Lucky break for man in online scam
KUALA LUMPUR: A man’s request to Datuk Michael Chong for a loan to claim a parcel of gifts, saved him from falling victim to an Internet scam.
The kitchen help from Klang had earlier been told that he had a parcel waiting for him at a courier service company from a woman he got to know through an Internet-dating site on Dec 1 but he was to pay £2,500 (RM12,350) for “overweight charges”.
The 27-year-old man then went to the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head to borrow the money.
“Only when I asked him what the money was for, he told me the whole story. He even offered to share the amount in the parcel with me!” Chong said.
The man had been waiting for the parcel – purportedly containing £100,000 (RM494,000) in cash, a laptop, gold Rolex wristwatch, iPhone4, Blackberry Playbook, pictures, postcards, shoes and football jerseys – from a London-based “Latifah Razak”.
(Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/11/nation/10077342&sec=nation dated Sunday December 11, 2011.)
RM1mil lost to online lover
By LOSHANA K SHAGAR
newsdesk@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: An insurance broker received a rude shock when she lost more than RM1mil in an Internet scam.
The woman, identified only as Lim, 47, gave RM1,021,000 in total to Kevin Axcel Brown @ Joe, whom she “met” in an online matchmaking site in September.
Joe claimed he was a 48-year-old Canadian chemical engineer with Petronas in Terengganu and had used different telephone numbers to communicate.
MCA’s Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Michael Chong said most cases of Internet fraud involved promises of joint business ventures and marriage.
“There have been 13 cases of Internet fraud this year and nine of the victims were female.
“None of them had seen their scammers’ faces and yet could fall in love with them,” Chong added.
Joe had asked Lim for a RM1mil loan last October to settle his financial troubles and she deposited it into three different bank accounts registered under the name of Zanariah.
He then said he was abroad, but asked her to meet him at KLIA on Dec 7.
She waited for four hours in vain.
She had also transferred an extra US$7,000 (RM21,000) for Joe’s travel expenses.
Besides her savings, Lim had also borrowed from friends, family and financial organisations to raise the RM1mil.
Chong advised the public to be more careful as scammers had developed new tactics to con their victims.
“They show fake approval letters and even tap into an organisation’s phone number,” he said, showing two “support letters” Joe used to convince Lim.
The case comes after reports of a new telephone scam demanding victims to give “donations” allegedly for Barisan Nasional’s election fund.
The “Bukit Aman police scam” began three weeks ago with victims receiving phone calls from a number registered under the Bukit Aman Police Headquarters.
A “Datuk Halim” from the Commercial Crime desk would inform victims of a money laundering charge against them and ask them to deposit money in an account for the election fund.
Three near-victims approached Chong, who said there had been at least eight similar cases this year.
“They claimed to be acting on the Prime Minister’s orders and asked between RM3,000 and RM5,000 from each victim,” Chong said.
Telephone scam losses amounted to more than RM1.5mil this year, while Internet fraud losses stand at RM1.8mil.
(Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/10/nation/10070014&sec=nation dated Saturday December 10, 2011.)
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The ‘make’ or ‘break’ element
WORKABLE TIPS By PAUL KARA
Prospective job seekers should not only be mindful of the do’s and dont’s at interviews but also the power of the social media.
MY DAY begins with a cup of coffee and the laptop in front of me. I usually check all my e-mails before switching over to the social media to see what the rest of the world has been up to, when I was asleep.
One morning, while scrolling through the Facebook (FB) wall, I was suddenly awakened, not by my coffee, but by what was staring at me on the screen. It was the picture of a male’s behind with his trousers pulled down revealing some flesh!
I would not have batted an eyelid and would have dismissed it as a drunken prank, but I could not. That image happened to be on the FB account of one of my company’s new employees who was still on probation! While my “liberal” side was holding me back from reacting, the “corporate” side of me felt that it was rather inappropriate since I was in a business which dealt with image building.
That thought was not mine alone as it soon became a topic of discussion among the company’s staff members and managers. Eventually I took this up as a case study and discussed it with my corporate contemporaries.
Job applicants must try to conceal their tattoos during job interviews and refrain from posting inappropriate pictures of themselves on social media sites.
Many of them were in support of the young man saying that it was his personal space and that he should be allowed to say “whatever he wants” in his FB account.
However, one cannot run away from the fact that displaying such an image does influence the kind of impression others would have of him. Also, bear in mind that emplo-yers have their private space too.
