S1E5: Set up strong passwords using Singlish and unique phrases: Stop Scams

  • 25 May 2022

Synopsis: This is a special-edition podcast series by The Straits Times to raise greater public awareness of the modern scourge of scams in Singapore and globally. In Singapore, 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 romance to work. The police are cracking down on offenders. What can you do to protect yourself? In the series’ fifth episode, ST’s deputy news editor Andre Yeo, crime correspondent David Sun and journalist Jessie Lim speak with Mr Willis Lim, director of the National Cyber Threat Analysis Centre, the research division of the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) that oversees Singapore's cyber security strategy. Mr Lim talks about the ways cyber criminals identify potential victims and new scams the CSA is seeing in 2022.  Mr Lim explains why the use of Singlish words, which are not commonly found in most dictionaries, makes it much harder for cyber criminals to crack your passwords. He also provides tips on how Singaporeans can protect themselves from tech support scams.  Highlights (click/tap above): 08:49 How cyber criminals look for victims’ personal particulars online and on the Dark Web 09:36 Why Mr Willis Lim stopped his mother from throwing his phone bill into the dustbin  11:10 Scams the Cyber Security Agency is seeing in 2022, such as phishing and tech support scams 20:30 How to set a strong password using Singlish and unique passphrases  21:50 How tech support scams work and the steps you can take to protect yourself  28:29 The dollar value of personal data stolen from data breaches Listen to earlier Stop Scams podcasts: https://str.sg/wnBi Ep 1 - Near impossible to recover your money once scammers transfer it out of Singapore Ep 2 - How scammers are buying bank accounts and digital identities of youth for misuse Ep 3 - Why children are more susceptible to scams than adults Ep 4 - How to spot a victim of a scam Produced by: Andre Yeo (andrey@sph.com.sg), Jessie Lim (ljessie@sph.com.sg), David Sun (davidsun@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Teo Tong Kai and Paxton Pang Edited by: Eden Soh  Read 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/ Follow ST's Stop Scams podcast series here: Stop Scams Playlist: https://str.sg/wnBi Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wnB5 Spotify: https://str.sg/wnBS 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 Jessie Lim's articles: https://str.sg/wWtF David Sun's articles: https://str.sg/wWty --- Discover ST's special edition podcasts: Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wsfD The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia Embed: https://str.sg/ws76 Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wnBi --- Discover more ST podcast series: In Your Opinion Podcast: https://str.sg/w7Qt SG Extra Podcast: https://str.sg/w6mk  Asian Insider Podcast: https://str.sg/JWa7 Green Pulse Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check Podcast: https://str.sg/JWaN #PopVultures Podcast: https://str.sg/JWad ST Sports Talk Podcast: https://str.sg/JWRE Bookmark This! Podcast: https://str.sg/JWas Lunch With Sumiko Podcast: https://str.sg/J6hQ Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.