Irrawaddy-Jan 4
A joint offensive by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and the Mandalay People’s Defense Force seized a strategic junta military outpost in Shan State’s Nawnghkio Township after a fierce overnight battle that ended early Wednesday morning, resistance groups said. Nawnghkio is about an hour’s drive from the regime’s Defence Services Academy in Mandalay Region’s Pyin Oo Lwin Township. The strategic outpost usually had more than 200 junta troops stationed at it. The Mandalay PDF under the National Unity Government’s Ministry of Defense and the TNLA launched their attack on the outpost in Nawnghkio Township’s Thanbo Village on Jan. 2. They seized the outpost at about 7:30 a.m. on Jan. 3, following what they described as a fierce overnight battle. Drone jammers and a cache of arms and ammunition were seized by resistance troops, a member of the PDF said. “We are still verifying the casualties on both sides. However, they [junta] had dozens of casualties as we ambushed three military trucks on the way [to the outpost]. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-resistance-set-to-expand-fighting-in-mandalay-after-seizing-strategic-junta-outpost.html
SINGAPORE: What is a ‘Cyber Kidnapping’ Scam, and How Can You Protect Yourself Against it? TODAY-Jan 5
The recent case of a Chinese exchange student in the United States who went missing and was later found alive in the woods has sparked worldwide interest in the particular kind of scam to which he had fallen prey. A victim of “cyber kidnapping”, 17-year-old Kai Zhuang was told by a group of scammers to isolate himself in a tent in a secluded area and take pictures of himself that would make it look like he was kidnapped. They then used the photos he took to extort money from his family, threatening to harm him if they did not pay up, even though all the while, the scammers were nowhere near Kai Zhuang. Though this particular case has caught worldwide attention, this is not a new type of scam and cases have occurred, including in Singapore, over recent years. The victims are often told that if they do not comply, their families will be in danger.
Cyber kidnappers do not physically kidnap their victims, but they employ many manipulative tactics similar to other scammers who use phones or online modes of communication to conduct fraud. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/explainer-cyber-kidnapping-scam-protect-2336491
