X-AH-LONG!

Some online scammers will spring their trap by pandering to one's vanity and ego, such as the "chance" to join some exclusive not-for-just-anyone club...

Beware such traps! In this case, the sender wants your personal details and asks you to click on a link.

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There is of course the by-now infamous "Nigerian scams" -- typically, you have received some windfall or you are being asked to help someone who has received some windfall. All you need to do is to send some money either as a "small" administration/processing fee or to help the email sender "unlock" the money so that it can be shared with you. Sounds fishy? Well, enough people worldwide have taken the bait. Just Google "Nigerian scams" for more on this phenomenon.  

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Here in Singapore, I received last year this "phishing scam" alert from Singnet:

SingNet Alert: Reported phishing attempt using fraudulent SingNet email 

The suspicious email from kohes @singnet.com.sg may look like this (there may be others):

From: SingNet [mailto:kohes @singnet.com.sg]
Subject: Verify this email Account
This is to inform some SingNet broad band Internet Customer Users that we are experiencing congestions due to the anonymous registration of accounts and we are shutting down unused account kindly; confirm to us if you are interested in your account by filling the following
User name,
Password,
Date of birth
We apologize for any inconveniences. Warning!!! SingNet Account owner that refuses to update his/her account after 5 days of receiving this message the account will be deleted permanently.
SingNet On-line customers service

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Many other scams take place in the "offline" world. The Red Cross here was recently a victim of scammers -- people who pretended to be raising money on its behalf...

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There have been enough "kidnap" scams here to warrant this police advisory ad:

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Finally, I don't know who first coined the term "Ah Long" (the so-called "loan shark" also famous for the "O$P$, or "Owe money, pay money" shorthand), but it is now a Singaporean fixture, together with it the strange and jarring phrase "loan sharking"...

Still, I thought the idea of the police hotline to call, 1800-X-AH-LONG, was good. Yes, let's "axe" the scourge of the Ah Long blight!