Syndicate invested in cryptocurrency worth more than RM336mil
JOHOR BARU: Police have crippled a major Macau Scam syndicate which used its ill-gotten gains to buy property and invest in cryptocurrency totalling more than RM336mil.
At least 12 suspects – nine men and three women – were arrested in a series of raids in Penang and Kuala Lumpur last month.
Among the suspects were company directors.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay ( pic) said in Ops Pelican 2.0, police uncovered an intricate web of how the syndicate operated, including the identity of the mastermind, numerous mule accounts, fake companies and investments.
Victims who have been duped by the syndicate would first be told to transfer money into a mule account.
“The money is then channelled to another mule account belonging to another company,” he said, adding that all the mule accounts belonged to syndicate members and were designed not to leave a money trail.
Comm Ayob said the funds were then transferred to a property developer in Penang to purchase property and invest in Bitcoins.
“This modus operandi aimed to avoid detection from the authorities and was their way of money laundering,” he said during a press conference at the Johor police headquarters yesterday.
To date, police have found 91 mule accounts comprising 73 company bank accounts and 18 personal accounts.
“Since June last year, some RM25mil has been used to make progress payment for 100 condominium and commercial units in George Town,” he said.
Based on the Sale and Purchase Agreements, two companies are involved in property acquisition in 2015 totalling RM336mil.
Comm Ayob said the two companies belonged to the 55-year-old mastermind who has a criminal record. He is believed to have fled the country and is currently hiding in Thailand.
The man’s two sons are directors in the companies.
“Our investigations showed that some of the proxies and directors in the bogus companies are paid RM16,000 monthly,” he said.
The 12 suspects, aged between 29 and 68, have since been released on police bail.
Police are probing the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
The 55-year-old is now linked to an elaborate web of scams, including Macau scams
and others, through the setting up of layers of shell companies using
drug addicts as directors to launder ill-gotten gains and then investing
them in high-end properties in Malaysia and Thailand.1 day ago
You carry your smartphone everywhere. But the
way you use it could leave you vulnerable to specific forms of identity
theft, including robocall scams and hackers looking to hijack your phone
number. — AP
Blockchain
is perhaps best known for underpinning the operation of
cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, which Beijing may seek to replicate.PHOTO: REUTERS
One example of the potential application of
blockchain technology is a newly launched app by the Communist Party
that asks members to explain why they joined and what party loyalty
means to them. (Photo: AFP/Greg Baker)
BEIJING: China has launched an ambitious effort to challenge the US dominance in blockchain technology, which it could use for everything from issuing digital money, to streamlining a raft of government services and tracking Communist Party loyalty.
The technology received a crucial endorsement from President Xi Jinping last week, a signal that the government sees blockchain as an integral part of the country's plan to become a high-tech superpower.
Beijing is the latest in a handful of countries to have adopted a law strictly governing the encryption of data - particularly blockchain technology, which allows the storage and direct exchange of data without going through an intermediary.
Reputedly unfalsifiable, blockchain is a database shared across a network of computers. Once a record has been added to the chain it is almost impossible to change.
It is perhaps best known for underpinning the operation of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin - which Beijing may seek to replicate as it pushes ahead with its plans for a world-leading government-run digital currency.
Blockchain technology received a crucial endorsement from President Xi Jinping last week, a signal that the government sees it as an integral part of the country's plan to become a high-tech superpower. (Photo: AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)
Although the new law for blockchain "is still rather vague", the country is clearly one of the most active in terms of regulation, Stanislas Pogorzelski, editor of specialist site Cryptonaute.fr, told AFP.
"China has understood very well that to stay a superpower, you have to be at the forefront of new technologies," said Pogorzelski.
Blockchain is set to play a key role in many sectors in the future, including digital finance, internet of things, artificial intelligence and 5G.
LESS HUMAN INTERVENTION
Bitcoin(FX:BTC/USD)Stock market insights from social media
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It could also serve to make China's vast bureaucratic system more efficient.
