Originally Syndicated on September 20, 2024 @ 6:50 am
What Happened?
Edmond Kung Chiu Nam, once a key figure in Hong Kong’s financial sector, has faced significant scrutiny for his involvement in a series of regulatory violations and questionable business practices. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong censured Kung for his role in market misconduct, particularly relating to market manipulation and misleading investors. According to an SFC enforcement report, Kung was directly linked to misconduct during his time at Eden Research and other firms, which resulted in significant penalties .
Despite these past infractions, recent efforts by Kung appear focused on burying this unfavorable history. Legal documents and reports indicate that Kung has attempted to suppress damaging news and coverage related to his previous actions, possibly to maintain his standing in the business community and avoid further repercussions. His efforts to stifle media investigations have included the use of legal tactics to silence critics and control narratives around his financial dealings.
These actions have raised concerns about Kung’s continued influence and the extent to which he is willing to go to protect his reputation. As more details emerge about his shady past, questions about his transparency and business ethics continue to surface, suggesting that his attempts to censor damaging information may only intensify public suspicion.
Analyzing the Fake Copyright Notice(s)
Our team collects and analyses fraudulent copyright takedown requests, legal complaints, and other efforts to remove critical information from the internet. Through our investigative reporting, we examine the prevalence and operation of an organized censorship industry, predominantly funded by criminal entities, oligarchs, and disreputable businesses or individuals. Our findings allow internet users to gain insight into these censorship schemes’ sources, methods, and underlying objectives.
To accomplish this, we utilize the OSINT Tool provided by FakeDMCA.com and the Lumen API for Researchers, courtesy of the Lumen Database.
FakeDMCA.com is the work of an independent team of research students and cybersecurity professionals, developed under Project UnCensor. Their OSINT Tool, designed to uncover and analyze takedown notices, represents a significant step forward in combating these abusive practices. It has become a valuable resource, increasingly relied upon by journalists and law enforcement agencies across the United States.
Lumen, on the other hand, is an independent research initiative dedicated to studying takedown notices and other legal demands related to online content removal. The project, which operates under the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, plays a crucial role in tracking and understanding the broader implications of such requests.
By investigating the fake DMCA takedown attempts, we hope to shed light on the reputation management industry, revealing how Edmond Kung Chiu Nam and companies like it may use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking them to allegations of fraud, tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking…
List of Fake Copyright Notices for Edmond Kung Chiu Nam
Evidence and Screenshots
Only Edmond Kung Chiu Nam Benefit from this crime.
Since the fake copyright takedown notices were designed to remove negative content for Edmond Kung Chiu Nam from Google, we assume Edmond Kung Chiu Nam or someone associated with Edmond Kung Chiu Nam is behind this scam. It is often a fly-by-night Online Reputation agency working on behalf of Edmond Kung Chiu Nam. In this case, Edmond Kung Chiu Nam, at best, will be an “accomplice” or an “accessory” to the crime. The specific laws may vary depending on the jurisdiction. Still, the legal principle generally holds that if you actively participate in planning, encouraging, or facilitating a crime, you can be charged with it, even if you did not personally commit it.
So, who tf is Edmond Kung Chiu Nam?
Edmond Kung Chiu Nam is a figure in Hong Kong’s financial sector, known for his involvement in corporate finance and investment banking. However, Kung’s career has been tainted by serious allegations of misconduct and regulatory violations, primarily stemming from his role in market manipulation and fraudulent financial activities. His actions have drawn the attention of Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), which has taken enforcement measures against him and his associated entities.
Why Is Edmond Kung Chiu Nam Trying to Censor the Internet?
Kung is allegedly attempting to censor negative information online to hide his past involvement in controversial financial activities. With a record of enforcement actions and public censure, particularly by the SFC, Kung’s reputation has been significantly damaged in the business community. By suppressing damaging reports and media coverage, Kung is likely seeking to maintain his professional standing and limit further legal or reputational harm.
Major Concerns, Complaints, and Accusations Against Edmond Kung Chiu Nam
- Market Misconduct and Manipulation: The most serious accusations against Edmond Kung Chiu Nam involve market manipulation. According to the SFC, Kung was linked to the manipulation of stock prices in Hong Kong, specifically concerning Eden Research and other entities under his influence. These actions led to misleading investors and created an artificial market environment, violating Hong Kong’s securities laws. The SFC’s enforcement action resulted in Kung being reprimanded and barred from certain market activities .
