Scam rampant, become a ‘scamdemic', with victims being forced to commit online crimes also believed to have set up scam centres in Malaysia

Cause for concern: The actual number of Malay­sians who have fallen victim to job scams is unknown, although the Malaysian International Huma­nitarian Organisation, an NGO that assists in rescuing Malaysians from such scams, claims that there are at least 1,000 Malaysians in Myanmar alone.© Provided by The Star OnlineMalaysia is  experiencing a “scamdemic” with victims being forced to commit online crimes under the threat of violence. International syndicates are also believed to have set up scam centres in Malaysia, saye a United Nations report following recent findings from a survey carried out by a group of academics on Malaysians’ awareness of the matter.

PETALING JAYA: Not only is Malaysia suffering from a “scamdemic” with citizens continuing to fall victim to job scams, but the country is also believed to be the location of scam centres with international syndicates having set up operations here, according to a United Nations report.

Coined by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) after the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, the term “scamdemic” has gained traction as scam cases surge, particularly in countries like Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos.

In its latest policy brief, UNODC says international NGOs have identified over 40 nationalities of trafficking victims in scam parks in South-East Asia, including Malaysians.

These scam parks, a gathering of criminal organisations specialising in financial fraud and human trafficking, are known to deploy operatives who excel at running job scams, among others.

ALSO READ : ‘Greed and risky mindset lead to more victims’

While there is no accurate data on the number of victims trafficked for forced criminality, it is estimated that between 10,000 and 100,000 predominantly young men and women from Asia had been trafficked and forced to commit online scams and fraud, says the report.

The actual number of Malaysians who have fallen victim to job scams is unknown, although the Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation, an NGO that assists in rescuing Malaysians from such scams, claims that there are at least 1,000 Malaysians in Myanmar alone.

At the recent parliament sitting, Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin said 518 Malaysian victims of job scam syndicates had been rescued as of Nov 3, and that the ministry is identifying another 26 in Laukkaing, Myanmar.

In the same policy brief, UNODC also suggests that scam parks exist in Malaysia, following reports from trafficking victims who had escaped over the last three years. However, the report does not provide details on the existence of the scam parks.

“Since early 2021, an increasing number of stories started to emerge of trafficking victims escaping from scam compounds in countries such as Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar and even Malaysia,” says the report.

UNODC says concerns over citizens being trafficked and severely mistreated, primarily in scam compounds in the Golden Triangle (the area in which the borders of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet), were also expressed to the body and other UN agencies by several governments in the region.

UNODC says the victims related similar stories of how they were lured by lucrative job offers, only to find themselves forced into modern-day slavery to work as scammers themselves. They tend to be working in casino complexes or highly guarded buildings.

“After travelling to or within the destination country, they were confined to large casino or hotel complexes, or other secure buildings tailored to harbour or confine victims, where they were forced, for up to 15 hours a day, to conduct online scams.

“These online scams and fraud, committed primarily by trafficked persons under duress, have defrauded thousands of scam victims around the world of, on average, US$169,000 per victim,” says the report.

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies chairman Dr Chin Yee Mun said it can be concluded that Malaysia is indeed experiencing a “scamdemic” following recent findings from a survey carried out by a group of academics on Malaysians’ awareness of the matter.

“Firstly, our survey shows that nearly 40% of the respondents have encountered scams, and about the same percentage have someone in their social circle who had undergone similar experiences,” he said.

“Secondly, we have similar experience or have someone in our social circle who encountered scammers or has been scammed.”

Universiti Teknologi Mara Perlis’ Dr Azhar Abdul Rahman said that although the number of Malaysians who remain trapped in scam parks is uncertain, there may be many more, judging from the continuous reports of rescued victims.

“These scammers are always prepared with their plans to entice the gullible with (jobs that offer) easy access to wealth,” said Azhar, who was part of the team that carried out the survey.

But Malaysians are not new to experiencing job scams, said crime analyst Kamal Affandi Hashim.

“Malaysia has long been suffering from this ‘scamdemic’. And Malaysia is not alone as the whole world is facing this problem.

“The only difference now is that this matter is being put under the spotlight. The scammers are also technologically savvy and sophisticated in reaching out to potential victims,” he said.

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The map shows locations of known or raided scam parks, including illegal casinos, in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar as reported by regional law enforcement authorities as of June 2023.

