A Chinese national man admitted in a Singapore court to violating the "Computer Misuse Act" for allegedly stealing and transferring personal information of a thousand South Korean gamblers. The case involves a transnational gambling data breach, raising concerns about cross-border data security and the privacy protection of gambling clients.
Basic Case Information and Defendant Details
The defendant, Zhang Qingqiao (39, Chinese nationality), created a WhatsApp group named "Korea" in July 2023, which included Chinese friend Sun Qiao (42 years old) and two Singaporean men. Singapore court documents reveal that Zhang, knowing others' intentions to promote gambling websites to South Korean gamblers, still assisted in providing illegally obtained personal information.
The trial has been completed, and the defendant has pleaded guilty to violating the "Computer Misuse Act." The court is scheduled to make a final judgment on the 27th of next month.
Information Leakage Process and Data Content
According to case records, on August 12, 2023, Sun Qiao obtained personal information of 1,000 South Korean gamblers through specific channels and passed this data to accomplices. The stolen information included the gamblers' names, email addresses, and phone numbers.
This information was used to test the effectiveness of promoting gambling platforms. Case materials indicate that this operation was part of a transnational gambling group's marketing strategy, aimed at targeting South Korean gamblers for precise marketing.
Law Enforcement Actions and Evidence Collection
The Singapore Criminal Investigation Department launched a raid in September 2023, arresting six suspects, including Zhang Qingqiao. During the operation, law enforcement officers seized two mobile phones, S$465,000 in cash, mobile storage devices, and cryptocurrency wallets.
However, due to the defendant's use of WhatsApp's "24-hour auto-delete" feature, investigators were unable to retrieve chat records within the group, increasing the difficulty of evidence collection.
Court Debate and Sentencing Recommendations
The prosecution requested a sentence of 9 to 12 weeks in prison, emphasizing that the case involved a transnational gambling group and that the defendant, as an intermediary, must accept a deterrent penalty. The prosecution pointed out that such criminal activities pose a serious threat to data security and personal privacy.
The defense lawyer requested leniency, stating that the defendant did not directly harass the gamblers, and his three children are studying in Singapore, which could lead to the whole family being deported if imprisoned. The defense hoped the court would consider a fine as an alternative to imprisonment.
Case Impact and Further Developments
This case highlights the challenges of personal information protection in the transnational gambling industry. The data breach incident involving South Korean gamblers has attracted the attention of regulatory authorities in both Singapore and South Korea, potentially prompting stricter data protection measures.
The case judgment will be announced on the 27th of next month, and the outcome will provide important references for handling similar cases. The industry is watching whether this case will affect Singapore's standards for penalizing data breach actions.
