31/10/2022

HEALTHY EATING - 10 EASY TIPS

Eating healthily is all about balance. Every now and then it’s perfectly OK to have pie for dinner or a nice slice of cake at teatime – treats are a part of life – but it’s also important to recognise when we’re pushing things too far.

Indulgent food should be enjoyed and savoured, but only occasionally – it’s important to remember that the majority of our diet should be made up of balanced, nutritious everyday foods. Make healthy food a priority in your life and allow it to bring your family and friends together.

Learn to love how it makes you feel, how delicious it is and remember that a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise are the keys to a healthy lifestyle:
  • HAVE BREAKFAST - A nutritious breakfast sets you up with energy for the day, can help you hit your 5-a-day, and can be an easy way to get fibre into your diet.
  • EAT A BALANCED DIET - Eat from all five food groups, enjoying a wide range of vegetables, fruit, lean meats, fish, eggs, pulses, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and naturally lower-fat dairy foods across each week.
  • CHOOSE NUTRITIOUS CALORIES - These come from foods that provide your body with vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre and healthy fats as well as energy; such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, yoghurt and fish.
  • EAT THE RAINBOW - Variety is key. Different-coloured veg and fruit contain the different nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy. And try to eat your veg and fruit – rather than drink them – for the full benefits.
  • STAY HYDRATED - Water is essential to life. Six to eight glasses of fluid every day is recommended. Water, lower-fat milks, tea and coffee all count (as long as you don’t add sugar).
  • GET COOKING - Cooking from scratch is one of the most important life skills we can learn, and is a great way to understand what goes into the meals we eat. Visit jamieoliver.com for lots of recipe inspiration and ideas.
  • READ THE SMALL PRINT - Look out for the saturated fat, sugar and salt content in food and drink, as well as recommended portion sizes. The nutrition label on the front of a packet can help you understand exactly what is in the food you buy.
  • EVERYDAY VS OCCASIONAL - There’s a place for all types of foods in our diet. Understand the difference between ‘everyday’ foods that contribute essential, healthy nutrients and ‘occasional’ foods, such as cakes and pastries.
  • MOVE MORE - Staying active is extremely important. It’s recommended that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week – like going for a brisk walk – and children aim for at least 60 minutes a day.
  • GET ENOUGH SLEEP - Good-quality sleep affects how well we’re able to learn, grow and perform in life. While we’re asleep, our bodies have that all-important time to repair.

28/10/2022

The best tips using aluminum foil

You can’t live without it!
Have you ever heard of these tips using aluminum foil?

Everyone has at least one roll of aluminum foil in a kitchen drawer somewhere. It’s super useful for packing up lunch or baking stuff in the oven, but have you heard of these other nifty tricks using foil? We’ve put them together in one list, from cleaning hacks to solving technical problems. Do you already use all of them? After reading this article you probably will!
  • Improve your WiFi
  • Cleaning pans
  • Aluminum foil in the dishwasher
  • Ailments
  • Cleaning a grill grate
  • Handy when pouring paint
  • Painting
  • Protecting your car keys
  • Sharpening dull scissors
  • Iron even faster

27/10/2022

Marcos lauds China-funded bridge for helping boost growth in Southern Philippines


A China-funded bridge that connects the Philippines' third largest city Davao and a tourist island will help boost tourism and economic growth in the country's southern region, said President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos on Thursday at the project's groundbreaking ceremony.

The ceremony kicked off the construction of the 3.81-km two-way, four-lane Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge that will ease the access for tourists to the Island Garden City of Samal. Once completed, this bridge will help us develop the economic potential of Davao City and the Island Garden City of Samal, as well as enhance local residents' access to employment, education, and other services, Marcos said.

Famous for pristine beaches, snorkeling and diving sites, the Island Garden City of Samal is one of top tourist spots and a tropical getaway for tourists. Without the bridge, the island can be reached only by ferry from Davao City. Marcos thanked the Chinese government for being a "dependable partner in this infrastructure development program."

25/10/2022

Swallowed in whole by Giant Python

Grandmother, 54, is eaten alive by 22ft python
Giant snake is cut open by locals in Indonesia who found the creature with human-sized lump in the middle while searching for victim

A grandmother has been eaten alive by a 22ft python in Indonesia after going into the jungle to collect rubber. Jahrah, 54, vanished on Friday night in woodland near her family home in Jambi province, on the western island of Sumatra.

Locals sent out search parties and two days later found a huge snake in a forest clearing with a swollen stomach, and when they cut it open found her body inside. Anto, the head of Jarah's village who - like many Indonesians - uses just one name, said the python likely killed her by using its body to suffocate her. The grandmother likely died in an agonising ordeal that may have taken two hours to complete, Anto added.

