Latest news with #Zalo
The Star
4 days ago
- The Star
Hanoi police rescue student tricked into filming nude video for blackmail
HANOI: Authorities in Hanoi have successfully rescued a female student who had been psychologically manipulated into filming a nude video under false pretences and blackmailed for money. The victim, a 17-year-old student identified only as X., had been lured into a sophisticated online scam in which perpetrators posed as law enforcement officers. The case came to light around 4pm on Wednesday when the victim's father, D., 46, residing in Viet Hung Ward, received a disturbing message via Zalo from his daughter's account. The message demanded VND300 million (US$11,500) and included a video showing his daughter in a state of complete undress. When D. attempted to call the number, a man's voice answered. He eventually heard his daughter's voice – faint and seemingly coerced – prompting him to report the incident to local police. Upon receiving the report, Viet Hung's police quickly deployed criminal investigators and alerted Hanoii's Police Department. Within two hours, they located the victim alone in a guesthouse on Tạ Quang Buu Street, Bach Khoa Ward, Hanoi. At the scene, police found no other individuals, and the guesthouse owner confirmed that X. had arrived alone and rented the room herself. However, her phone was still connected to a Zoom call with a man dressed in a police uniform, who had used official-sounding terminology and displayed a police badge via camera in an attempt to reinforce the deception. "At first, she didn't believe we were real police officers because she had been manipulated from the beginning," said a police officer. "Only after family members were brought in did the victim begin to realise she had been tricked." At the police station, X. recounted the events that led to her ordeal. Two days earlier, she received a call from a man claiming to be a police officer, who falsely accused her of being linked to a money laundering operation involving her national ID. She was told to cooperate in an investigation and, under pressure, provided access to her Facebook and Zalo accounts, which she was then instructed to delete. Communication continued exclusively via Zoom. During a video call, a man in uniform posed as a police officer and requested personal and financial information. He ultimately instructed X. to undress on camera to 'verify' she was not hiding drugs or other incriminating evidence. "I was told to take off all my clothes so they could check for tattoos or identifying marks related to a suspect," X. said, tearfully recounting the incident. Authorities stressed that the victim had not been physically abducted or restrained but was completely controlled through psychological manipulation. Police called the incident a form of 'online kidnapping'. When asked why she did not seek help from family or friends, the victim explained that she believed she was old enough to handle the situation on her own. The case remains under investigation by Viet Hung's police and the Criminal Police Division as efforts continue to identify the individual or group behind the impersonation and blackmail. Authorities noted that the case serves as a warning about increasingly sophisticated forms of cybercrime that rely on psychological manipulation, impersonation of officials and virtual threats. - Vietnam News
The Star
11-06-2025
- The Star
Vietnamese 'romance scammers' busted in Thai luxury villa raid
BANGKOK: Thai police have dismantled a major call centre operation run by a gang of 27 Vietnamese nationals, who set up their base in luxury villas in the suburbs of Bangkok to perpetrate an elaborate 'romance scam' that defrauded victims of tens of millions of baht. The bust, led by Pol Lt Col Paiboon Sorso, Deputy Superintendent of the Patrol Division, saw 191 police officers storm the illicit operation, apprehending 27 individuals and confiscating a significant cache of evidence including 116 mobile phones, 45 computers, and five grams of ketamine. Pol Maj Gen Noppasil Poonsawas, Deputy Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, revealed that the investigation was triggered by public complaints about a suspicious gathering of foreign nationals. Subsequent enquiries by patrol police confirmed that individuals had rented two properties in an upscale village on the city's outskirts, displaying behaviour that warranted police intervention. The gang, comprising five women and 22 men, reportedly travelled from Hanoi, Vietnam, entering Thailand in October 2024 on tourist visas – allowing only a 60-day stay. Most members entered via the Khlong Luek checkpoint in Sa Kaeo province before forming the call centre operation. Their methodology mirrored classic 'romance scam' tactics, primarily targeting other Vietnamese individuals. The scammers created enticing online profiles featuring attractive and seemingly affluent individuals, posing as property investors or professionals. After establishing trust and cultivating a romantic connection, they would then manipulate victims into transferring money for various fabricated "missions," often citing made-up debts or hardships to elicit sympathy and financial aid. The scamming activities largely took place through the popular Vietnamese chat application "Zalo." Investigations into the seized computers revealed a staggering scale of fraud: each of the 27 workstations, manned by a dedicated suspect on rotation, was capable of swindling approximately 1.2 billion Vietnamese Dong per month since March. This amounts to a total of 36 billion Vietnamese Dong monthly across the operation, equating to an estimated 39 million Thai baht in damages. - The Nation/ANN
