 per cent of all taxis, per cab company, will have to reach a minimum daily mileage of 250 kilometres.
This translates to around eight to nine hours on the road per day, five days a week.
Cab companies will also need to ensure that 70 per cent of their entire fleet are on the roads during the morning and evening peak periods.
Based on these indicators, authorities will evaluate if taxi firms are allowed to grow their fleet.
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Sunday, December 12, 2010
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