THEY arrive at an exotic, foreign land with hope for a new life or new love.

But what they get is despair, and some even death, as they are locked up, tortured and forced into a life of cybercrime.

This is what happened to an estimated 10,000 to 100,000 predominantly young men and women who have been conned and held captive in the “scam parks” of South-East Asia, where they are forced to commit online scams and fraud, says the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC).

Calling it a “scamdemic”, UNDOC highlights in its report, Casinos, cyber fraud, and trafficking in persons for forced criminality in South-East Asia, that the huge scamming “industry” has swept across the region in the wake of Covid-19.

According to the report which was released in September, the scam parks – also known as fraud factories – are run by transnational organised crime syndicates taking advantage of the existing casino and Special Economic Zone (SEZ) infrastructure in the Golden Triangle area, namely in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand.

These syndicates are believed to be gangs from mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, who due to the pandemic, were forced to close down or move their illicit operations, especially illegal casinos, to less regulated spaces such as conflict-affected border areas and the SEZ, as well as to the increasingly lucrative online space.

Covid-19 had also created the perfect conditions for this scamdemic to flourish with its “toxic combination” of unemployment, lockdown isolation, and increased social media use, says UNDOC.

With millions of migrant and expatriate workers stranded during the Covid-19 lockdowns, while thousands of millions others were confined at home, the pool of easy targets for job scams and other online fraud schemes only grew. Then as the region reopened in 2021, traffickers took advantage of those who had lost their jobs because of the pandemic and were desperate for work.

ALSO READ: Myanmar fraud-gang leaders arrested, chief criminal commits suicide

UNDOC says these organised crime groups have developed and implemented a sophisticated plan to scam people, utilising the latest artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including face swapping and voice replication to bypass banking security systems.

The scam park trafficking crime is also growing into a global problem as victims come not only from across the Asean region, East Asia and South Asia, but also further afield from Africa and Latin America.

The trafficked victims in turn are forced to scam thousands worldwide, very often their own countrymen. It is estimated that these online scams have defrauded thousands worldwide of an average US$169,000 (RM789,801) per victim.

According to another UN agency, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), these scam parks are also seeing a new type of victims.

An OHCHR report published in August says that while trafficking cases in South-East Asia used to involve mostly victims who had lower educational qualifications and worked in low-wage jobs, the latest findings show the trend now includes those who are well-educated – many previously held professional jobs and have graduate or postgraduate degrees.

Most are also IT-savvy and multilingual, fluent especially in English. (This is so they can trick scam victims more effectively, the report says.)

Many ensnared are also from supposedly more developed nations in the region such as Singapore and Taiwan.

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'CLICK TO ENLARGE'

OHCHR adds that while most of the trafficking victims are men, there are also women and young persons.

Luring them with the promise of stable jobs overseas, the traffickers arrange for the unknowing victims to travel to countries like Thailand and Myanmar, before smuggling them across the borders to Laos and Cambodia.

They are then taken to scam parks, which are secure buildings tailored to confine victims and operate these online scams, including large casinos and hotel complexes.

Once inside the scam parks, some of which are fenced with barbed wire, the victims’ passports are confiscated, and they are forced to work as scammers for up to 15 hours or more a day.

Those who try to escape are often beaten before being forced back to work.

There have been reports of trafficking victims being sold and moved from one scam park to another.

While thousands of victims have escaped, been rescued, and returned to their home country, say the UN agencies, overall, the problem is not abating, with new scam compounds being built and existing scam compounds expanding in size and geographical scope.

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Don’t put your health at risk

Stay vigilant: A person looking at possibly fake supplements on an ecommerce platform. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

\ Fake health supplements slip through on ecommerce platforms

PETALING JAYA: Don’t jump for joy if your usual supplements are being sold at knockdown prices on ecommerce websites, because they could be fake or counterfeits that could pose a health risk.

A check on these ecommerce websites revealed that many commonly used supplements are being sold at dirt-cheap prices of up to 70% cheaper by overseas sellers.

The “bogus” supplements bear the real brands and existing labels from the United States, United Kingdom or Australia, which are not that common in Malaysian .

ALSO READ: Suspicious supplements have consumers on high alert

They include popularly consumed supplements like multivitamins and those for joint health, heart health, anti-inflammatory, anti-ageing, antioxidants, probiotics and enzymes.