Arab News
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Britain's PM urges nations to smash migrant smuggling gangs ‘once and for all'
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged dozens of countries to collaborate to dismantle migrant smuggling gangs 'once and for all' when he opened an immigration crime summit on Monday. Starmer is seeking to crack down on would-be asylum seekers arriving in England on flimsy small boats and has brought together delegates from more than 40 nations for the two-day London meeting. The interior ministers of France and Germany were among those attending the Organized Immigration Crime Summit. China and the United States also sent representatives. The UK government is struggling to stop undocumented migrants embarking on dangerous boat journeys across the Channel from France. 'This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions... and profits from our inability at the political level to come together,' Starmer said. He argued that resources and intelligence must be shared and that governments need to 'tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people-smuggling routes.' 'There's nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye to this,' Starmer added. Britain's Home Office (interior ministry) billed the gathering as 'the first major international summit in the UK to tackle the global emergency of illegal migration.' Representatives from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, as well as North America were due to attend. In a video message played to delegates, Italy's far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni hailed her country's agreement with Albania to process asylum claims at detention centers in the non-European Union country. She claimed that countries 'criticized (it) at first but that then has gained increasing consensus.' Italian judges have repeatedly refused to sign off on the detention in Albania of migrants intercepted by Italian authorities at sea, ordering them to be transferred to Italy instead, and the European Court of Justice is reviewing Rome's policy. Joint action plan The summit is designed to build on talks interior minister Yvette Cooper held in December with her counterparts from Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands. The five countries signed a joint action plan designed to boost cooperation to dismantle migrant smuggling gangs. Also attending were delegates from countries from where would-be asylum seekers set out, such as Vietnam and Iraq, and countries they transit, such as those in the Balkans. It also brings together the heads of UK law enforcement agencies and their counterparts from Interpol, Europol and Afripol. The Home Office said the summit would discuss the equipment, infrastructure and fraudulent documents that organized criminal gangs use to smuggle people. They would also look at how supply routes work and discuss how to tackle the online recruitment of migrants, including with representatives from social media platforms Meta, X and TikTok. The UK announced on Sunday it was launching adverts on Zalo, the Vietnamese instant messaging system, to warn people of the dangers of people smugglers. Vietnamese nationals are among the top nationalities making the perilous sea voyage across the Channel to Britain. Similar UK campaigns have already been launched in Albania and Iraqi Kurdistan. UK officials are also keen to speak to China about how it can stop exporting engines and other small boats parts used in crossings. According to the Home Office, the UK's National Crime Agency and global law enforcement partners have seized 600 boats and engines since July. 'No right to be here' Starmer told the meeting that since his Labour government took power in July, more than 24,000 people with 'no right to be here' had been returned. But the number of would-be asylum seekers arriving across the Channel set a new record last week for the first three months of the year — at more than 6,600. At least 10 people are dead or missing after attempting the treacherous crossing so far this year, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 157,770 people have been detected trying to enter Britain in dinghies since successive governments began collecting data in 2018. In February, Starmer's government announced it was toughening immigration rules to make it almost impossible for undocumented migrants who arrive on small boats to later receive citizenship. On Sunday, it said it would tighten rules to legally require UK gig economy employers to carry out right-to-work checks. Starmer is under pressure, in part from rising support for Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, which won roughly four million votes at July's general election — an unprecedented haul for a hard-right party. Rights group Amnesty International stresses: 'Seeking asylum is a human right. This means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum.' 'The people are not the problem,' it says on its website. 'Rather, the causes that drive families and individuals to cross borders and the short-sighted and unrealistic ways that politicians respond to them are the problem.'