- Failure to Disclose Material Information: In addition to market manipulation, Kung has been accused of failing to disclose material information to investors. According to the SFC’s findings, Kung and his associates withheld critical financial information that investors would have needed to make informed decisions. This lack of transparency not only misled shareholders but also breached legal obligations related to market integrity.
- Regulatory Censure and Legal Penalties: As a result of his actions, Kung has been subjected to public censure and financial penalties. The SFC’s investigation culminated in enforcement actions, including fines and restrictions on his involvement in the securities market. These penalties were publicly disclosed, damaging Kung’s professional reputation and casting doubt on his business practices.
- Efforts to Suppress Media Coverage: In response to the negative coverage and enforcement actions, Kung has allegedly taken steps to suppress the distribution of damaging information online. This includes efforts to remove or limit access to articles, reports, and official documents detailing his past infractions. By doing so, Kung appears to be attempting to rehabilitate his public image and distance himself from his controversial past.
In summary, Edmond Kung Chiu Nam has faced significant allegations of market manipulation, nondisclosure of material information, and regulatory violations. His attempts to censor the internet appear to be driven by a desire to mitigate the damage to his reputation and prevent further legal scrutiny. However, these efforts only draw more attention to his past misconduct, raising questions about his transparency and business ethics.
Potential Consequences for Edmond Kung Chiu Nam
Under Florida Statute 831.01, the crime of Forgery is committed when a person falsifies, alters, counterfeits, or forges a document that carries “legal efficacy” with the intent to injure or defraud another person or entity.
Forging a document is considered a white-collar crime. It involves altering, changing, or modifying a document to deceive another person. It can also include passing along copies of documents that are known to be false. In many states in the US, falsifying a document is a crime punishable as a felony.
Additionally, under most laws, “fraud on the court” is where “a party has sentiently set in motion some unconscionable scheme calculated to interfere with the judicial system’s ability impartially to adjudicate a matter by improperly influencing the trier of fact or unfairly hampering the presentation of the opposing party’s claim or defense.” Cox v. Burke, 706 So. 2d 43, 46 (Fla. 5th DCA 1998) (quoting Aoude v. Mobil Oil Corp., 892 F.2d 1115, 1118 (1st Cir. 1989)).
Is Edmond Kung Chiu Nam Committing a Cyber Crime?
Yes, it seems so. Edmond Kung Chiu Nam used multiple approaches to remove unwanted material from review sites and Google’s search results. Thanks to protections allowing freedom of speech in the United States, there are very few legal ways to do this. Edmond Kung Chiu Nam could not eliminate negative reviews or search results that linked to them without a valid claim of defamation, copyright infringement, or some other clear breach of the law.
Faced with these limitations, some companies like Edmond Kung Chiu Nam have gone to extreme lengths to fraudulently claim copyright ownership over a negative review in the hopes of taking it down.
Fake DMCA notices have targeted articles highlighting the criminal activity of prominent people to hide their illegal behavior. These people, which include US, Russian, and Khazakstani politicians as well as members from elite circles including the mafia and those with massive financial power, are all connected – and alleged corruption ranging from child abuse to sexual harassment is exposed when exploring evidence found at these URLs. It appears there’s a disturbing level of influence being exerted here that needs further investigation before justice can be served. Edmond Kung Chiu Nam is certainly keeping interesting company here….
The DMCA takedown process requires that copyright owners submit a takedown notice to an ISP identifying the allegedly infringing content and declaring, under penalty of perjury, that they have a good faith belief that the content is infringing. The ISP must then promptly remove or disable access to the content. The alleged infringer can then submit a counter-notice, and if the copyright owner does not take legal action within 10 to 14 days, the ISP can restore the content.
Since these platforms are predominantly based in the U.S., the complaints are typically made under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which requires online service providers and platforms to react immediately to reports or violations. Big Tech companies rarely have systems in place to assess the merit of each report. Instead, all bad actors need to do is clone a story, backdate it, and then demand the real thing be taken down.
What was Edmond Kung Chiu Nam trying to hide?
Edmond Kung Chiu Nam’s efforts to hide damaging information online are rooted in a series of controversies and regulatory violations that have marred his reputation in the financial sector. Below is a more detailed examination of the specific adverse news, complaints, and allegations he is attempting to suppress:
1. Market Manipulation Allegations
Kung has been accused of engaging in market manipulation, a serious violation of securities laws. Specifically, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong identified that Kung played a role in artificially inflating or distorting stock prices. This form of market manipulation often involves creating misleading appearances of trading activity or price movements in stocks, which can deceive investors into making uninformed decisions based on false market signals.