The FB can either make or break a person. Many potential employers use social media sites to check out job applicants. Some of my clients have told me that they have also gotten impressed with prospective employees simply by checking out the applicants on FB.
There are always tell-tale signs from the photos and wall entries to help with the assessment of a person’s character. My clients have been impressed by some of the photos they see of their interviewees such as hobbies in photography, cake decoration, postings on charity outings and outdoor activities.
So pretty much like the mohawk hairstyles, earrings and tatoos, how do employers view such liberties? Sometimes when graduates leave college or university, they forget that in the job market such liberties are not taken to kindly.
In a typical corporation, the manager is most likely to think that such people may be rebels and may have issues with the organised structure that is typical of the corporate environment.
Many young job applicants may think otherwise and believe that earrings, tattoos and fancy hair colour is a show of independence and expression. While I do not believe this is entirely wrong, it is a risk to take, especially when first impressions matter. A general manager told me that he viewed anyone who wore a cap indoors or who had a pair of sunglasses over their heads as disrespectful and rude.
When he was shortlisting his candidates for management trainees, he would weed out such individuals even before they were interviewed. It looked like he was biased, but he was the employer and had the right to do so.
The first impression is the key to making the potential employer consider you soon after the interview and which will determine whether you eventually get the job.
A sales manager recently said the first thing he did after he had shortlisted his candidates for the interview was to “… google the applicant’s name. It is incredible what you can find.”
After having said what needs to be done to take a safe path in a job interview, it does not mean that employers are unaware of the potential of the Generation Y workforce.
This is the generation that believes in the motto “live first ,work later”. They also have strong views on “rights” and working for the community.
Employers are impressed by the aspects of asserting rights and CSR (corporate social responsibility) projects which are very much community-based.
Most employers have an idea as to what to expect from the Gen Y workforce, but they somehow resent the manner in which these young job applicants communicate and convey their demands and interests.
So if you are a Gen Y “amoeba”, you may want to keep in mind the following suggestions in order to get that interview. Also make sure you don’t have bad body odour, lie about your qualifications, or gripe about your ex-boss. Remember that when you have a mohawk hairstyle, try to comb it down and remove the earrings at least for the interview. The employer will notice your effort and will interpret it as a gesture of respect for the interview.
It is easier to introduce these additions once you have established yourself in the company.
Be sure to weigh the consequences carefully before you decide to use the social media channel to air your grievances about current or former employers. Find out which aspect of the company would make you shine with your Gen Y qualities. It is not wrong to assert your rights; you just need to find the right forum.
■ Paul Kam is a lawyer by training. He has worked with private and public sector leaders throughout Asia and has designed and led several transformation, alignment and strategic change initiatives. With his understanding of market conditions in various industries, he is passionate in partnering with clients to shift and align mindsets and behaviours of leaders and employees. He is also a member of the Malaysian Institute of Management and is a certified team profiler and a life and wealth coach.
(Source: http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/12/11/education/10044684&sec=education dated Sunday December 11, 2011.)
Prospective job seekers should not only be mindful of the do’s and dont’s at interviews but also the power of the social media.
MY DAY begins with a cup of coffee and the laptop in front of me. I usually check all my e-mails before switching over to the social media to see what the rest of the world has been up to, when I was asleep.
One morning, while scrolling through the Facebook (FB) wall, I was suddenly awakened, not by my coffee, but by what was staring at me on the screen. It was the picture of a male’s behind with his trousers pulled down revealing some flesh!
I would not have batted an eyelid and would have dismissed it as a drunken prank, but I could not. That image happened to be on the FB account of one of my company’s new employees who was still on probation! While my “liberal” side was holding me back from reacting, the “corporate” side of me felt that it was rather inappropriate since I was in a business which dealt with image building.
That thought was not mine alone as it soon became a topic of discussion among the company’s staff members and managers. Eventually I took this up as a case study and discussed it with my corporate contemporaries.
Job applicants must try to conceal their tattoos during job interviews and refrain from posting inappropriate pictures of themselves on social media sites.
Many of them were in support of the young man saying that it was his personal space and that he should be allowed to say “whatever he wants” in his FB account.
However, one cannot run away from the fact that displaying such an image does influence the kind of impression others would have of him. Also, bear in mind that emplo-yers have their private space too.
The FB can either make or break a person. Many potential employers use social media sites to check out job applicants. Some of my clients have told me that they have also gotten impressed with prospective employees simply by checking out the applicants on FB.