The snake would have first used its fangs - which are angled backwards to provide more grip - to pin Jarah in place. It would then have wrapped around her as quickly as possible using its powerful body and slowly constricted her until she was unable to breath. After she had suffocated, it would have dislocated its jaw and swallowed her whole.


Enormous 22-Foot Python Believed to Have Swallowed Grandmother Whole
An enormous 22-foot python is believed to have swallowed a grandmother whole in Indonesia

The 54-year-old called Jahrah disappeared from her home in the Jambi province of Sumatra's western Island on October 21, according to the Mail Online. After a search party, local people allegedly found the huge python with a bulging stomach inside a forest. They cut it open and found the woman's body inside, the media outlet reported.

Indonesia is home to the reticulated python. The species can be found across South and Southeast Asia and is the world's longest snake. These snakes can reach enormous sizes. They regularly grow on average up to 16 feet, but some have been reported to be much larger. Reticulated pythons are constricting snakes, meaning they coil around their prey to kill it. They are a non-venomous species but incredibly strong. The species can swallow prey whole as their jaws are joined to flexible ligaments, meaning they can move around victims very easily.

"It does appear that there are some genuine cases of reticulated pythons eating humans," Graham Alexander, professor of herpetology at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, told Newsweek. But he said that the woman would not have been eaten alive. "Typically, pythons will constrict their prey and kill it before ingesting," he said. According to Anto, who is the head of Jarah's local village, the grandmother was probably ingested in two hours.


Woman killed and swallowed whole by 22-foot python

When Jahrah, 54, left her home for work as a tree tapper on an Indonesian rubber plantation on Sunday morning, it was the last time her family would see her alive. When Jahrah failed to return home that afternoon, her husband sounded the alarm and went out to find her.

The first sign that something was wrong was his discovery of his missing wife’s sandals, jacket, headscarf and knife on the forest floor. The second sign was a heavily bloated snake, encountered by a search party looking for Jahrah the following morning.“ During the search the team found a giant python, measuring 7 meters [22 feet] in length, which we suspected had preyed on the victim,” the local police later said in a statement, which had referred to the victim simply as “Jahrah,” in line with the Indonesian custom of going by just one name. “The team captured the snake.”

The search team killed the reptile and sliced open its stomach, where they discovered Jahrah’s remains completely intact. “The victim’s body was not destroyed when we found her inside the snake, meaning that she had only been recently swallowed whole,” the police said, after they found the reptile near the village of Betara in Indonesia’s Jambi province, located on Sumatra island.

related:


Python swallows woman at plantation in Indonesia

A woman was found dead in the stomach of a 7-metre python at a rubber plantation where she worked in Indonesia, according to local reports. The woman, identified as Jahrah, 54, went to work on the plantation in Jambi province, on the island of Sumatra, on Sunday morning and her husband reported her missing when she did not return home that evening.

Searching for her on Sunday night, her husband discovered her sandals, headscarf, jacket and the tools she used at work, and called for others to help, police told local media. The following morning, a python was spotted nearby. “When the security team and residents conducted a search around the rubber plantation, then we found a python 7 metres long. It is this snake that is suspected of preying on the victim. After we caught him, we found the victim’s body in the snake’s stomach,” the local police chief, AKP S Harefa, told the Detik news site.

Pythons, which kill through constriction, typically eat smaller animals, swallowing their food whole. Cases of humans being swallowed are rare. In 2018, a woman was found to have been swallowed by a giant python on the island of Muna, off Sulawesi. She had gone missing in her garden, which was at the base of a rocky cliff where snakes were known to live in caves. A year earlier, a farmer was killed and swallowed by a giant python in the village of Salubiro, on Sulawesi island.


Missing woman’s body discovered in the stomach of 22-foot-long python in Indonesia
A 54-year-old woman in Indonesia was killed and eaten by a massive python

The body of a woman in Indonesia was recently discovered in the stomach of a massive, 22-foot-long (6.7 meters) python, which had killed and swallowed its victim whole.

The woman, a 54-year-old grandmother named Jahrah, went missing in Jambi province on the island of Sumatra on Oct. 23, according to CNN Indonesia(opens in new tab). Her family reported her missing when she did not return home that evening. A search party, which included her husband, was unable to locate her that night, though they found her sandals and several articles of clothing on the ground, The Guardian(opens in new tab) reported.

The next day, locals spotted a gigantic python lurking near the spot where her discarded clothing had been found. Witnesses said that the snake had a suspiciously large stomach bulge,  BBC News(opens in new tab) reported. A group of villagers chased the python down and killed it. After they split open the snake's belly they discovered a body inside, which was identified as that of the missing woman, local police chief AKP S Harefa said in a statement, according to CNN Indonesia.


