The scams by Chinese criminals in Cambodia are becoming more inventive, probably due to the recent crackdown.

Two S’pore-based victims of staged kidnapping scam found in Cambodia
Published 6 Hours Ago
SINGAPORE - Two victims living in Singapore who were duped by scammers into staging separate kidnappings were found in Cambodia in October, thanks to joint investigations by police from both countries.

On Friday, the Singapore police said the two victims, aged 21 and 22, who are university students, were reported by their parents in China to have been kidnapped.

But with help from the Cambodian National Police, they were subsequently found in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and were reunited with their families.

The police said investigations into both cases are ongoing.

Both cases are similar, with the victims’ parents receiving a video from an unknown person showing their child with hands bound. This was followed by many ransom demands.

Each victim, while in Singapore, had received a call from someone who claimed to be a police officer from China.

In the case of the 21-year-old student, he was told that his particulars had been used to spread misinformation about monkeypox cases in China.
The 22-year-old victim was accused of having a mobile number registered in his name that was associated with the spread of Covid-19-related rumours in Guangdong, China.


In both cases, the victims were ordered to assist in police investigations and were told to travel to Cambodia to carry out certain missions as part of the investigations.

When the victims arrived in Phnom Penh, they were told to record videos of themselves pretending to be a kidnap victim for the purposes of scam education and investigations. They were also instructed to stay at different hotels and to cease all communication with family and friends.

The parents of the 21-year-old student, who has been living here for four years, made a police report in Singapore on Oct 19 after receiving a video of the alleged kidnapping and a demand for two million yuan (S$389,000) for the release of their son.

The 22-year-old’s parents filed a police report on Oct 22 after receiving a similar video and a ransom demand of 800,000 yuan.
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/ ... n-cambodia

New Case: Chinese Student Tricked into Cambodia Trip, June 2023

Chinese student in Singapore held captive in Cambodia for ransom after falling for scam call
June 13, 2023
By Jewel Stolarchuk

The scammers captured the student and filmed a video of his kidnapping. They promptly sent the video to the student's parents, demanding a ransom of approximately S$570,000

SINGAPORE: The Chinese embassy in Singapore has warned about a new trend of Cambodian fraudsters targeting Chinese students residing in Singapore. The embassy has urged Chinese citizens in Singapore to be cautious of telecommunications fraud in a statement released on its official WeChat account on Saturday (10 June).

The embassy revealed that a student from a local art college had fallen victim to a scammer posing as an official on 2 June. Duped by the fraudster’s instructions, the student willingly purchased a ticket and travelled to Sihanoukville, Cambodia, believing it would help him evade the authorities who were supposedly after him.

However, upon arrival, the scammers captured the student and filmed a video of his kidnapping. They promptly sent the video to the student’s parents, demanding a ransom of approximately S$570,000.

Thankfully, the authorities were alerted to the situation and acted swiftly. Through coordinated efforts between Singaporean and Cambodian police, the student was located on 5 June in Cambodia. The student was found before the family had to pay the ransom.

In light of this incident, the Chinese embassy in Singapore emphasized the importance of Chinese nationals remaining vigilant against telecom fraud. They highlighted that government departments in China and Singapore never request personal information over the phone.

Furthermore, the embassy underlined some critical indicators of fraudulent calls. If the caller ID displays a “+” for foreign calls or “+65” for local calls, Singapore telecom operators identify these as fraudulent calls. Individuals encountering such calls are advised to hang up immediately.

The authorities also reminded Chinese citizens to maintain regular contact with their families while refraining from disclosing personal information or family details to strangers. Those who fall victim to a scam are urged to report the incident to the police immediately.
https://theindependent.sg/chinese-stude ... scam-call/