There are always tell-tale signs from the photos and wall entries to help with the assessment of a person’s character. My clients have been impressed by some of the photos they see of their interviewees such as hobbies in photography, cake decoration, postings on charity outings and outdoor activities.
So pretty much like the mohawk hairstyles, earrings and tatoos, how do employers view such liberties? Sometimes when graduates leave college or university, they forget that in the job market such liberties are not taken to kindly.
In a typical corporation, the manager is most likely to think that such people may be rebels and may have issues with the organised structure that is typical of the corporate environment.
Many young job applicants may think otherwise and believe that earrings, tattoos and fancy hair colour is a show of independence and expression. While I do not believe this is entirely wrong, it is a risk to take, especially when first impressions matter. A general manager told me that he viewed anyone who wore a cap indoors or who had a pair of sunglasses over their heads as disrespectful and rude.
When he was shortlisting his candidates for management trainees, he would weed out such individuals even before they were interviewed. It looked like he was biased, but he was the employer and had the right to do so.
The first impression is the key to making the potential employer consider you soon after the interview and which will determine whether you eventually get the job.
A sales manager recently said the first thing he did after he had shortlisted his candidates for the interview was to “… google the applicant’s name. It is incredible what you can find.”
After having said what needs to be done to take a safe path in a job interview, it does not mean that employers are unaware of the potential of the Generation Y workforce.
This is the generation that believes in the motto “live first ,work later”. They also have strong views on “rights” and working for the community.
Employers are impressed by the aspects of asserting rights and CSR (corporate social responsibility) projects which are very much community-based.
Most employers have an idea as to what to expect from the Gen Y workforce, but they somehow resent the manner in which these young job applicants communicate and convey their demands and interests.
So if you are a Gen Y “amoeba”, you may want to keep in mind the following suggestions in order to get that interview. Also make sure you don’t have bad body odour, lie about your qualifications, or gripe about your ex-boss. Remember that when you have a mohawk hairstyle, try to comb it down and remove the earrings at least for the interview. The employer will notice your effort and will interpret it as a gesture of respect for the interview.
It is easier to introduce these additions once you have established yourself in the company.
Be sure to weigh the consequences carefully before you decide to use the social media channel to air your grievances about current or former employers. Find out which aspect of the company would make you shine with your Gen Y qualities. It is not wrong to assert your rights; you just need to find the right forum.
■ Paul Kam is a lawyer by training. He has worked with private and public sector leaders throughout Asia and has designed and led several transformation, alignment and strategic change initiatives. With his understanding of market conditions in various industries, he is passionate in partnering with clients to shift and align mindsets and behaviours of leaders and employees. He is also a member of the Malaysian Institute of Management and is a certified team profiler and a life and wealth coach.
(Source: http://thestar.com.my/education/story.asp?file=/2011/12/11/education/10044684&sec=education dated Sunday December 11, 2011.)
Monday, December 5, 2011
Seattle welfare recipient lives in million-dollar home
By Eric Pfeiffer | The Sideshow
A Seattle woman who is receiving welfare assistance from Washington state also happens to live in a waterfront house on Lake Washington worth more than a million dollars.
The 2,500 square-foot home, which includes gardens and a boat dock, is valued at $1.2 million. And even though the couple has been receiving the benefits for nearly 10 years, records show that they accurately listed the address of their current home when applying for the state and federal benefits.
As if the million dollar home weren't enough, the supposedly low-income couple also gave money to various charities and traveled around the world to locales in Turkey, Tel Aviv and resort towns in Mexico, according to court records.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/seattle-welfare-recipient-lives-million-dollar-home-161252749.html dd 6-December, 2011.
A Seattle woman who is receiving welfare assistance from Washington state also happens to live in a waterfront house on Lake Washington worth more than a million dollars.
The 2,500 square-foot home, which includes gardens and a boat dock, is valued at $1.2 million. And even though the couple has been receiving the benefits for nearly 10 years, records show that they accurately listed the address of their current home when applying for the state and federal benefits.
As if the million dollar home weren't enough, the supposedly low-income couple also gave money to various charities and traveled around the world to locales in Turkey, Tel Aviv and resort towns in Mexico, according to court records.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/seattle-welfare-recipient-lives-million-dollar-home-161252749.html dd 6-December, 2011.
HOW TO LOCK YOUR CAR AND WHY!