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UK PM urges nations to smash migrant smuggling gangs 'once and for all'
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged dozens of countries to collaborate to dismantle migrant smuggling gangs "once and for all" when he opened an immigration crime summit on Monday. Starmer is seeking to crack down on would-be asylum seekers arriving in England on flimsy small boats and has brought together delegates from more than 40 nations for the two-day London meeting. The interior ministers of France and Germany were among those attending the Organised Immigration Crime Summit. China and the United States also sent representatives. The UK government is struggling to stop undocumented migrants embarking on dangerous boat journeys across the Channel from France. "This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions... and profits from our inability at the political level to come together," Starmer said. He argued that resources and intelligence must be shared and that governments need to "tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people-smuggling routes". "There's nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye to this," Starmer added. Britain's Home Office (interior ministry) billed the gathering as "the first major international summit in the UK to tackle the global emergency of illegal migration". Representatives from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, as well as North America were due to attend. In a video message played to delegates, Italy's far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni hailed her country's agreement with Albania to process asylum claims at detention centres in the non-European Union country. She claimed that countries "criticised (it) at first but that then has gained increasing consensus". Italian judges have repeatedly refused to sign off on the detention in Albania of migrants intercepted by Italian authorities at sea, ordering them to be transferred to Italy instead, and the European Court of Justice is reviewing Rome's policy. - Online recruitment - The summit is designed to build on talks interior minister Yvette Cooper held in December with her counterparts from Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands. The five countries signed a joint action plan designed to boost cooperation to dismantle migrant smuggling gangs. Also attending were delegates from countries from where would-be asylum seekers set out, such as Vietnam and Iraq, and countries they transit, such as those in the Balkans. It also brings together the heads of UK law enforcement agencies and their counterparts from Interpol, Europol and Afripol. The Home Office said the summit would discuss the equipment, infrastructure and fraudulent documents that organised criminal gangs use to smuggle people. They would also look at how supply routes work and discuss how to tackle the online recruitment of migrants, including with representatives from social media platforms Meta, X and TikTok. The UK announced on Sunday it was launching adverts on Zalo, the Vietnamese instant messaging system, to warn people of the dangers of people smugglers. Vietnamese nationals are among the top nationalities making the perilous sea voyage across the Channel to Britain. Similar UK campaigns have already been launched in Albania and Iraqi Kurdistan. UK officials are also keen to speak to China about how it can stop exporting engines and other small boats parts used in crossings. According to the Home Office, the UK's National Crime Agency and global law enforcement partners have seized 600 boats and engines since July. - Domestic pressure - Starmer told the meeting that since his Labour government took power in July, more than 24,000 people with "no right to be here" had been returned. But the number of would-be asylum seekers arriving across the Channel set a new record last week for the first three months of the year -- at more than 6,600. At least 10 people are dead or missing after attempting the treacherous crossing so far this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. More than 157,770 people have been detected trying to enter Britain in dinghies since successive governments began collecting data in 2018. In February, Starmer's government announced it was toughening immigration rules to make it almost impossible for undocumented migrants who arrive on small boats to later receive citizenship. On Sunday, it said it would tighten rules to legally require UK gig economy employers to carry out right-to-work checks. Starmer is under pressure, in part from rising support for Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, which won roughly four million votes at July's general election -- an unprecedented haul for a hard-right party. Rights group Amnesty International stresses: "Seeking asylum is a human right. This means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum." "The people are not the problem," it says on its website. "Rather, the causes that drive families and individuals to cross borders and the short-sighted and unrealistic ways that politicians respond to them are the problem." pdh/jkb
