About this event
Crypto-related fraud is now one of the fastest-growing threats facing financial institutions, regulators, and consumers, and these scams dominate the landscape in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. This session will take a practical, inside look at how organized networks structure crypto investment scams, move illicit funds across borders, and exploit regulatory and technological gaps. It will also explore how government, law enforcement, and industry are fighting back.
The illustrative agenda will cover:
- Inside the world of crypto scams
- Emerging scam typologies
- Detection methods and risk indicators
- Collaborative prevention strategies across sectors
- Following illicit money trails
- Victim experience on both sides of the crisis
Our audience will include financial regulators, compliance leaders, banking and fintech professionals, law enforcement and cybercrime investigators, policy analysts, researchers, and consumer protection advocates. The goal is to move beyond general awareness and equip participants with concrete insights they can apply immediately within their institutions.
Hosted by
-
External speaker
Desmond Chia MetaComp @ Director of Digital Assets (AML)E
Desmond Chia is Director of Digital Assets (AML) at MetaComp, the MAS-licensed Major Payment Institution and digital payment arm of Alpha Ladder Group, where he leads anti-money laundering operations and on-chain financial crime investigations for the firm's digital asset business. He brings a dual perspective to the fight against crypto scams. Desmond served with the Singapore Police Force from 2007, across frontline policing, community engagement, and investigations, before specialising in crypto-related scam enforcement — including intelligence-led engagement with stablecoin issuers on wallet freezing and victim asset recovery. Now working at the intersection of compliance, blockchain analytics, and agentic product development, he draws on his experience across both the public and private sectors to advance how law enforcement and industry can partner more effectively to protect victims and disrupt illicit fund flows.
-
External speaker
Parul Vyas Global Intelligence @ CoinbaseE
Parul Vyas is a highly accomplished Financial Crime Investigator across cryptocurrency, banking and law enforcement. Currently, as an Investigations Analyst at Coinbase, Parul leads proactive investigations, delivers critical intelligence to Law Enforcement partners (including Interpol and Europol), and secures funds derived from illicit activity. Parul’s extensive background includes roles as a Senior Investigator at Starling Bank and a Senior Compliance Associate at Kraken Digital Asset Exchange. This experience is anchored by years as an Accredited Financial Investigator at the City of London Police. Highly skilled in blockchain analysis, Parul holds a BA Hons degree in Criminology and Psychology and is certified by Chainalysis, TRM Labs and Crystal Intelligence, Parul is a dedicated advocate for public-private partnerships (PPP). Parul is also a host of the podcast FinCrime & Me; found on YouTube and Spotify.
-
Team member
Jessica ChuahJC T
-
External speaker
Akbar Akhtar Senior Regional Advisor APAC @ BinanceE
Akbar A. is a Senior Regional Advisor for the APAC region at Binance, specialising in crypto-enabled financial crime, cybercrime, and transnational organised crime. He brings over a decade of experience across both the public and private sectors. In his current role, Akbar works closely with law enforcement agencies across this region to support investigations involving cryptocurrency, fraud, money laundering, and emerging criminal threats. He was also among the industry contributors supporting Operation Trust No One, a major anti-scam operation for seizure of approximately US$277 million by the Royal Thai Police.
-
External speaker
Glenn Chee Chief Compliance Office and Money Laundering Reporting Officer @ CoinhakoE
Glen Chee brings a rare blend of legal, compliance, and regulatory expertise to the digital asset sector. His career spans senior roles in private wealth and finance, and now crypto financial crime compliance within Singapore’s regulated ecosystem. He is Chief Compliance Officer and MLRO at Coinhako, overseeing digital asset and fiat compliance. Glen is well recognised for his leadership in scam prevention, AML/CFT, and responsible platform operations. He was featured on CEO Insights Asia (May 2026) and named among the Top 10 Leaders in Governance, Risk, and Compliance. He is a two-time Compliance Officer of the Year (2024, 2025, ALB) and listed in ALB’s Top 15 CCOs (2025). His team was shortlisted for ICA Compliance Team of the Year APAC 2026, and he received the SPF SaferSG Partner Award (2025). Glen is also a GFI Industry Fellow, mountaineer, and marathon participant.
-
External speaker
Justin Kong Assistant Attaché – Singapore @ Homeland Security InvestigationsE
Justin Kong serves as the HSI Assistant Attaché in Singapore, where he bridges the gap between Homeland Security Investigations and the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Since 2017, he has specialized in dismantling complex transnational criminal networks. His expertise in cyber investigations has led to the successful takedown of dark web market administrators, major cryptocurrency scams, and international human trafficking rings. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Information Technology, Justin combines technical rigor with strategic international collaboration to combat child exploitation, financial crimes, and global drug trafficking.
Global Anti-Scam Alliance
It takes a network to beat a network.The Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) is a non-profit dedicated to protecting consumers from online scams. We unite governments, industry, and experts to share insights, strengthen collaboration, and advance effective anti-scam solutions worldwide. Learn more at gasa.org.