I locked my car. As I walked away I heard my car door unlock. I went back and locked my car again three times. Each time, as soon as I started to walk away, I would hear it unlock again!
Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. They were obviously watching me intently, and there was no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation. I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car and sped away. I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars.
Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar happening. While traveling, my friend's son stopped at a roadside rest to use the bathroom. When he came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later, someone had gotten into his car and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator, briefcase--you name it. He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of the latest robbery tactic--there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device.
They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and that they now have a few minutes to steal and run. The police officer said to manually lock your car door by hitting the lock button inside the car--that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim, it will not be you!
When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain, it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be
instantly stolen. This is very real.
Be wisely aware of what you just read and please pass this email on.
Look how many times we all lock our doors with our remote just to be sure we remembered to lock them-- and bingo, someone has our code and whatever was in our car!
Snopes Approved--Please share with everyone you know!
This is from my friend Wan, Message flagged
Sunday, January 9, 2011 10:34 PM.
Naturally alarmed, I looked around and there were two guys sitting in a car in the fire lane next to the store. They were obviously watching me intently, and there was no doubt they were somehow involved in this very weird situation. I quickly chucked the errand I was on, jumped in my car and sped away. I went straight to the police station, told them what had happened, and found out I was part of a new, and very successful, scheme being used to gain entry into cars.
Two weeks later, my friend's son had a similar happening. While traveling, my friend's son stopped at a roadside rest to use the bathroom. When he came out to his car less than 4-5 minutes later, someone had gotten into his car and stolen his cell phone, laptop computer, GPS navigator, briefcase--you name it. He called the police and since there were no signs of his car being broken into, the police told him he had been a victim of the latest robbery tactic--there is a device that robbers are using now to clone your security code when you lock your doors on your car using your key-chain locking device.
They sit a distance away and watch for their next victim. They know you are going inside of the store, restaurant, or bathroom and that they now have a few minutes to steal and run. The police officer said to manually lock your car door by hitting the lock button inside the car--that way if there is someone sitting in a parking lot watching for their next victim, it will not be you!
When you hit the lock button on your car upon exiting, it does not send the security code, but if you walk away and use the door lock on your key chain, it sends the code through the airwaves where it can be
instantly stolen. This is very real.
Be wisely aware of what you just read and please pass this email on.
Look how many times we all lock our doors with our remote just to be sure we remembered to lock them-- and bingo, someone has our code and whatever was in our car!
Snopes Approved--Please share with everyone you know!
This is from my friend Wan, Message flagged
Sunday, January 9, 2011 10:34 PM.
VERY IMPORTANT FOR TRAVELLERS- A MUST READ
Note： Ｔｈｉｓ ｉｓ ｓｅｎｔ ｔｏ ｍｅ ｂｙ ｍｙ ｆｒｉｅｎｄ Ｗａｎ ｏｎ Sunday, January 9, 2011 10:48 PＭ． Ｉ ａｍ ｃｌｅａｒｉｎｇ ｕｐ ｍｙ Ｍａｉｌ Ｂｏｘ ｓｏ Ｉ ｊｕｓｔ ｐｏｓｔ ｉｔ ｈｅｒｅ．
BE CAREFUL WHEN TRAVELLING - China / Bangkok / Malaysia
From my Malaysian friend...better to prevent.
Be very careful. The scammers are getting more and more daring!
Subject: Duped by credit card scam upon check in at Hotel
You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for
your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front
desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room).
Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other
end says the following, 'This is the front desk. When checking in, we
came across a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read
me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the
reverse side of your charge card.
Not thinking anything you might give this person your information, since
the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam
of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random
room number. Then, ask you for credit card information and address information.
Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk.
If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller
that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then,
go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none,
inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your
credit card information acting like a front desk employee.
If you feel that the tips are useful, please forward it to your relatives, friends & colleague.
Subject: Bangkok International Airport
Folks, be warned and be really careful, check the items you bought and
give back what does not belong to you even when the shop assistants
claimed it's 'free'. I believe the duty free shop assistants would also
get a share........so, be very, very careful. Read below
My Dept. secretary informed on this. Her cousin was detained in Bangkok
for stealing a box of cigarettes in a duty-free shop in Bangkok
International Airport .
He had paid for chocolates and a carton of cigarettes. The cashier put a
packet of smokes into his bag and he thought it was a free pack.