Buyers are, however, unable to view or verify where these sellers are based.

From the parcel delivery label and information, the products seem to have come from overseas with the parcels delivered through a shipping and consolidating company based in Selangor.

ALSO READ: ‘Ecommerce sites should be held accountable’

While many Malaysians have purchased these products from such sellers, some noticed differences between the original product in terms of product label, design and packaging, and the actual supplement’s look, form and smell.

Malaysian Community Pharmacy Guild (MCPG) Kuala Lumpur and Selangor chairman Rachel Gan said the cheap pricing does not “make sense.”

“It’s quite impossible for these supplements to go so cheap,” she said in an interview.

Questioning the content of such products, she said they could be made with powders used as “filler.”

“But the concern is that they could be made of something else that is unknown and which could damage your kidneys or liver in the long run,” said Gan.

MCPG president Foon Hwei Foong said these products could have been adulterated with unknown substances that could be dangerous to a person’s health. 

 Finding out what these substances are poses another challenge as it is costly to do so, said Gan, adding that consumers who suspect something amiss could send the supplement to a lab to test its ingredients.

“It may cost a few thousand ringgit. That’s why consumers usually don’t bother and just throw the products away since they spent so little to buy them in the first place,” she said.

She added that consumers were likely to only take action when their health is affected.

Despite existing laws and controls to ensure the safety of medicines and supplements in the market, Gan said the emergence of online sellers poses a challenge.

“Any sellers, either from Malaysia or overseas, are allowed to sell online, offering all kinds of unregistered products.

“It could be any overseas brand and the products can pass through Customs checks and reach Malaysian consumers.an let it go through.

“This sounds scary as any supplement can come into Malaysia without being regulated. Online platforms also do not control who can sell what, and they don’t filter what products are on their platforms,” she said.

Gan said a concerted effort from several ministries and agencies is needed for greater enforcement to stop fake supplements from reaching consumers.

For example, she said the Health Ministry can tighten its rules and enforcement through the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA), while the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) can require ecommerce platforms to filter their sellers and products, requiring them to have authorisation letters from the concerned brands or the Customs Department.

“The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry could also play its part in creating awareness among online consumers,” she said.

Gan noted that the NPRA required all medicines, cosmetics and supplement products sold in the Malaysian market to be registered with the Health Ministry.

“The registered products will have a hologram sticker on the item and a registration number beginning with MAL issued by the Health Ministry.

“Consumers can run a check on the hologram by using the FarmaChecker app,” she added.

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Drying planet: A villager protecting himself from the sun as he walks over parched land on the outs 

kirts of Bhubaneswar, India. The Earth is warmer now than it has been in 125,000 years. — AP

Paying for the 'sins' of politicians

Containing China through an economic war is a terrible and naïve idea: Jeffrey Sachs

Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

Editor's Note:

The 30th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is underway in San Francisco. Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden will meet during the event, which has already attracted great attention from worldwide. Will it become a turning point of the China-US relationship? How will the US' sanctions on Chinese companies affect the sentiment at the summit? Jeffrey Sachs (Sachs), a world-renowned American economist, shared his insights on these questions. In an exclusive interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Wang Zixuan, Sachs explained why he is confident in China's economy, and stressed that the US foreign policy toward China in recent years has been ineffective, misguided and crisis-provoking.

GT: The San Francisco summit has been regarded as a chance to ease China-US tensions. How do you think this summit may affect the China-US relationship?

Sachs: The Biden administration may be looking for an easing of tensions at this stage, since the US situation is not good. The US now is enmeshed in two dangerous and costly wars, in Ukraine and in Gaza. In neither situation is the US ally (Ukraine, Israel) in good shape. The US itself is deeply divided politically, and is entering the frenetic period of an election year. The president is unpopular. All of this means that both foreign and domestic tensions are very high, so the US may therefore choose to ease the China-US tensions. This would be highly desirable, as the US foreign policy toward China in recent years has been negative, ineffective, misguided and crisis-provoking.

GT: The US has imposed sanctions on a number of Chinese companies several weeks before the summit. Some are concerned that the summit may be tainted with political sentiments. What's your take?