Chronology of Women Eaten by Pythons in Jambi
A woman, Jahrah (54), was found dead after being eaten by a python in a rubber plantation in the Elephant Waterfall Village, West Tanjab Regency, Jambi, Monday (24/10) at around 09.30 WIB. Illustration (BETWEEN PHOTOS/Syaiful Arif)

A woman, Jahrah (54), was found dead after being eaten by  a python in a rubber plantation in the Elephant Falls Village, West Tanjab Regency, Jambi .
The victim's body was still in the python's stomach which was caught on Monday (24/10) at around 09.30 WIB.

Initially the victim went to work in a rubber plantation on Sunday, October 23 morning. However, until that evening the victim did not come home. "So the husband of the victim took him to the location of the garden and was not found," said Kapolsek Betara Jambi AKP S Harefa in his statement, Tuesday (25/10).

Harefa said the victim's husband found sandals, a sharp knife, a headscarf and a jacket around the rubber plantation. The victim's husband then sought help to find his wife. The search was carried out with the village community until around 02.00 WIB. The search was then terminated and resumed the following day. In the morning, a large python was found which was thought to have eaten the victim.


Indonesian woman's body found inside python, say reports

A woman in Indonesia's Jambi province was killed and swallowed whole by a python, according to local reports. Jahrah, a rubber-tapper reportedly in her 50s, had made her way to work at a rubber plantation on Sunday morning. She was reported missing after failing to return that night, and search parties sent out to find her. A day later villagers found a python with what appeared to be a large stomach.

Locals later killed the snake and found her body inside. "The victim was found in the snake's stomach," Betara Jambi police chief AKP S Harefa told local media outlets, adding that her body appeared to be largely intact when it was found. He said the victim's husband had on Sunday night found some of her clothes and tools she had used at the rubber plantation, leading him to call on a search party.

After the snake - which was at least 5m (16ft) long - was spotted on Monday, villagers then caught and killed it to verify the victim's identity. "After they cut the belly apart, they found it was Jahrah inside," Mr Harefa told CNN Indoneisa. Though such incidents are rare, this is not the first time someone in Indonesia has been killed and eaten by a python. Two similar deaths were reported in the country between 2017 and 2018.


Missing grandma’s body found in monster python that swallowed her whole
Video showed villagers trapping and cutting open the monster snake, finding the remains of the missing grandma inside

A grandmother was swallowed whole by a 22-foot-long python in Indonesia — with shocking video capturing the moment her remains were found inside the cut-open beast. Police told CNN Indonesia that a search was launched after the victim, only identified as Jahrah, 54, failed to return from collecting rubber from a plantation in Jambi province on Sunday.

Her husband searched the area, but only found his wife’s sandals, jacket, headscarf and knife, Betara Jambi Police Chief AKP Herafa told the outlet. He returned to the same area with a search party the next day — stumbling across the giant snake with a swollen mid-section where it had eaten something large, police confirmed. Wild video shows a volunteer carefully using a branch to pin the python’s head down as others started bashing it above the swollen area.

The disturbing clip then cut to villagers carefully slicing it open — revealing what officials say was the swallowed body of the missing grandma. “Everyone was astonished,” Anto, the head of the local Terjun Gajah village, told ViralPress. “It turned out that the woman we were looking for was in the snake’s stomach.” The snake likely bit Jahrah and then suffocated her by wrapping itself around her before swallowing her, said Anto — who estimated it would have taken at least two hours.


Woman swallowed whole by 22ft long python after disappearing in Indonesia
Police and locals made a horrific discovery during the search for missing Jahrah

A GRANDMOTHER who disappeared in woods in Indonesia was ate whole by a giant python. The woman, named locally as Jahrah, 54, disappeared after going out to collect rubber in the forest near her family home in Jambi, Indonesia, last Friday night. She was reported missing by concerned relatives after she failed to return from her jungle quest.

Locals organised search parties and began trawling through the dense woodland in the Tanjung Jabung Barat regency. Cops and residents then tragically stumbled across the granny - who was trapped inside the swollen stomach of a 22ft long python. They spotted the mammoth snake with a large bulge in its belly in a clearing among trees while hunting for Jahrah on October 23. Locals sliced open the beast's stomach before confirming their fears - that the 54-year-old had been swallowed whole by the python.

Shocking footage captured the moment the gran's remains were gruesomely found rotting inside the serpent's digestive tract. The video shows Jahrah's frantic friends cornering the gigantic python before prising open its stomach. They then found the petite gran curled up inside the bloated snake - before covering up both of the corpses with a blue tarpaulin sheet.