The official Xinhua news agency said a blockchain-based system had been used for the first time to automatically generate and file an enforcement case in Chinese court against a party who failed to pay damages in a mediation agreement.
With less human intervention, such systems could make judicial enforcement in China "more intelligent and transparent," the agency said.
Chinese shares jumped this week as investors piled into stocks linked to blockchain, after Xi said China should step up research and development of the technology.
"Blockchain should play a bigger role in strengthening Chinese power in cyberspace, developing the digital economy and promoting socio-economic development," Xi said.
"The general sentiment of Xi's comments was simple," said Anthony Pompliano, who writes a daily cryptocurrency newsletter.
"Blockchain technology is really important for the future and China plans to be the global leader," Pompliano added.
LOYALTY TEST
According to analyst Kai von Carnap of the Mercator Institute for Chinese Studies, blockchain-backed tools have potential applications that go well beyond improving administrative efficiency in China.
"More interesting will be those targeting party discipline, internal stability and ideological loyalty," Von Carnap told AFP.
Chinese shares jumped this week as investors piled into stocks linked to blockchain, after Xi said China should step up research and development of the technology. (Photo: AFP/Hector Retamal)
One example is a newly launched app by the Communist Party that asks members to explain why they joined and what party loyalty means to them.
Blockchain technology is then used to store their responses on a permanent, widely distributed ledger - recording their thoughts in cyberspace forever.
"NOT A FAN"
As China trumpets its push for more blockchain technology, it is hoping to outpace trade-war rival the United States, whose President Donald Trump tweeted his disdain for cryptocurrencies in July.
"I am not a fan of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies, which are not money, and whose value is highly volatile and based on thin air," he wrote.
The contrast between the world's two biggest economies is "striking", according to Pompliano, who says "bitcoin, blockchain technology, and digital assets are not a priority for America".
Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had to defend his plans to launch a digital coin called Libra to the US Congress in October, after it faced a torrent of criticism from all sides - including governments who see it as a threat to their monetary sovereignty.
"I don't think Libra will succeed," Huang Qifan, vice director of the CCIEE, an economic think-tank that advises Beijing, said this week in remarks widely reported by state media.
"It is better ... to have sovereign digital currencies issued by a government or a central bank," he said.
Last year China released a damning report on existing digital currencies, saying they were "increasingly used as a tool in criminal activities."
But while Beijing banned cryptocurrencies two years ago, it is fast-tracking preparations for its own state-run virtual currency, which is supposed to facilitate transactions and reduce costs.
The anonymity of cryptocurrencies allows users to buy and sell freely without leaving a digital trail - but China's mooted e-cash system will be tightly regulated, experts say, and run by the People's Bank of China.
Blockchain endorsement: Xi said China will
increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study
session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua
reported.— AP
https://youtu.be/hfNcct7ZfbE
https://youtu.be/KoDD2Yk0bjE
Shenzhen tech index surges 5.3%, the most in eight months
Investors urge companies to develop blockchain businesses
BEIJING: Chinese investors snapped up every blockchain-related stock in sight after President Xi Jinping said Beijing wants to speed up development of the technology.
The gains were widespread yesterday, with Insigma Technology Co and Sinodata Co among more than 60 tech shares surging by the daily limit in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
The excitement coincided with a 26% rally in Bitcoin, and also boosted stocks with more tenuous connections to blockchain, like baby-food producer Beingmate Co and selfie-app developer Meitu Inc.
Xi said China will increase investment in blockchain technology after chairing a study session last week on developing the industry, state-owned Xinhua reported late last Friday.
The market reaction shows how far an endorsement from Xi can go in China, where high-level officials yesterday began their first major policy meeting since early 2018.
“Most of these companies, especially those that are just beginning to state their connection with blockchain today, are trying to take advantage of the hype, ” said Li Shiyu, fund manager at Guangdong Xiaoyu Investment Management Co. “It shows how much excitement can be triggered by something stressed as a priority by the top man himself.”
The Shenzhen Information Technology Index closed 5.3% higher yesterday, its biggest advance in eight months.
