Synopsis: This is a new podcast by The Straits Times to raise greater public awareness of the modern scourge of scams in Singapore and globally. In Singapore, nearly $1 billion has been lost by scam victims since 2016. Mutating and spreading, different types of scams have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, from love to work. The police are cracking down on offenders. What can you do to protect yourself? In this episode, ST's deputy news editor Andre Yeo and journalist Jessie Lim speak with JC (not his real name), 20, who fell victim to a love and gaming scam in March 2021. He is a graphic design student waiting to enlist in national service. Joining them are Ms Lauren Yeo, principal counsellor of Restart Counselling for Wellness and Dr Annabelle Chow, principal clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology. Highlights (click/tap above): 01:13 How JC lost $2,100 to a love and gaming scam in March 2021 09:04 Ms Yeo on how a girl, 15, cheated five people in a gift card scam 10:39 Dr Chow on why scam victims find it difficult to come forward; detecting when elderly try to hide their shame at being scammed 19:53 How children can avoid being scammed 23:10 Impact of scams on victims’ self-esteem, work performance; advice on how to tell parents if children fall victim to a scam 34:14 Why young children are more susceptible to scams than adults Listen to earlier Stop Scams podcasts: https://str.sg/wnBi Ep 1 - Near impossible to recover your money once scammers transfer it out of Singapore Ep 2 - How scammers are buying bank accounts and digital identities of youth for misuse Produced by: Andre Yeo ([email protected]), Jessie Lim ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai Edited by: Teo Tong Kai Read ST's Stop Scams articles: https://str.sg/wWt9 • Anti-Scam Hotline: 1800-722-6688 (9am - 5pm); https://www.scamalert.sg/ • National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868 (8am - 12am); https://ccs.org.sg/nch/ Public can join these police schemes: Community Watch Scheme: https://go.gov.sg/spf-cws Crime Prevention Ambassadors: https://www.ncpc.org.sg/cpas.html Citizens on Patrol: https://go.gov.sg/citizensonpatrol Follow ST's Stop Scams podcast series here: Stop Scams Playlist: https://str.sg/wnBi Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wnB5 Spotify: https://str.sg/wnBS SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Websites: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: [email protected]  Andre Yeo's articles: https://str.sg/wWtC Jessie Lim's articles: https://str.sg/wWtF --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: This is a new podcast by The Straits Times to raise greater public awareness of the modern scourge of scams in Singapore and globally. In Singapore, nearly $1 billion has been lost by scam victims since 2016. Mutating and spreading, different types of scams have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, from love to work. The police are cracking down on offenders. What can you do to protect yourself? In this episode, ST's deputy news editor Andre Yeo and journalist Jessie Lim speak with Superintendent of Police Michelle Tay, the head of the Anti-Scam Centre, launched in 2019. Their job is to disrupt the scammers’ operations and help victims to try to recover their money.  Highlights (click/tap above): 02:15 Step-by-step guide: What to do if you're a scam victim, and what the police do when liaising with banks and fintech institutions 04:10 Why is it so hard to recover scam victims' monies once the funds are transferred out of Singapore? 05:15 What is the Community Watch Scheme and the new e-commerce Transaction Safety rating?  07:00 What are the new scam tactics emerging in 2022? More on the pig-butchering scam which combines tactics used in love and investment scams 09:33 How scammers are targeting youths, offering up to $2,000 to buy their digital identity credentials, and why this is an offence for teenagers involved 09:56 When Supt Tay’s mother received a scam call claiming she had been kidnapped Listen to Ep 1 - Near impossible to recover your money once scammers transfer it out of Singapore: https://str.sg/wnBi Public can join these police schemes: Community Watch Scheme: https://go.gov.sg/spf-cws Crime Prevention Ambassadors: https://www.ncpc.org.sg/cpas.html Citizens on Patrol: https://go.gov.sg/citizensonpatrol ST's Stop Scams articles: https://str.sg/wWt9 • Anti-Scam Hotline: 1800-722-6688 (9am - 5pm); https://www.scamalert.sg/ • National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868 (8am - 12am); https://ccs.org.sg/nch/ Produced by: Andre Yeo ([email protected]), Jessie Lim ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Teo Tong Kai Edited by: Teo Tong Kai Follow ST's Stop Scams podcast series here: Stop Scams Playlist: https://str.sg/wnBi Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wnB5 Spotify: https://str.sg/wnBS SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Websites: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: [email protected]  Andre Yeo's articles: https://str.sg/wWtC David Sun's articles: https://str.sg/wWty Jessie Lim's articles: https://str.sg/wWtF Wong Shiying's articles: https://str.sg/wWtt --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: This is a new podcast by The Straits Times to raise greater public awareness of the modern scourge of scams in Singapore and globally. It is now February 2022. In Singapore alone, nearly $1 billion has been lost by scam victims since 2016. Mutating and spreading, different types of scams have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, from love to work. The police are cracking down on offenders. What can you do to protect yourself? In this episode, deputy news editor Andre Yeo hosts fellow journalists David Sun, Jessie Lim and Wong Shiying as they share their biggest behind-the-scenes revelations for the articles they have covered on scam tactics so far. Highlights (click/tap above): 01:10 David Sun on what sets scams apart from other types of crimes; victims' complacency, lack of self-awareness 03:03 Should the public feel sorry for victims of scams despite amount of anti-scam publicity? 05:42 Wong Shiying on the common thread among the eight scam victims she interviewed over four months; victims mentally scarred into extreme distrust 08:54 Jessie Lim on how intelligent today's scammers really are, and how they even cultivate victims over months 11:30 Why it's almost impossible to get back your money once it's transferred out of Singapore 13:15 Singapore Police Force's Anti-Scam Centre has added robotic process automation to its arsenal, with the technology driving Project Combat (Centralised Operational Messaging Bot, Addressing Threats) 23:00 How else are victims affected by scams: The mental toll and opening up to seek help ST's Stop Scams articles: https://str.sg/wWt9 • Anti-Scam Hotline: 1800-722-6688 (9am - 5pm); https://www.scamalert.sg/ • National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868 (8am - 12am); https://ccs.org.sg/nch/ Produced by: Andre Yeo ([email protected]), David Sun ([email protected]), Jessie Lim ([email protected]), Wong Shiying ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim Edited by: Hadyu Rahim Follow ST's Stop Scams podcast series here: Stop Scams Playlist: https://str.sg/wnBi Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wnB5 Spotify: https://str.sg/wnBS SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Websites: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: [email protected]  Andre Yeo's articles: https://str.sg/wWtC David Sun's articles: https://str.sg/wWty Jessie Lim's articles: https://str.sg/wWtF Wong Shiying's articles: https://str.sg/wWtt --- Discover more ST podcast series: Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.