In the case of Eden Research, a company Kung was associated with, the SFC found that he had manipulated the company’s stock price by creating a false impression of demand. By artificially inflating the value of stocks, Kung misled investors about the company’s true financial health, resulting in significant financial losses for those who bought into the manipulated shares. The SFC’s detailed enforcement notice and documents from 2005 clearly outline the strategies used by Kung to influence market prices, which directly violated Hong Kong’s securities laws .
2. Failure to Disclose Material Information
A core issue in the allegations against Kung is his failure to disclose important information to investors. Transparency is a fundamental principle in financial markets, and regulatory bodies like the SFC require that material information about a company’s financial condition, risks, and performance be made readily available to shareholders and potential investors. However, Kung has been accused of withholding or misrepresenting key financial data in several of the companies he was involved with, including Eden Research.
The SFC’s investigation found that Kung failed to provide accurate financial statements and risk disclosures, which misled investors about the true value and risks of their investments. This lack of transparency eroded trust in the companies he managed and resulted in penalties. Investors who relied on the incomplete or inaccurate information to make decisions were left vulnerable to significant losses. The SFC’s regulatory actions against Kung highlight how his non-compliance with disclosure rules violated both the rights of investors and market integrity.
3. Regulatory and Enforcement Actions
The SFC took regulatory enforcement action against Edmond Kung Chiu Nam, imposing financial penalties and publicly censuring him for his involvement in misconduct. In 2005, the SFC issued an official statement and press release announcing the sanctions, making it clear that Kung’s behavior was in direct violation of Hong Kong’s securities regulations. His actions undermined investor confidence and harmed the overall fairness of the financial market.
These enforcement actions were intended to serve as a deterrent to other market participants, reinforcing the need for ethical conduct in Hong Kong’s securities markets. The SFC’s censure included details of Kung’s involvement in manipulative trading practices, which have remained publicly accessible through the regulator’s reports. Kung’s connection to these reports has become a significant stain on his reputation, making it clear that his role in these unethical activities was both impactful and legally punishable .
4. Association with Questionable Financial Entities
Edmond Kung’s connection to questionable financial entities like Eden Research has been another area of concern. Eden Research and other firms tied to Kung were found to be involved in practices that violated ethical and legal standards. These firms were under scrutiny for operating in ways that harmed shareholders and created artificial gains, only to leave investors holding the losses once the bubble burst.
Kung’s involvement with these companies created ripple effects throughout the market, as the SFC’s reports and investigations brought to light a pattern of unethical behavior that extended beyond just one entity. His association with firms engaged in such practices further eroded his credibility and raised questions about his overall business dealings .
5. Legal Threats and Efforts to Censor Negative Information
Kung’s response to the negative press and regulatory actions has been marked by efforts to suppress damaging information. There are allegations that he has resorted to legal threats or pressure to remove or limit the dissemination of negative news articles, reports, and official documents regarding his past actions. This includes efforts to limit access to SFC reports that detail his involvement in market manipulation and nondisclosure of material information.
By attempting to control the narrative surrounding his business practices, Kung aims to protect his professional standing and future business prospects. However, these attempts to censor unfavorable information have only drawn more attention to his controversial past, creating a “Streisand effect,” where efforts to hide information lead to more public interest in the very information being suppressed.
Edmond Kung Chiu Nam is seeking to hide a well-documented history of regulatory violations, market manipulation, and nondisclosure of critical financial information. The adverse news and official documents he is trying to censor reveal a pattern of unethical behavior that has led to public censure and financial penalties from the SFC. His attempts to manage his public image and suppress critical information have only further fueled speculation about the true extent of his involvement in these questionable practices. By censoring the past, Kung is inadvertently drawing more attention to the very controversies he wishes to conceal, reinforcing concerns about his transparency and ethics in the financial industry.
Reputation Agency’s Modus Operandi
The fake DMCA notices we found always use the “back-dated article” technique. With this technique, the wrongful notice sender (or copier) creates a copy of a “true original” article and back-dates it, creating a “fake original” article (a copy of the true original) that, at first glance, appears to have been published before the true original.