Woman swallowed whole by 8m python
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT - An Indonesian woman has been cut out of the stomach of a huge python after the snake ate her alive while she was gardening

The gruesome video shows dozens of locals surrounding the snake and dissecting its stomach to retrieve the lifeless body of the mother-of-two Wa Tiba, 54. The alarm was raised when her two children came across her sandals, machete and torch near a patch of bushes that appeared ruffled.

The boys saw the huge python which was barely able to move - having swallowed the woman whole. Villagers cut open the 23-foot python on the island of Muna, Southeast Sulawesi, to retrieve the body.

The shocking scene was captured by locals near where the victim disappeared, which has left neighbours terrified and "praying for their lives". Local police chief Hamka said: “Residents were suspicious the snake swallowed the victim, so they killed it, then carried it out of the garden.


Missing man found inside 7-m python
A missing man’s body was recovered from a massive python in Indonesia this week

The body of a missing Indonesian man has been recovered inside of a 23-foot-long python, after the victim was killed and swallowed whole.

Extremely disturbing video shot on the island of Sulawesi on Wednesday shows villagers slicing open the reptile’s carcass to reveal the 25-year-old man named Akbar, The Associated Press reported.

Junaedi, the secretary of Salubiro village, told the AP that the discovery capped a near two-day search for the man after he vanished while working on palm oil crops on Sunday. A search party went out on Monday night when he failed to return.

24/10/2022

Happy Deepavali 2022


Deepavali: Festival of Lights
Photo by Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (LISHA)

The annual Hindu celebration of the triumph of light over darkness. Bright colours, tantalising aromas and the light of a thousand oil lamps fill the streets of Little India during Deepavali.

As one of the major cultural festivals in Singapore, Deepavali (also known as “Diwali” or the “Festival of Lights”) is a celebration that marks the triumph of good over evil.

It’s when thousands of Hindu families in the city—and across the world—transform their homes into beacons of light, exchange gifts, share feasts and perform pooja (prayers) to deities such as Lakshmi, the goddess of fertility and prosperity.

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21/10/2022

How to Decorate Your Kitchen Counter

10 ways to a functional and chic space
Knowing how to decorate kitchen counters comes down to finding the perfect balance between style and practicality

The kitchen should be an inviting area of the home, filled with character and charm, as well as a functional workspace where you can cook, entertain and store all of your kitchen appliances and accessories, and kitchen countertop ideas have a major role to play.

The key to decorating kitchen counters is to consider the everyday items that you use frequently that could benefit from being on display on the countertop, as well as the decorative pieces that make kitchen ideas feel unique and personal to you.

Kitchen styling involves curation of the objects you want on display as well as selecting the best placement. Be inspired by advice on how to decorate kitchen counters as well as tips from the experts:
  • KEEP THE LOOK CLEAN AND DECLUTTERED
  • ACCESSORIZE WITH PLANTS AND FLOWERS
  • EXTEND SHELVING
  • GROUP ITEMS IN SMALL ZONES
  • USE DECORATIVE TRAYS
  • PRIORITIZE THE ESSENTIALS
  • LAYER ITEMS TO CREATE DEPTH
  • SURROUND YOURSELF WITH MEANINGFUL DESIGNS
  • BRING IN COLORFUL ACCENTS
  • EMBRACE A THEME

18/10/2022

Brain implant enables paralysed man to write

By thinking
A brain implant picked up on the letters a paralysed man imagined writing. (Stock, Getty Images)

A paralysed man was able to write after two revolutionary chips were implanted into his brain.

The unnamed 65-year-old cannot move from the neck down as a result of a spinal cord injury in 2007. To help him communicate, scientists from Stanford University implanted so-called brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) into the left side of his vital organ, where hand movements are regulated.

These interfaces detected signals given out by the man's nerve cells when he imagined writing certain letters.

17/10/2022

Most Hilarious Windshield Notes Left On Cars



We All Scream – at This Guy

There is nothing quite like cold ice cream on a hot summer day. This poor guy just wanted to share that experience with his family on a lazy Saturday, but his plans went awry because someone decided to double park their brand-new Nissan Altima.

It’s a good thing he let this driver know the consequences of his actions.

16/10/2022

Lady Dai, the 2,000+ year old


Beautifully preserved mummy

In 1971, workers in China’s Hunan Province unearthed one of the world’s most amazing archeological sites. The area contained three elaborate tombs. One belonged to a well-to-do civil servant named Li Kang, who held the illustrious title of Marquis of Dai. The other two tombs contained his wife, Lady Dai, and their son.

