Malaysia

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | July 23rd, 2002 | Trackback

Since June 1, some 400 cases of ATM fraud have occurred in Malaysia, many of them in Kuala Lumpur, where a criminal syndicate uses pinhole cameras and scanners built to look like they’re part of the ATM to gather PINs and magnetic data from unsuspecting customers, then manufactures duplicate cards to obtain cash from the accounts. Check all ATMs for these telltale signs when obtaining cash: a pinhole camera attached to a metal strip on the ceiling of the ATM frame; a box attached to the ATM just below the card-insertion point that appears to be part of the machine and is marked with the initials MPES, an abbreviation for a shared banking network in Malaysia.

Home » Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Scams/Crime

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Malaysia

By Larry Habegger | Permalink | No Comments | July 9th, 2002 | Trackback

Despite the reported killing of the Abu Sayyaf leader in the Philippines, the threat of further kidnappings by the terrorist group remains in the islands off the east coast of Sabah, near the islands in the southern Philippines where Abu Sayyaf has been active. Malaysian police patrol the waters off the Sabah coast, but the area is large and isolated and offers many places for rebels to hide. Small military detachments have been posted on the islands of Sipadan and Pandanan to prevent a repeat of the abductions there in 2000.

Snatch theft is one of Malaysia’s biggest street crime problems, and as in any place where this crime occurs, there are greater dangers than losing your possessions. An Indonesian woman was killed recently in Penang when she was yanked off her feet by thieves on a motorcycle who snatched her shoulder bag. She struck her head on the pavement and later died. Other victims have suffered serious injuries in similar crimes. If carrying a bag, keep it on the side away from the street and try to be aware of motorcycles approaching from behind.

Home » Terrorist threats, Southeast Asia, Malaysia

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