Hundsun Technologies Inc, Easysight Supply Chain Management Co, YGSOFT Inc and dozens more companies with officially registered blockchain businesses rose by the 10% limit.
In Hong Kong, traders singled out Meitu due to its plans for an encrypted user-identification system.
The shares surged as much as 30%. Pantronics Holdings Ltd - which earlier this month said it will change its name to “Huobi Technology”, a reference to a digital currency exchange - rallied as much as 67%.
American depositary receipts of Chinese blockchain companies also surged last Friday.
Investors pressured other firms to jump on the blockchain hype, using an online Q&A platform to submit thousands of questions on their plans to use the technology.
“Please proactively make expansion plans in blockchain to jump on state policies - doing so would be the best reward to investors, ” urged one shareholder of development-store operator Hunan Friendship & Apollo Commercial Co. — Bloomberg
-- China's central bank on the brink of launching a digital currency. How will this revolutionize the monetary landscape in China and abroad?
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From 'Made in China' to 'Created in China'从ä¸å›½åˆ¶é€ 到ä¸å›½æ™ºé€
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Made in China" used to be a synonym for cheap products, but all that has changed. China has made huge progress in innovation and technology. From the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer, the fastest in the world, and the 500-meter-wide radio telescope in southwest China's Guizhou Province, to the development of lithium battery and 3D-printed blood vessels made from stem cells and renewable energy technologies, Chinese innovations are making a name for themselves.
CGTN explains China's huge transformation from the world's factory to an innovation leader.
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China's central bank speeds up digital currency drive
Private-sector players likely to participate in project
Photo: VCG
With internet technologies advancing and cryptocurrencies flourishing amid a broad digital transformation, individual countries are starting to issue legal tender in digital form, and the People's Bank of China (PBC), the country's central bank, is also accelerating its pace in this area.
As of Sunday, the PBC had applied for 74 patents involved with digital currencies to the National Intellectual Property Administration, according to a report by the Economic Information Daily on Monday.
The PBC said it will speed up the development of legal digital currency on Friday.
Wang Xin, director of the PBC Research Bureau, said in July that the authority is organizing market-oriented institutions to jointly research and develop a central bank digital currency and the program has been approved by the State Council, China's Cabinet.
"China is beefing up efforts in digital currency innovation, a trend driven by emerging technologies that is spreading worldwide," said Huang Zhen, a professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
Rather than letting cryptocurrencies challenge the position of sovereign currencies, it is wiser for countries to roll out their own digital currencies, Huang told the Global Times on Monday.
Chinese authorities ordered a ban on initial coin offerings in 2017 and stopped direct bitcoin-yuan trading as the rapidly expanding market spawned concerns over financial risks.
The PBC, one of the earliest central banks in the world to start the process of digital currency innovation, launched its program in 2014 during the tenure of former governor Zhou Xiaochuan. In 2017, the PBC established a research institution for the digital currency.
"China is among the leading countries in terms of its research into a government-backed currency," said Huang.
Favorable conditions
The basic conditions favorable for China's implementation of a digital currency include comprehensive and fast networks, broad digitalization in the financial sector, and advanced financial technologies - particularly blockchain, a digital, public ledger that records online transactions, according to Huang.
In recent years, Chinese internet companies have made huge achievements in the mobile payment and e-commerce sectors, helping create a digital economy of more than 30 trillion yuan ($4.36 trillion), according to media reports.
In June, US social media giant Facebook released an official white paper for its cryptocurrency project Libra, a blockchain-powered stablecoin expected to arrive in 2020.
The move stepped up the global race for digital currencies, with China's central bank paying close attention.
The central bank is closely working with market participants on creating a central bank digital currency, PBC official Wang said.
"China's private market players have accumulated some experience in the digital currency sector. Their participation in the government's work will effectively help promote the project," Cao Yin, an expert in the blockchain sector, told the Global Times on Monday.
It is likely that the sovereign digital currency will be issued within two or three years at the soonest, although the authority tends to take a prudent attitude, Cao said.