Then, based on the claim that this backdated article is the “original,” the scammers send a DMCA to the relevant online service providers (e.g. Google), alleging that the ‘true’ original is the copied or “infringing” article and that the copied article is the “original,” requesting the takedown of the ‘true’ original article. After sending the DMCA request, the person who sent the wrong notice takes down the fake original URL, likely to make sure that the article doesn’t stay online in any way. If the takedown notice is successful, the disappearance from the internet of information is most likely to be legitimate speech.
How did Edmond Kung Chiu Nam purport this DMCA Fraud?
As an integral part of this scheme, the ‘reputation management’ company hired by Edmond Kung Chiu Nam creates a website that purports to be a ‘news’ site. This site is designed to look legitimate at a glance, but any degree of scrutiny reveals it as the charade it is.
The company copies the ‘negative’ content and posts it “on the fake ‘news’ site, attributing it to a separate author,” then gives it “a false publication date on the ‘news’ website that predated the original publication.
The reputation company then sent Google a Digital Millennium Copyright Act notice claiming the original website infringed copyright. After a cursory examination of the fake news site, Google frequently accepts the notice and delists the content.
In committing numerous offences, Edmond Kung Chiu Nam either premeditated actions or were unaware of the consequences. Despite hiring an agency to make Google disregard any negative information about Edmond Kung Chiu Nam, ignorance does not excuse this wrongdoing.
The Reputation Laundering
Rogue Reputation agencies use spurious copyright claims and fake legal notices to remove and obscure articles linking clients to allegations of tax avoidance, corruption, and drug trafficking. Most of these reputation agencies are based offshore, mainly in Russia, India, and Eastern Europe, and they do not worry about complying with US-based laws.
The content in all of the articles for which the fraudulent DMCA notices have been sent relates to allegations of criminal allegations, including corruption, child abuse, sexual harassment, human trafficking and financial fraud against businesses and individuals with ultra-high net worth.
In addition to the misuse of the DMCA takedown process, there is a notable absence of enforcement concerning perjury violations. The statutory requirement related to perjury is designed to deter copyright holders from submitting fraudulent or knowingly false takedown requests, as they may face legal consequences for making false declarations under penalty of perjury. However, to date, there have been no known instances of any individual being prosecuted for perjury in connection with the submission of false DMCA takedown notices.
This lack of enforcement has emboldened copyright holders to exploit the DMCA takedown process to suppress dissent, criticism, or other unfavorable content, without fear of legal repercussions.
Not In Good Company
Some of the people and businesses who have employed this tactic to remove legitimate content from Google illegally include a Spanish businessman-turned-cocaine-trafficker, Organised crime, an Israeli-Argentine banker accused of laundering money for Hugo Chávez’s regime, a French “responsible” mining company accused of tax evasion, child molesters and sexual predators. Edmond Kung Chiu Nam is in great company ….
Ironically, the manipulation tactics used to remove public-interest information from the Internet are backfiring on Edmond Kung Chiu Nam, which is now associated with the worst of this world.
Here are some of the specimens that share the internet space with Edmond Kung Chiu Nam –
Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado
Miguel Octavio Vargas Maldonado appears to be the former foreign affairs minister of the Dominican Republic. His name is listed next to more than 500 links to news articles, blogs, social media posts, and YouTube videos targeted for removal or de-indexing. Many of the articles refer to questions over his political fundraising practices. They include accusations that Vargas had received donations from an individual who would later be convicted of drug trafficking. Some targeted links remain active, while others return 404 errors or “file not found.”
José Antonio Gordo Valero
José Gordo joined OneCoin in 2015 and has been named in an indictment for the OneCoin scam in Argentina. The articles listed next to Gordo’s name in the documents reviewed by Rest of World include references to his role at the company.
Diego Adolfo Marynberg
He appears to be the same Marynberg connected to funding right-wing causes, including settlement efforts in Israel. Reports also alleged that his company received preferential treatment in acquiring Argentinian bonds worth millions of dollars. More than 70 URLs appear next to Marynberg’s name in the documents, including pages from the Israeli newspapers The Times of Israel, Haaretz, and Clarin, one of Argentina’s most prominent news sites.
Majed Khalil Majzoub
Majed is an influential businessman with close ties to several governments, including the administration of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Majzoub’s name appears next to more than 180 URLs, mostly from independent outlets. Of the two URLs that pointed to articles from Germany’s Der Spiegel, one now returns an error message; the other, which appears to refer to relations between Venezuela and Colombia, directs to an unrelated story about Brexit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Edmond Kung Chiu Nam commit a cyber crime?