The family lived during China’s Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE). Lady Dai passed away around 163 BCE, more than 2,000 years ago, but her near-perfectly preserved corpse, and the family’s funerary items, have helped historians piece together important information about life in ancient China. The remarkable archeological find was discovered during what was expected to be an uneventful project. Laborers in the city of Changsha were digging a hole for an air-raid shelter in the side of Mawangdui Hill, a spot that meant nothing to locals.

Workers were in for a shock when they decided to take a smoke break and their matches suddenly lit up from a blast of cool air emanating from deep inside the hill. Scientists were called in to investigate what locals were calling gui huo (“ghost fire”). That’s when they happened upon the Dai family’s remains.

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14/10/2022

Traveling through North Korea


This documentary provides a rare glimpse of change in the notoriously closed country. Filmmakers Gregor Möllers and Anne Lewald discretely shot the video on trips to North Korea in 2013 and 2017, when they were not allowed autonomy or spontaneity.

Despite the fact that their itinerary was arranged for them in advance and guides chaperoned them everywhere, the two Berliners found a way to register their impressions. They depict a city lacking authenticity, a country longing for reunification and a people shaped by Juche beliefs and socialist propaganda.

In a society steeped in obfuscation and spectacle, where deception is necessary for perception and expression, the filmmakers were forced to play a double role, secretly recording without permission while also genuinely relating to their hosts. By blending travelogue and espionage, A Postcard from Pyongyang captures what happens when you rely solely on what you see, not what you’re told, and reveals a reality Kim Jong-Un’s regime doesn’t want foreigners to see.

13/10/2022

NO BRA DAY 2022

NATIONAL NO BRA DAY

Boobies are Fantastic… We all think so. And what better way to express the way we feel than to support a full day of boobie freedom??

Women are magnificent creatures, and so are their breasts. Let us spend the day unleashing boobies from their boobie zoos.

Ladies, free your breasts for 24 hours by removing those dreadful (but at times oh-so-helpful) bras. Our perkiness should not be hidden. It is time that the world see what we were blessed with. Your breasts might be colossal, adorable, miniature, full, jiggly, fancy, sensitive, glistening, bouncy, smooth, tender, still blossoming, rosy, plump, fun, silky, Jello-like, fierce, jolly, nice, naughty, cuddly…

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12/10/2022

10 Ways to Look 10 Years Younger

 Without a Facelift
Look and feel younger by doing a few simple things

There is no way to stop the hands of time and prevent the aging process from actually happening. However, there are a number of ways to help improve longevity and even look much younger than you are. Eat This, Not That! asked a variety of experts the question everyone wants answered: what can I do to look 10 years younger? Read on to find out what they had to say—and to ensure your health and the health of others:
  • Maintain Good Posture
  • Don't Forget to Wear Sunscreen on Your Hands
  • Eat Anti-Aging Foods
  • Smile More
  • Exercise
  • Get A Good Night's Sleep
  • Take Care of Your Skin
  • Eat Lots of Veggies
  • Put Down the Pack
  • Keep Yourself—and Your Skin—Hydrated

10/10/2022

Singapore Good Old Days

Tennessee Waltz

Nostalgia: A force for good, but a double-edged sword?

One expert calls it the “sweet imagination of the past when the present is found wanting”, while others describe it as a “warm fuzzy feeling” or a “hipster heritage impulse”.

Whatever one calls the wave of nostalgia that has swept across the island, this phenomenon, which has been accentuated by the social media explosion, is unlikely to go away any time soon. And there are implications for policymakers beyond the clamour for buildings and areas to be preserved, such as the rise of socio-cultural clashes, the experts noted.

“Nostalgia is the gentle narcotic for a bruised soul. It can be canned and sold. Look at the National Museum’s replicating of childhood games — there is an audience and market for it,” said Dr Terence Chong, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. “There is a fetish for nostalgia out there.”

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08/10/2022

Protect yourself from fraud & scams

How Malware takes remote control of your HP after you download 3rd party apps

Update 29 Dec 2023: DEEPFAKE VIDEO OF PM LEE PROMOTING SOME INVESTMENT SCAMS

Imagine this: you’re leisurely scrolling through your usual YouTube shorts, and suddenly, an unexpected advertisement pops up.

Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong appears to be promoting a crypto-trading video on the Beijing-based news outlet China Global Television Network (CGTN). Yes, PM Lee seems to be discussing the benefits of a hands-free crypto trading platform, which boasts the ability to compute algorithms, analyse market trends, make strategic investment decisions, and execute trades—all autonomously, without any manual input from the user.