Once it is broadly implemented, the new currency will have a big impact on Alibaba's Alipay and Tencent's WeChat Pay, the two dominant mobile digital payment tools in China, as the PBC's digital currency is featured by decentralization, unlike the former two.
Challenges ahead
There are still some bumps on the road to promoting the digital currency.
"For this new kind of currency, its nature actually poses challenges to existing policies in such aspects as foreign exchange control, so it takes time to balance benefits with potential risks," said Cao.
A flexible and open mechanism is needed by the PBC to attract more talent, he added.
Digital currencies can help strengthen regulation as transaction data can be tracked and analyzed, including illegal money laundering, according to Huang. But laws and rules should be formulated in a timely fashion to protect individual information. "Safety is the biggest issue," he added.
"Use of the digital currency to better serve the real economy also requires policy guidance," said Huang.
Newspaper headline: PBC accelerates digital currency drive.
in China to launch a national digitalcurrency, following the central government's plan to work...
Source: Global Times | Author: Li Xuanmin and Shen Weiduo in Shenzhen | Column: Economy
: 3pxFile photo: ICpResearch into a national digitalcurrency, as mentioned in a central government...
Source: Global Times | Author: Zhang Hongpei | Column: Economy
Cryptocurrency and Facebook logo are seen together in this photo. Photo: IC
https://youtu.be/eAPLA4oy7Ks
Experts raise concerns over privacy and regulation
Facebook unveiled plans Tuesday for a new global cryptocurrency called Libra, pledging to deliver stable virtual money that lives on smartphones and could bring over a billion "unbanked" people into the financial system.
The Libra coin plan, backed by financial and nonprofit partners, represents an ambitious new initiative for the world's biggest social network with the potential to bring crypto-money out of the shadows and into the mainstream.
Facebook and some two dozen partners released a prototype of Libra as an open source code for developers interested in weaving it into apps, services or businesses ahead of a rollout as global digital money next year.
The nonprofit Libra Association based in Geneva will oversee the blockchain-based coin, maintaining a real-world asset reserve to keep its value stable.
The Libra Association's Dante Disparte said it could offer online commerce and financial services at minimal cost to more than a billion "unbanked" people - adults without bank accounts or those who use services outside the banking system such as payday loans to make ends meet.
"We believe if you give people access to money and opportunity at the lowest cost, the way the internet itself did in the past with information, you can create a lot more stability than we have had up until now," Disparte, head of policy and communications, told AFP.
Facebook will be just one voice among many in the association, but is separately building a digital wallet called Calibra.
"We view this as a complement to Facebook's mission to connect people wherever they are; that includes allowing them to exchange value," Calibra vice president of operations Tomer Barel told AFP.
"Many people who use Facebook are in countries where there are barriers to banking or credit."
But the move raised questions about how such a new money would be regulated, with one lawmaker calling for a pause on Libra.
"Given the company's troubled past, I am requesting that Facebook agree to a moratorium on any movement forward on developing a cryptocurrency until Congress and regulators have the opportunity to examine these issues," said Maxine Waters, chair of the financial services committee in the US House of Representatives.
Meanwhile French Finance Minister Bruno le Maire said such digital money could never replace sovereign currencies.
"The aspect of sovereignty must stay in the hands of states and not private companies which respond to private interests," Le Maire told Europe 1 radio.
Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said Facebook's new currency would have to withstand scrutiny of its operational resilience and not allow itself to be used for money laundering or terror financing.
ING economists Teunis Brosens and Carlo Cocuzzo said in a research note it was not clear what Libra was or how it might be overseen while US Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat and banking committee member, voiced concerns over Facebook's checkered record on protecting users' privacy.
Backed by real cash
Libra Association debuted with 28 members including Mastercard, Visa, Stripe, Kiva, PayPal, Lyft, Uber and Women's World Banking.
Calibra is being built into Facebook's Messenger and WhatsApp with a goal of letting users send Libra as easily as they might fire off a text message.
Libra learned from the many other cryptocurrencies that have preceded it such as bitcoin and is designed to avoid the roller-coaster valuations that have attracted speculation and caused ruin.