Sachs:: The US should agree with China to end this pattern of unilateral sanctions, and to negotiate the withdrawal of these sanctions. In my view, the US trade and technology policies have been self-defeating, unsuccessful, and very often in violation of WTO principles. The US should agree with China that major bilateral trade, technology and financial measures will be negotiated in the future, and in compliance with international rules, rather than imposed unilaterally without prior negotiation or consultation, and in violation of WTO standards.

GT: In your recent article, you mentioned that "Western press is filled with China's supposed misdeeds... Yet much of the slowdown is the result of US measures that aim to slow China's growth." Why are you confident in China's economy? Why did you say the policy of containing China will backfire on the US? 

 Sachs: China is not in a "middle-income trap," as is widely portrayed in the Western media. The whole idea is ridiculous in my view. A middle-income trap is caused by a failure of a country to climb the technology ladder, as in many Latin American countries in past decades. By contrast, China is making huge advances in 21st-century technologies, and China is a high-quality, low-cost global producer of many of the key cutting-edge technologies, such as 5G, fast rail, large hydropower, long-distance power transmission, photovoltaics, electric vehicles, advanced computers, to name a few. 

 GT: Some have said that the US economy has been impeded by political dysfunction, and the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) didn't perform well. However, many countries have recognized the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative as a success. What is the fundamental reason for this situation? What's the key to achieving a win-win result for both China and the US?

Sachs: China is a high-saving country with a successful record of modern infrastructure investment, including thousands of kilometers of fast inter-city rail, 5G, long-distance power transmission, among others. The BRI aims to make these technologies available to China's trade partners, which is a win-win proposition. The US is a low-saving country which has not modernized much of its infrastructure in decades, for example, there is no fast rail, and EVs constitute a small proportion of new car sales. Also, the US political system is not very much interested in the low-income developing countries, whereas China is. And it also has practical experience and technologies to share with them. The US and EU should aim to cooperate with the BRI, for example in ASEAN countries and in Africa.

GT: APEC is an important organization for multilateral economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. Under the intensifying tensions, what positive role will the APEC meeting play in the economy and development of the Asia-Pacific region?

Sachs: If China and the US announce a return to cooperation, not only APEC countries but the entire world will breathe a huge sigh of relief. The US has caused these tensions with the idea of engaging in an economic war to "contain" China. This was a terrible and naïve idea. I hope that the US is ready to drop it, but this is clearly unlikely. There are still many US politicians that have a naïve, poorly informed anti-China attitude. Biden should now use the APEC meeting to end the dangerous and misguided US policies of recent years.

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China-US San Francisco summit concludes, agreeing on enhancing cooperation on AI and resuming military communication

China-US San Francisco summit concludes, agreeing on enhancing cooperation on AI and resuming military communication

President Xi (L) meets with President Biden at Filoli Estate in San Francisco, November 15, 2023. /Xinhua

Live updates: China-U.S. summit meeting in San Francisco

https://twitter.com/i/status/1725024393179668621

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with US President Joe Biden for a summit at the Filoli estate in the south of San Francisco on Wednesday local time. The two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on strategic, overarching, and directional issues concerning China-US relations, as well as major issues concerning world peace and development.

The two sides agreed to promote and strengthen dialogue and cooperation in various fields, including establishing an intergovernmental dialogue on artificial intelligence, setting up a China-US drug control cooperation working group to carry out anti-drug cooperation, resuming high-level military-to-military communication, China-US defense department working meetings, China-US military maritime security consultation mechanism meetings based on equality and respect, and conducting China-US military regional leaders' conversations.

They also agreed to significantly increase flights early next year, expanding exchanges in education, international students, youth, culture, sports, and business circles, among others.

The meeting began around 11 am on Wednesday and concluded at 1:35 pm local time, lasting for approximately two hours, according to media reports.

Following opening remarks, several sessions, and a working lunch, the two leaders closed out with a walk around the historic estate south of San Francisco, as reported by CNN.

During the meeting, Xi pointed out that the world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, and China and the US have two choices: one is to strengthen unity and cooperation, join hands to meet global challenges, and promote world security and prosperity. The other is to hold a zero-sum mindset, provoke bloc confrontation, and let the world head toward turmoil and division.

These two choices represent two different directions and will determine the future of humanity and the planet. As the most important bilateral relationship in the world, China-US relations should be considered and planned against this grand backdrop, he said.

China and the US cannot turn back against each other and it is unrealistic to try to change the other, and the consequences of conflict and confrontation are unbearable for anyone, Xi stressed. "Great power competition will not solve the problems China, the US, and the world face. This planet is big enough for both China and the US. The success of each is an opportunity for the other."

