Risky Bulletin: Myanmar Scam Compound Goes Boom!

Podcast: Risky Bulletin by risky.biz
Date: November 10, 2025
Host/Reader: Claire Aird
Prepared by: Catalyn Kimparnu

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a rapid-fire update on global cybersecurity news, focusing on law enforcement actions against scam operations in Southeast Asia, major data breaches, global cyber policy changes, sanctions against nation-state hackers, and noteworthy developments in spyware and internet infrastructure. The tone is concise and authoritative, reflecting the Risky Bulletin’s signature news-digest style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Myanmar Demolishes Major Scam Compound

[00:04]

• Top Story: Myanmar's military junta is actively destroying the KK Park scam compound in Miwodi, the country’s largest known scam operation center.
  • Controlled demolitions started on October 23.
  • 24 out of 250 buildings have been destroyed via dynamite by local border forces.
• Significance: Indicates a rare law enforcement move against organized cybercrime infrastructure in Southeast Asia.

2. Prominent Data Breaches & Cyberattacks

[01:02]

• US Congressional Budget Office Hacked:
  • Believed to be the work of a foreign APT.
  • Stolen data includes emails and internal chat logs; investigation ongoing.
  • Quote:

    “The office creates economic projections for proposed bills.” — Claire Aird [01:10]

• Hungary’s Tisa Party Breached (Again):
  • Details of over 200,000 users from the opposition party’s mobile app leaked.
  • Second data breach this year.
  • Party leader blames Russian hackers.

3. Sanctions on North Korean Hackers

[02:10]

• Australia imposes financial sanctions and travel bans on one hacker and four related entities.
• Targets include major groups: Kimsuki, Lazarus, Andariel, WannaCry developer Pak Jin Yeok, and Chosun Expo.

4. Singapore’s Extreme Anti-Scam Measures

[02:38]

• Law amended to allow cane beatings as punishment:
  • 6 to 24 lashes for scammers.
  • Up to 12 for money mules.
  • Quote:

    "Scams make up Singapore 60% of crimes reported in the country." — Singaporean Minister [02:47]

5. NSO Group Leadership Change

[03:13]

• David Friedman, former Trump lawyer and US Ambassador to Israel, is now chairman after US investors acquire the company.
• Intends to lift US sanctions against NSO and re-enter US markets.

6. Major Arrests and Law Enforcement Actions

[03:40]

• Russian Initial Access Broker Pleads Guilty:
  • Alexei Olegavich Volkov, aka "Chewbaccacore," sold network access to ransomware groups.
  • Involved in 7 attacks, pocketed $1.5 million.
  • Arrested in Rome; extradited to the US.
• Arrests in Southeast Asia:
  • Cambodia: 650+ suspects detained in cyberscam compound raids; focus on impersonation and investment scams.
  • Singapore: Three Chinese nationals sentenced (min 2 years, 4 months) for gambling site hacks, data theft.

7. Cybercrime Prosecutions & Investigations

[04:13]

• FBI Criminal Probe into Archive.is:
  • Focused on its use to bypass news paywalls.
• Samurai Wallet CEO Sentenced:
  • Keon Rodriguez gets 5 years for laundering $237 million tied to criminal enterprise.
  • CTO to be sentenced later in the month.
• Crypto Bot Case in NY Mistrial:
  • Brothers accused of exploiting bots and laundering $25 million using “novel trading strategy”; no verdict reached.

8. Global Data Sale and Privacy Concerns

[05:15]

• Pakistan:
  • Man arrested for selling millions of citizens’ data online; included sensitive ID and travel records.

9. Internet Policy and Regulatory News

[05:38]

• EU GDPR:
  • Proposed amendments would let users set cookie preferences at the browser/device level.
  • Potential for huge fines for non-compliance.
• Google Chrome Deprecates XSLT:
  • XSLT support to be removed in Chrome 155 (due November 2026) for security reasons.
  • Firefox and Safari to follow suit.

10. Spyware and Advanced Threats in the Middle East

[06:26]

• New Android spyware campaign (Landfall) in the Middle East.
  • Used Samsung zero-day, patched in April 2025.
  • Attribution still unclear.

11. North Korean Hackers Targeting Human Rights Activists

[06:58]

• "Connie APT" breaching PCs, spamming contacts via KakaoTalk and then wiping Android phones to limit traceability and victim response.

12. Security Vulnerabilities & Technical Trends

[07:25]

• Django framework patched for a major SQL injection bug; highlights systemic risk to wide swaths of Python-based web apps.

13. Russian Internet Restrictions Escalate

[07:49]

• Russia begins blocking Akamai CDN, causing disruptions.
  • Foreign cloud providers required to localize operations or risk blocks.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Singapore’s Anti-Scamming Law:

  "Scammers could receive between six and 24 lashes and money mules up to 12." — Claire Aird [02:38]

• On Myanmar’s Crackdown:

  "Controlled demolitions at KK park in the city of Miwodi began on 23 October. 24 of the park's 250 buildings have been destroyed with dynamite by the local border force." — Claire Aird [00:17]

• On Global Cyber Sanctions:

  "Sanctioned entities include the Kimsuki, Lazarus and Andariel hacking groups. WannaCry developer Pak Jin Yeok and his employer Chosun Expo have also been sanctioned." — Claire Aird [02:25]

• On the EU GDPR Cookie Changes:

  "If passed, companies that ignore device level tracking consent could be fined up to 20 million euros or 4% of their annual turnover." — Claire Aird [05:55]

Key Segment Timestamps

• [00:04] — Myanmar scam compound demolitions
• [01:02] — Congressional Budget Office hack
• [02:10] — North Korea hacker sanctions
• [02:38] — Singapore’s anti-scamming legislation (caning)
• [03:13] — NSO Group new chairman appointment
• [03:40] — Russian access broker plea/Arrests in Cambodia and Singapore
• [04:13] — FBI probe of Archive.is / Samurai Wallet sentencing
• [05:15] — Pakistan data sales
• [05:38] — EU GDPR cookie initiative
• [06:26] — Landfall spyware / Samsung zero-day campaign
• [06:58] — North Korean APT targets activists, Android wipes
• [07:25] — Django SQL injection vulnerability
• [07:49] — Russian blocks Akamai CDN
• [08:15] — Chrome drops XSLT support

Summary

This episode offers a global tour of the week’s most significant cybersecurity news, from high-profile law enforcement strikes against scam syndicates and notorious hackers, to regulatory and technical changes with wide-reaching impact. Whether you’re tracking the crackdown on Asian cyberscam empires, following regulatory shifts in the EU, or watching the evolution of spyware and vulnerability landscapes, this episode delivers a dense, informative digest in classic Risky Bulletin style.