He was arrested for shop-lifting and the Thai Police extortion price was
equivalent to RM30, 000 for his release. He spent two nights in jail and paid RM50 for
an air-con cell, 200-300 baht for each visitor, and RM11,000 for his
final release.
The Police shared the money in front of his eyes. On top of that, he was
charged in court and fined RM2,000 by the magistrate and handcuffed and
escorted to his plane.
His passport was stamped "Thief". While there, his relatives requested
help from the Malaysian Embassy and was told that they are helpless, as
Malaysians are victimised similarly daily and letters and phone-calls to
the Thai Authorities are ignored. He shared a cell with a Singaporean
the 1st night who paid RM60,000 for his release.The 2nd night was an
Indian national who paid USD70,000. Mind you this is not in a shag
downtown Bangkok but in a duty free shop in Bangkok 's Int'l
Airport . Please share this experience with all your friends.
Subject: Driving to JB
If you get RM 10.00 in your car door handle, use tissue paper or cloth
to remove it without opening it and if possible bag it. Drive away immediately.
Don't check the note until you are in the company of your friends or relatives.
The note could either contain powdered drugs to knock you out or make
you wonder if some guilty motorists compensating you for a knock or
scratch on your car, while you are still wondering, the robber(s) will
attack you as you check the car.
This had happened in Johor. Please circulate to your friends and warn them!.
BE CAREFUL WHEN TRAVELLING - China / Bangkok / Malaysia
From my Malaysian friend...better to prevent.
Be very careful. The scammers are getting more and more daring!
Subject: Duped by credit card scam upon check in at Hotel
You arrive at your hotel and check in at the front desk. When checking in, you give the front desk your credit card (for all the charges for
your room). You get to your room and settle in. Someone calls the front
desk and asked for (example) Room 620 (which happens to be your room).
Your phone rings in your room. You answer and the person on the other
end says the following, 'This is the front desk. When checking in, we
came across a problem with your charge card information. Please re-read
me your credit card number and verify the last 3 digits numbers at the
reverse side of your charge card.
Not thinking anything you might give this person your information, since
the call seems to come from the front desk. But actually, it is a scam
of someone calling from outside the hotel/front desk. They ask for a random
room number. Then, ask you for credit card information and address information.
Sounding so professional that you do think you are talking to the front desk.
If you ever encounter this problem on your vacation, tell the caller
that you will be down at the front desk to clear up any problems. Then,
go to the front desk and ask if there was a problem. If there was none,
inform the manager of the hotel that someone called to scam you of your
credit card information acting like a front desk employee.
If you feel that the tips are useful, please forward it to your relatives, friends & colleague.
Subject: Bangkok International Airport
Folks, be warned and be really careful, check the items you bought and
give back what does not belong to you even when the shop assistants
claimed it's 'free'. I believe the duty free shop assistants would also
get a share........so, be very, very careful. Read below
My Dept. secretary informed on this. Her cousin was detained in Bangkok
for stealing a box of cigarettes in a duty-free shop in Bangkok
International Airport .
He had paid for chocolates and a carton of cigarettes. The cashier put a
packet of smokes into his bag and he thought it was a free pack.
He was arrested for shop-lifting and the Thai Police extortion price was
equivalent to RM30, 000 for his release. He spent two nights in jail and paid RM50 for
an air-con cell, 200-300 baht for each visitor, and RM11,000 for his
final release.
The Police shared the money in front of his eyes. On top of that, he was
charged in court and fined RM2,000 by the magistrate and handcuffed and
escorted to his plane.
His passport was stamped "Thief". While there, his relatives requested
help from the Malaysian Embassy and was told that they are helpless, as
Malaysians are victimised similarly daily and letters and phone-calls to
the Thai Authorities are ignored. He shared a cell with a Singaporean
the 1st night who paid RM60,000 for his release.The 2nd night was an
Indian national who paid USD70,000. Mind you this is not in a shag
downtown Bangkok but in a duty free shop in Bangkok 's Int'l
Airport . Please share this experience with all your friends.
Subject: Driving to JB
If you get RM 10.00 in your car door handle, use tissue paper or cloth
to remove it without opening it and if possible bag it. Drive away immediately.
Don't check the note until you are in the company of your friends or relatives.
The note could either contain powdered drugs to knock you out or make
you wonder if some guilty motorists compensating you for a knock or
scratch on your car, while you are still wondering, the robber(s) will
attack you as you check the car.
This had happened in Johor. Please circulate to your friends and warn them!.
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