A Malaysian man has been sentenced to five and a half years in jail for helping an overseas syndicate spread Android malware that enabled scammers to take control of victims’ phones.
Channel News Asia reported that the malware allowed unauthorised access to banking and other applications, resulting in losses of about S$3.2 million.
How the Malware Tutorials Fueled the Scams
Cheoh Hai Beng, 49, became involved after reconnecting with a Taiwanese acquaintance he first met in a South Korean prison.
The acquaintance, Lee Rong Teng, invited him to the Dominican Republic in 2022 and later introduced him to Spymax, a remote access Trojan disguised as harmless Android applications.
Once installed, the software allowed operators to view the phone’s contents, monitor activity and initiate outgoing bank transfers without the user’s knowledge.
Between February and May 2023, Cheoh recorded at least 20 tutorial videos showing how to install and operate the malware.
The clips demonstrated how to extract passwords, access cryptocurrency and banking applications, read SMS messages and track device locations.
These videos were later distributed to syndicate members and potential partners.
The group used the tutorials to conduct scams in Singapore from June 2023 to June 2024.
Victims were tricked into downloading compromised apps, after which their phones were remotely accessed.
A total of 129 people lost more than S$3.19 million through unauthorised transactions.
Banks in Singapore responded to rising threats by introducing a 24-hour cooling period for first-time fund transfers to reduce the likelihood of rapid fraudulent withdrawals.
Cheoh left the Dominican Republic in April 2023 and was arrested in Penang in June 2024 following a joint operation by Malaysian police and Singapore’s Technology Crime Investigation Bureau.
He was later brought to Singapore to face charges.
He pleaded guilty to participating in a criminal syndicate and conspiring to use malware to gain unauthorised access to mobile phones.
He was also fined S$3,608, which represented the money he received for filming the videos.
Featured image: Edited by Fintech News Singapore, based on images by nikol85 and AI-generated image via Freepik