Xi pointed out that China's development follows its own logic and rules, and China is advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through modernization in its own unique style.

China does not follow the old path of colonial plunder or engage in ideological confrontation with any country. It does not export ideology either. Xi emphasized that China has no plans to surpass or replace the US, and the US should not attempt to suppress or contain China.

President Xi also highlighted the importance of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, which are lessons learned from the 50-year history of China-US relations and historical conflicts between great powers. These principles should guide joint efforts by China and the US.

As long as both sides adhere to mutual respect, peaceful coexistence, and win-win cooperation, it is entirely possible to transcend differences and find the correct way for two major countries to coexist, Xi said.

At last year's Bali meeting, the US side stated that it does not seek to change China's system, does not seek a "new Cold War," does not seek to oppose China by strengthening alliances, does not support "Taiwan independence," and has no intention of having conflict with China. At this San Francisco meeting, China and the US should have a new vision, Xi said, working together to solidify the five pillars of China-US relations, including establishing correct mutual recognition, managing differences effectively, jointly promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shouldering big-power responsibilities and promoting cultural exchanges.

On the Taiwan question, Xi emphasized that it remains the most important and sensitive issue in China-US relations, and China values the positive statements made by the US side during the Bali meeting.

The US should implement its stance of not supporting "Taiwan independence" into concrete actions, stop arming Taiwan, and support China's peaceful reunification, according to the Chinese president.

He also highlighted that the US' continuous implementation of export control measures, investment reviews, and unilateral sanctions have severely harmed China's legitimate interests.

Suppressing China's technology aims to contain its high-quality development and deprive the Chinese people of their right to development. Xi emphasized that China's growth follows its own internal logic, which cannot be halted by external forces. China hopes that the US will take its concerns seriously, take appropriate action, lift unilateral sanctions, and provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory environment for Chinese enterprises.

Biden told reporters during the walk that the talks were going "well" and added on social media that "real progress" was made, according to media reports.

The two heads of state stressed the importance of China and the US accelerating efforts to address the climate crisis during this critical decade. They welcomed the recent positive discussions between the two countries' climate envoys, including domestic emissions reduction actions in the 2020s. They also expressed their joint commitment to promoting the success of the UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai (COP28) and announced the launch of the China-US Enhancing Climate Action in 2020s working group to accelerate specific climate actions.

Some experts believe that during this highly-anticipated meeting, the Chinese leader has further clarified China's stance on China-US relations, expressing hope that the US side can fundamentally adopt a correct and responsible attitude, rather than merely making tactical adjustments.

"This continues the tone set in Bali. Looking forward, it will be important to see whether the US can truly achieve a correct understanding," said Diao Daming, an associate professor at the Renmin University of China in Beijing, in an interview with the Global Times on Wednesday.

Diao added that if the US can adjust its understanding and truly adopt a responsible perspective, recognizing each other's positions, effectively managing differences, and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, it will further stabilize the relations between the two countries.

From the latest China-US summit, we can see that the expectations of both sides are beginning to align, Sun Taiyi, assistant professor of Political Science at Christopher Newport University, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Neither Washington nor Beijing harbor any illusion of a rapid breakthrough or significant improvement in relations. The leaders of both countries, each for their own reasons, also see the benefits of restraining tensions at the current level to prevent further deterioration, Sun said.

Maintaining multi-channel and multi-level communication to construct guardrails for the bilateral relationship may be the most crucial measure required, the expert noted.

On one hand, the summit may be the last opportunity for Biden to meet with Chinese leader face-to-face during the US President's current term. On the other hand, US elections will inevitably be accompanied by politicians' various accusations and denigrating remarks about China. Some incumbents may also propose tough bills on China to sway voters, Sun noted.

"Therefore, it will be essential to continue exploring cooperation in limited fields, activate the various working groups and communication channels that are already in place, and seek common ground while reserving differences in controversial areas," he said.

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China does not follow the old path of colonial plunder, nor does it take the crooked path of might makes right. It does not export ideology, nor does it engage in ideological confrontation with any country. #China has no plans to surpass or deplace the #US, and the US should not intend to suppress or contain China: President Xi told Biden during the meeting in San Francisco

NNNOTES

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