On 29 Dec, PM Lee shared a recent deepfake video that has been circulating online. Elaborating on the type of scam involved, PM Lee explained that scammers employ AI (artificial intelligence) technology to mimic our voices and images. They transform real footage of us, taken from official events, into very convincing but entirely bogus videos of us purportedly saying things we have never said. PM Lee urged people not to respond to such scam videos, which promise guaranteed returns on investments.


DEEPFAKE VIDEO OF DPM LAWRENCE WONG SELLING SOME INVESTMENT SCAM

With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), it’s sometimes difficult to tell what is real anymore. A deepfake video of Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong promoting an investment scam has been circulating on Facebook and Instagram. The worst part is that it looks real.

Deepfakes are media that have been altered by AI to look or sound like someone. In the video, DPM Wong’s mouth is altered to synchronise with a fake voiceover that sounds like him. Yes, the voiceover mimics the pitch and intonation of DPM Wong’s actual voice. Don’t believe me? You can watch the deepfake video here

Notably, the video was made from modified footage of DPM Wong giving an interview recorded by The Straits Times. The deepfake video promotes an investment scam, even using terms reminiscent of a DPM speech, like “my dear Singaporeans”.


Spate of Online Scams

An online order for grouper fillets that was supposed to cost $10 ended up costing one woman more than $44,000 after scammers took control of her Android phone and banking details remotely.

Ms Jacqueline Khoo, 58, lost $44,487 from two credit card accounts and three bank savings accounts from POSB in a few hours after she clicked on a link to download a third-party app, following which scammers then increased her credit limits and siphoned out her money. Ms Khoo had chanced upon a Facebook advertisement for grouper fillets from a seafood supplier called “Fresh Market TGS” on Aug 25.

She was attracted by a deal that offered $10 grouper fillet with free shipping and contacted the seller on Facebook. “Although I never bought anything from Facebook before, I had previously bought fish and pork from Shopee and Qoo10. I was not suspicious of the ad and it never occurred to me that this was a scam,” she told The Straits Times.


How to protect your privacy online – and why that matters
Failing to protect your digital privacy can lead to a host of issues, from identity theft to your accounts being hacked

In the age where every Google search inevitably results in customised ads showing up on your screen, and social media platforms suggest friends of friends to follow, it’s understandable why many people give up on digital privacy. After all, why bother when the Internet already knows so much about you (and all the cat videos you watch)?

In reality, we should all be doing our best to maintain our digital privacy. More than just having your embarrassing social media photos shared in public, a lack of digital privacy can have far-reaching consequences.

For example, password leaks and hacks can lead to your accounts being hijacked. Even if your passwords are safe, your identity may not be: If your full name and IC number are retrieved by a malicious actor, they can be used to apply for credit cards or loans, or even commit fraud at medical institutions. In some cases, the victim might not even be aware that their accounts or information have been compromised until they attempt to log in or are notified by the authorities.

Here are six ways to keep your personal information safe from potential breach:
  • CHECK YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS
  • YOUR PASSWORD STATUS: IT’S COMPLICATED
  • DON’T REMEMBER PASSWORDS, MANAGE THEM
  • STAY UNDER THE RADAR
  • ENABLE TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION
  • DON’T FORGET ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE

Protect yourself from online scams and attacks

One of the most common attacks we see are what we call “phishing” attacks (pronounced like fishing). This is when an attacker contacts you pretending to be somebody you know or an organization you trust, and tries to get you to give them personal information or open a malicious website or file.

Most phishing attempts arrive via email, but they can also come via text messages, direct messages on social media, or even phone calls (what we call "Vishing"). What they all have in common are:
  • A trusted sender - The message or call will appear to come from a person or organization you trust.
  • An urgent request - The messages usually have a sense of urgency to them.
  • A link or attachment - The message will include something you need to click on – a link to a website, or an attached file most commonly.

7 tips to help you protect yourself from Internet bank fraud

You may not think that you have any highly coveted information. So why would cybercriminals be interested in you? Actually, fraudsters look for identities just like yours to avoid raising any suspicion about their crimes. 

Using details about your identity (last name, first name, address, social insurance number, bank information), a fraudster could use your information to apply for mortgage loans or credits cards in your name. Your identity could also be used to create a fake passport or driver’s license.

7 fictional examples of bank fraud:
  • Don’t believe every email or text message you receive
  • Don’t let your guard down in the face of unexpected situations
  • Don’t share your bank details over social media
  • Don’t share personal information about your identity
  • Don’t pounce too quickly on online deals
  • Don’t be blinded by love
  • Exercise caution when buying or selling stuff online


11 Ways to Protect Yourself From Fraud
Take these steps to keep safe from scams, identity theft and spam calls

Among the reasons to be glad 2020 is nearing an end: It was a banner year for scammers. Along with the usual assortment of thefts, COVID-19 fraud ranged from fake product offers and bogus testing ploys to rip-offs involving stimulus checks.

