What sets scams apart from other crimes

Should the public feel sorry for victims?

Common thread amongst scam victims

Scammers cultivating victims over months

Almost impossible to get back your money

New initiatives by the Anti-Scam Centre

The mental toll faced by victims of scams

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 (andrey@sph.com.sg), David Sun (davidsun@sph.com.sg), Jessie Lim (ljessie@sph.com.sg), Wong Shiying (sywong@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow ST's Stop Scams podcast series here:

Stop Scams Channel: https://str.sg/wuZB

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3e

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJj

Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/wE7S

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Websites: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#stopscams

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: <a href="https://str.sg/wWt9" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/wWt9&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645090520476000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1B5kpfsfPCwCjl0eb5QPvH">https://str.sg/wWt9</a>
• Anti-Scam Hotline: 1800-722-6688 (9am - 5pm); <a href="https://www.scamalert.sg/">https://www.scamalert.sg/</a>
• National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868 (8am - 12am); <a href="https://ccs.org.sg/nch/">https://ccs.org.sg/nch/</a>
Produced by: Andre Yeo (<a href="mailto:andrey@sph.com.sg">andrey@sph.com.sg</a>), David Sun (<a href="mailto:davidsun@sph.com.sg">davidsun@sph.com.sg</a>), Jessie Lim (<a href="mailto:ljessie@sph.com.sg">ljessie@sph.com.sg</a>), Wong Shiying (<a href="mailto:sywong@sph.com.sg">sywong@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow ST's Stop Scams podcast series here:
Stop Scams Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wu3e" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wu3e">https://str.sg/wu3e</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJj" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wuJj">https://str.sg/wuJj</a>
Google Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wE7S">https://str.sg/wE7S</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/" data-cke-saved-href="https://www.awedio.sg/">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Websites: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-cke-saved-href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg" data-cke-saved-href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a> 
Andre Yeo's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/wWtC" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wWtC">https://str.sg/wWtC</a>
David Sun's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/wWty" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wWty">https://str.sg/wWty</a>
Jessie Lim's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/wWtF" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wWtF">https://str.sg/wWtF</a>
Wong Shiying's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/wWtt" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wWtt">https://str.sg/wWtt</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a> 
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a> 
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a> 
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a> 
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a> 
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a> 
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a> 
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a> 
Hard Tackle: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a> 
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a> 
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a> 
---
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a> 
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a> 
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a> 
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a> 
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a> 
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a> 
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a> 
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a> 
#stopscams

Synopsis: This is a special 10-part podcast series by The Straits Times to raise greater public awareness in Singapore and globally, to highlight the latest scam tactics, trends and ways authorities are dealing with this modern-day scourge.

Podcasters: Andre Yeo, David Sun, Jessie Lim, Wong Shiying.

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: This is a special 10-part podcast series by The Straits Times to raise greater public awareness in Singapore and globally, to highlight the latest scam tactics, trends and ways authorities are dealing with this modern-day scourge.
Podcasters: Andre Yeo, David Sun, Jessie Lim, Wong Shiying.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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