Real-world currency will go into a reserve backing the digital money, the value of which will mirror stable currencies such as the US dollar and the euro, according to its creators.
"It is backed by a reserve of assets that ensures utility and low volatility," Barel said.
The Libra Association will be the only entity able to "mint or burn" the digital currency, maintaining supply in tune with demand and assets in reserve, according to Barel.
"It is not about trusting Facebook, it is effectively trust in the association's founding organizations that this is independent and democratic," Disparte said.
New directions
The launch comes with Facebook seeking to move past a series of lapses on privacy and data protection that have tarnished its image and sparked scrutiny from regulators around the world.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has promised a new direction for Facebook built around smaller groups, private messaging and payments.
The new Calibra digital wallet promises eventually to give Facebook opportunities to build financial services into its offerings, offer to expand its own commerce and let more small businesses buy ads on the social network.
"We certainly see long-term value for Facebook," Barel said.
Facebook said it would not make any money through Libra or Calibra, but rather was seeking to "drive adoption and scale" before exploring ways to monetize the new system.
Financial information at Calibra will be kept strictly separate from social data on Facebook and won't be used to target ads, Calibra vice president of product Kevin Weil told AFP.
Libra will be a regulated currency, subject to local laws in markets regarding fraud, guarding against money laundering and more, Weil said.
'Watershed' moment?
According to Facebook and its partners, local currencies and Libra may be swapped at currency exchange houses or other businesses.
And the ubiquity of smartphones means digital wallets for Libra could make banking and credit card services and e-commerce available in places where they don't now exist.
Analyst and cryptocurrency investor Lou Kerner said Facebook's move has the potential to open the door for cryptocurrency to a wider public.
"What Facebook is really good at, is making things really simple to use," Kerner told AFP.
"And that's what is super exciting for the crypto industry, is somebody comes along who understands user experience and has billions of users that they can roll this out to."
SC innovation, digital and strategy executive
director Chin Wei Min said those who have identified themselves to the
commission can operate up to March 1. “Even if they don’t want to be in
this business anymore, whatever they are holding, whether it’s money,
crypto assets or digital assets, should be returned to their clients.
Otherwise, we will take action.
KUALA LUMPUR: All companies engaging in digital assets will have to make themselves known to the Securities Commission (SC) by Friday, even if they have decided not to carry on once the regulatory framework comes into force.
This includes operators who are not registered with Bank Negara under the anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism – digital currencies (sector six) and those operating “underground”.
The SC will reserve the right to take action against those who fail to identify themselves by Friday on grounds of breaching the securities law.
SC innovation, digital and strategy executive director Chin Wei Min said those who have identified themselves to the commission can operate up to March 1.
“Even if they don’t want to be in this business anymore, whatever they are holding, whether it’s money, crypto assets or digital assets, should be returned to their clients. Otherwise, we will take action.
“The reason we also allow people to continue with their withdrawals and sell down is to ensure that there is an orderly market.
“The last thing we want is to cause confusion, and hopefully, there are no untoward fraudulent activities that people will capitalise on in this transition period and take advantage of investors,” he told a media briefing here yesterday.
While the regulation does not affect operators who are not incorporated in Malaysia, the SC can still take action against them under the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007 if the products are marketed, sold, or its operations exist in Malaysia.
Operators who identify themselves to the SC must state their intent, whether they want to resume their activities, of which certain obligations have to be met, or whether they want to wind down their business.
The SC will put up a list of operators and companies that have registered and received a letter from the commission for investors to check if their monies are with legitimate sources.
Chin also reiterated that operators are not allowed to accept new investors, list new products or conduct any sales and marketing activities during this period.
A statement by the SC last Thursday said platform operators would not be allowed to accept new investors and are only allowed to facilitate the withdrawal or transfer of client assets with the written instruction of investors.
They are also not allowed to conduct any initial coin offerings (ICOs) without prior authorisation.