As always, your best defense against fraud is you. While planning your New Year's resolutions, put these to-dos on your list. Some you can do right now, while others are behaviors to adopt. Together they'll help protect you and those you love in the coming year:
  • Improve your password protection
  • Protect your mail
  • Check your credit report
  • Filter your phone calls
  • Manage your emails
  • Do a quick Facebook privacy checkup
  • Vet unfamiliar e-retailers
  • Say no to gift cards
  • Copy all the contents of your wallet today
  • Don't send nudes!
  • Stop, breathe, ask

New scam? Man pretends to be hit by car in Serangoon

What a dramatic accident — except that there was no collision involved. A man was caught on camera throwing himself out in front of an oncoming car and then falling onto the ground even though the vehicle did not hit him.

Several readers alerted Stomp to the video that has been circulating online since Wednesday (Sept 28). The incident reportedly occurred along Serangoon North Avenue 5 on Monday evening. In the video, the pedestrian is seen flinging himself onto the road in an exaggerated tumble.

The driver who captured the video, however, had honked and stopped in time while still some distance away from the man. She can be heard saying, "What are you doing?" It is unclear what the man replied but he continued to sit on the road. Many netizens called out the incident for being a "100 per cent insurance scam" and made sarcastic comments about the man's acting.


Anti-scam app ScamShield now available for Android users
(From left) Open Government Products director Li Hongyi, Minister Sun Xueling, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean, NCPC chairman Gerald Singham and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Policy) Jerry See launching the Android version of ScamShield. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY

Android users can now download an app called ScamShield, which can block calls from blacklisted numbers that have been verified as scam-related.

The app, which can also identify scam SMSes, is available on Google Play Store.

It has been available to iOS users since November 2020.


How does ScamShield work?

The app filters incoming calls and text messages. ScamShield compares an incoming call against a list maintained by the Singapore Police Force to determine if the number has been used for illegal purposes and blocks it.

When you receive an incoming SMS from an unknown contact, ScamShield will determine if the SMS is a scam using an on-device algorithm. For iOS, it filters the messages to a junk SMS folder. For Android, a notification is sent to users to notify them that a scam message has been received.

Scam SMSes will be sent to NCPC and SPF for collation. This keeps the app updated and will help protect others from such scam calls and messages.  Features of Scam Shield:
  • Block scam calls
  • Detect scam SMSes
  • Report scam messages

WhatsApp users in S'pore urged to update app to patch security holes
The first system flaw allows an attacker to take control of the app while a user is making a video call REUTERS

WhatsApp users in Singapore have been urged to download the latest version of the application to fix two security flaws that could give hackers complete control over the app.

Issuing the alert on Wednesday, the Singapore Computer Emergency Response Team (SingCert) said users should install the latest version of the app "immediately" even though there are currently no reports of active exploitation of the loopholes.

The first system flaw allows an attacker to take control of the app while a user is making a video call.


How You can Avoid being Scammed
Scams have been increasing of late. Here’s how to stay safe

Ever received emails from “royals” seeking help to transfer money out of their country in exchange for a percentage of the loot? Or phone calls informing that you’ve won a seven-figure overseas lottery and the only way to receive the payout is by providing your banking details? These are just some examples of classic scams that have been around since mobile technology became a part of our everyday life.

Scammers, though, have been evolving in recent years, becoming sophisticated cons who not only target individuals but businesses and organisations as well. The first half of 2020 saw the number of scams in Singapore jump by 140 per cent compared to 2019. More troublingly, a survey by the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre found that 45 per cent of scam victims reported being scammed more than once. According to the Singapore Police Force, last year saw a whopping $201 million lost to scammers, much of it online as Singaporeans turned to websites and apps to carry out activities like banking and buying groceries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scammers have also begun to target people working from home through robocalls, as well as seniors who are unfamiliar with the Internet.