Khaleej Times
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
UK PM urges nations to smash migrant smuggling gangs 'once and for all'
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer urged dozens of countries to collaborate to dismantle migrant smuggling gangs "once and for all" when he opened an immigration crime summit on Monday. Starmer is seeking to crack down on would-be asylum seekers arriving in England on flimsy small boats and has brought together delegates from more than 40 nations for the two-day London meeting. The interior ministers of France and Germany were among those attending the Organised Immigration Crime Summit. China and the United States also sent representatives. The UK government is struggling to stop undocumented migrants embarking on dangerous boat journeys across the Channel from France. "This vile trade exploits the cracks between our institutions... and profits from our inability at the political level to come together," Starmer said. He argued that resources and intelligence must be shared and that governments need to "tackle the problem upstream at every step of the people-smuggling routes". "There's nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye to this," Starmer added. Britain's Home Office (interior ministry) billed the gathering as "the first major international summit in the UK to tackle the global emergency of illegal migration". Representatives from across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, as well as North America were due to attend. In a video message played to delegates, Italy's far-right prime minister Giorgia Meloni hailed her country's agreement with Albania to process asylum claims at detention centres in the non-European Union country. She claimed that countries "criticised (it) at first but that then has gained increasing consensus". Italian judges have repeatedly refused to sign off on the detention in Albania of migrants intercepted by Italian authorities at sea, ordering them to be transferred to Italy instead, and the European Court of Justice is reviewing Rome's policy. Online recruitment The summit is designed to build on talks interior minister Yvette Cooper held in December with her counterparts from Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands. The five countries signed a joint action plan designed to boost cooperation to dismantle migrant smuggling gangs. Also attending were delegates from countries from where would-be asylum seekers set out, such as Vietnam and Iraq, and countries they transit, such as those in the Balkans. It also brings together the heads of UK law enforcement agencies and their counterparts from Interpol, Europol and Afripol. The Home Office said the summit would discuss the equipment, infrastructure and fraudulent documents that organised criminal gangs use to smuggle people. They would also look at how supply routes work and discuss how to tackle the online recruitment of migrants, including with representatives from social media platforms Meta, X and TikTok. The UK announced on Sunday it was launching adverts on Zalo, the Vietnamese instant messaging system, to warn people of the dangers of people smugglers. Vietnamese nationals are among the top nationalities making the perilous sea voyage across the Channel to Britain. Similar UK campaigns have already been launched in Albania and Iraqi Kurdistan. UK officials are also keen to speak to China about how it can stop exporting engines and other small boats parts used in crossings. According to the Home Office, the UK's National Crime Agency and global law enforcement partners have seized 600 boats and engines since July. Domestic pressure Starmer told the meeting that since his Labour government took power in July, more than 24,000 people with "no right to be here" had been returned. But the number of would-be asylum seekers arriving across the Channel set a new record last week for the first three months of the year -- at more than 6,600. At least 10 people are dead or missing after attempting the treacherous crossing so far this year, according to the International Organisation for Migration. More than 157,770 people have been detected trying to enter Britain in dinghies since successive governments began collecting data in 2018. In February, Starmer's government announced it was toughening immigration rules to make it almost impossible for undocumented migrants who arrive on small boats to later receive citizenship. On Sunday, it said it would tighten rules to legally require UK gig economy employers to carry out right-to-work checks. Starmer is under pressure, in part from rising support for Nigel Farage's anti-immigration Reform UK party, which won roughly four million votes at July's general election -- an unprecedented haul for a hard-right party. Rights group Amnesty International stresses: "Seeking asylum is a human right. This means everyone should be allowed to enter another country to seek asylum." "The people are not the problem," it says on its website. "Rather, the causes that drive families and individuals to cross borders and the short-sighted and unrealistic ways that politicians respond to them are the problem."