Chin called on all ongoing ICOs to cease activities and the monies or digital assets to be returned to investors until the operators apply for authorisation and after they understand the SC requirements.
The guidelines are expected to be released by the end of the first quarter this year.
“If you are looking at the ones that are out there currently, the standards of the white paper are of low quality. It is important that this falls under regulated activity.
“We recognise that this is an alternative fundraising avenue. The idea here is to allow us to take out all the scams and fraudulent activities and at the same time, provide a platform for our early stage entrepreneurs to raise money,” said Chin, adding that the SC did not want people to take advantage of this as investors are pumping in money on the other end.
This is a high-risk investment and Chin also hinted that there could be a certain threshold for investors.
The Capital Markets and Services (prescription of securities) (digital currency and digital token) order 2019, which kicked in last Tuesday, will see those operating unauthorised ICOs or digital asset exchanges facing up to a 10-year jail term and up to a RM10mil fine.
The Finance Ministry said it viewed digital assets as well as its underlying blockchain technologies as having the potential to bring about innovation in both old and new industries.
Good move: Lim says many people have bypassed Malaysia because the policy was not clear about digital assets
Move seen to spur growth in digital currency sector
Regulatory oversight of digital currencies and tokens, which kicks in from today, offers timely clarity and transparency to various players in the fledgling industry.
Omni Capital Partners Sdn Bhd managing director Scott Lim said everything would be above board with the regulation and governance under the Securities Commission (SC).
“Digital assets in Malaysia have been underwhelmed mostly. A lot of people have been bypassing Malaysia because the policy was not clear about it.
“Certainly, now that this is regulated by the SC, it’ll be good. We shall wait for the guidelines,” he said.
Celebrus Advisory co-founder Edmund Yong said the regulation is very much welcomed and one which is needed, as it would spur growth in the industry.
Celebrus is a compliance-first blockchain consultancy firm.
He added that the statement by the Finance Ministry was very accommodative with the intention to use tokens and the recognition of it as a fund-raising tool.
“In fact, it can be an indirect source of foreign direct investment, a borderless method to raise funds.
“But from now until March 31, there will be a twilight period. Many activities will be stopped in their tracks because they don’t know where they stand.
“Some would possibly even move offshore because of the draconian RM10mil and 10-year imprisonment punishment,” said Yong.
He said digital tokens could also be for points in computer games or reward points, and it too would be quite draconian if it is all painted with the same brush.
The Capital Markets and Services (Prescription of Securities) (Digital Currency and Digital Token) Order 2019 kicks in today and any person operating unauthorised initial coin offerings (ICOs) or digital asset exchanges faces up to a 10-year jail term and up to a RM10mil fine.
Digital currencies and digital tokens are collectively known as digital assets, which will now be prescribed as securities.
The SC is putting in place relevant regulatory requirements for the issuance of ICOs and the trading of digital assets at digital asset exchanges in the country.
This is expected to be launched by the end of the first quarter this year.
Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the offering of such instruments, as well as its associated activities, would require authorisation from the SC and needed to comply with relevant securities law and regulations.
“The Finance Ministry views digital assets as well as its underlying blockchain technologies as having the potential to bring about innovation in both old and new industries.
“In particular, we believe digital assets have a role to play as an alternative fund-raising avenue for entrepreneurs and new businesses, and as an alternative asset class for investors,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Any person offering an ICO or operating a digital asset exchange without the SC’s approval will face an imprisonment term not exceeding 10 years and a fine not exceeding RM10mil.
Federal Territories Minister Khalid Samad mooted the idea of the Harapan Coin last year, which would be the world’s first political fund-raising platform using blockchain and cryptocurrency technology.
In November last year, shareholders of Country Heights Holdings Bhd approved the company’s plan to conduct an ICO to issue its own cryptocurrency, called “horse currency”.
Country Heights founder and chairman Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew had said that the company would like to be the first to launch cryptocurrency in the country when the regulations are ready.
The company’s plan is to eventually issue one billion horse currencies backed by RM2bil worth of physical assets held by the holding company, with an initial 300 million open to the public for circulation.