The rising number of scam victims is testament to the increasing psychological sophistication of scammers’ tactics ­in crafting false proof, impersonating the victim’s close friends and using the victim’s shame about possibly falling for a scam to continue extracting money from them. Romance scammers are especially adept at identifying victims who are lonely, vulnerable and easily manipulated — a group that is increasing in size worldwide, due to COVID-19’s impact on social lives. Ensure your safety and that of others by familiarising yourself with common methods of fraud. Here are the top 10 scams in Singapore (in no particular order):
  • E-COMMERCE
  • SOCIAL MEDIA IMPERSONATION
  • INTERNET LOVE
  • CREDIT-FOR-SEX
  • CHINESE OFFICIALS IMPERSONATION
  • TECH SUPPORT
  • BANKING-RELATED PHISHING
  • NON-BANKING-RELATED PHISHING
  • LOANS
  • INVESTMENT


Banks to remove clickable links in emails, SMS sent to customers as part of new security measures
New measures for digital banking are to be rolled out for banks in Singapore, after a recent spate of SMS phishing scams affected at least 469 of OCBC's customers

Banks in Singapore will be removing clickable links in emails or SMS messages sent to retail customers and set the threshold for funds transfer notifications to customers by default at S$100 or lower. These are part of several measures to protect account holders from phishing scams. The changes, announced by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) in a joint statement on Wednesday (Jan 19), will be implemented within the next two weeks.

The new measures came after at least 469 customers were affected by an SMS phishing scam targeting OCBC bank customers, with losses totalling at least S$8.5 million. The fraudsters had sent out fake bank alerts that spoofed the bank's official SMS channel, duping many of them into clicking on web links and giving up their personal account information last month. In the joint statement, MAS and ABS said that these measures will bolster the security of digital banking, given that it will lengthen the time taken for certain online banking transactions and also provide an added layer of security to protect customers’ funds.

Other measures that banks will be putting in place include:
  • Delaying activation of a new soft token on a mobile device by at least 12 hours
  • Sending notification to a customer's existing mobile number or email registered with the bank whenever there is a request to change a customer’s mobile number or email address
  • Introducing a cooling-off period before executing requests to important account changes such as in a customer’s key contact details
  • Having dedicated and well-resourced customer assistance teams to deal with feedback on potential fraud cases on a priority basis
  • More frequent scam education alerts


What Is Pig-Butchering Scam 杀猪盘

I want to raise awareness on the Pig-Butchering scam or Sha Zhu Pan in Chinese. So called because victims are patiently worked on every day for 1-3 months before scamming them big time, like fattening up a pig before slaughter. They have extremely well-planned operations and have really been successful in the Chinese-speaking world. Sha Zhu Pan scam has become one of the top Chinese buzzwords in 2019-2020.

Victims are scammed on average $24k, and millions in total have been lost. It's a huge cottage industry that Chinese police has had a hard time stamping out. There are scores of recent news stories, blogs, video clips, and other media online about Sha Zhu Pan victims and scammers. Sadly, almost all are in Chinese. I think the rest of the world has to wise up to this, because now as most Chinese are becoming aware of this Pig-Butchering Scam, the scammers are turning their skills more towards non-Chinese, more so this year.

This first half is somewhat detailed because since everyone is generally aware of romance scams, being vague won't convince someone who is in the thick of it and thinks that his/her online friend is THE exception. Exposing specific details of the Pig-Butchering scam is most convincing to current victims that the "spontaneous" events are actually planned.


Top 10 Scams in Singapore
Scams have been increasing of late. Here’s how to stay safe

Ever received emails from “royals” seeking help to transfer money out of their country in exchange for a percentage of the loot? Or phone calls informing that you’ve won a seven-figure overseas lottery and the only way to receive the payout is by providing your banking details? These are just some examples of classic scams that have been around since mobile technology became a part of our everyday life.

Scammers, though, have been evolving in recent years, becoming sophisticated cons who not only target individuals but businesses and organisations as well. The first half of 2020 saw the number of scams in Singapore jump by 140 per cent compared to 2019. More troublingly, a survey by the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre found that 45 per cent of scam victims reported being scammed more than once. According to the Singapore Police Force, last year saw a whopping $201 million lost to scammers, much of it online as Singaporeans turned to websites and apps to carry out activities like banking and buying groceries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Scammers have also begun to target people working from home through robocalls, as well as seniors who are unfamiliar with the Internet.

The rising number of scam victims is testament to the increasing psychological sophistication of scammers’ tactics ­in crafting false proof, impersonating the victim’s close friends and using the victim’s shame about possibly falling for a scam to continue extracting money from them. Romance scammers are especially adept at identifying victims who are lonely, vulnerable and easily manipulated — a group that is increasing in size worldwide, due to COVID-19’s impact on social lives. Ensure your safety and that of others by familiarising yourself with common methods of fraud. Here are the top 10 scams in Singapore (in no particular order):
  • E-COMMERCE
  • SOCIAL MEDIA IMPERSONATION
  • INTERNET LOVE
  • CREDIT-FOR-SEX
  • CHINESE OFFICIALS IMPERSONATION
  • TECH SUPPORT
  • BANKING-RELATED PHISHING
  • NON-BANKING-RELATED PHISHING
  • LOANS
  • INVESTMENT