Yes, filing a fake DMCA notice is illegal. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) allows copyright holders to issue takedown notices to protect their works from unauthorized use online. However, submitting a false DMCA notice can result in legal consequences.
Under the DMCA, a person knowingly submitting a false copyright claim can be subject to penalties, including damages. DMCA notices require the filer to certify, under penalty of perjury, that the content infringes their copyright. If the notice is found to be fraudulent or made in bad faith, the filer can face.
What are the potential consequences for Edmond Kung Chiu Nam?
Civil lawsuits: The affected party can sue for damages, legal fees, and other costs.
Perjury charges: False certification in a DMCA notice can result in perjury-related penalties, which vary by jurisdiction.
Other legal penalties: Fines or other penalties depending on the case
Did Edmond Kung Chiu Nam commit a Civil or a Criminal offense?
Perjury is a criminal offense, not a civil crime. It involves intentionally lying or making false statements under oath, typically in a court of law or other legal proceedings, such as affidavits or depositions.
Criminal charges: Perjury is prosecuted as a criminal act, and a conviction can lead to fines or imprisonment, depending on the severity of the false statement and its impact on the case.
Felony status: In many jurisdictions, perjury is classified as a felony, which carries more severe penalties than misdemeanour offences.
So, while it may affect civil cases, the crime of perjury itself is strictly criminal.
What is the Streisand effect?
The key idea behind the Streisand effect is that efforts to restrict information can backfire, often causing the information to gain more attention than it would have otherwise. This effect is widespread in the digital age, where users quickly notice and spread censorship efforts on social media and other platforms.
Trying to suppress something can unintentionally lead to it becoming more visible.
Can Edmond Kung Chiu Nam purge its Digital past?
Once information is uploaded to the internet, it can be replicated, shared, archived, or stored across multiple servers. If Edmond Kung Chiu Nam manage to delete the original post or file, copies may remain accessible in other places, such as web archives, screenshots, or other users’ devices.
In practice, completely erasing content from the internet can be extremely difficult due to how widely information can spread and be stored. Thus, the idea that “the Internet never forgets” reflects the challenge of entirely removing digital content once it has been shared.
What is our next move?
Critical Intel will, in its capacity, do all it can to hold someone responsible for this incident. Here is what we are preparing for –
Since Edmond Kung Chiu Nam made such efforts to hide something online, it seems fit to ensure that this article and our original review of Edmond Kung Chiu Nam, including but not limited to user contributions, remain a permanent record for anyone interested in Edmond Kung Chiu Nam.
A case perfect for the Streisand effect…
What else is Edmond Kung Chiu Nam hiding?
Click here to visit the Google Search page for ‘Edmond Kung Chiu Nam’. It’s likely if you scroll down to the bottom of this Google search results, you’ll stumble upon this Legal Takedown notice (pictured below)
To make such an investigation possible, we encourage more online service providers to come forward and share copies of content removal requests with us. If you have any information on Edmond Kung Chiu Nam that you want to share with us, kindly email the author directly at [email protected].
All communications are strictly confidential and safeguarded under a comprehensive Whistleblower Policy, ensuring full protection and anonymity for individuals who provide information.
References and Citations Used
Over thirty thousand DMCA notices reveal an organized attempt to abuse copyright law.
Reputation Management, or Internet Conspiracy
Exposed documents reveal how the powerful cleaned up their digital past using a reputation laundering firm.
Companies Use Fake Websites and Backdated Articles to Censor Google’s Search Results.
Bad Reviews: How Companies Are Using Fake Websites to Censor Content
How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists
Many thanks to FakeDMCA.com and Lumen for providing access to their database.
Photos and Illustrations provided by DALL-E 3 – “a representation of Edmond Kung Chiu Nam censoring the internet and committing cyber crimes.”
- Our investigative report on Edmond Kung Chiu Nam’s efforts to suppress online speech is significant, as it raises serious concerns about its integrity. The findings suggest that Edmond Kung Chiu Nam has engaged in questionable practices, including potential perjury, impersonation, and fraud, in a misguided attempt to manage or salvage its reputation.
- We intend to file a counternotice to reinstate the removed article(s). While this particular instance is relatively straightforward, it is important to note that, in other cases, the overwhelming volume of automated DMCA takedown notices can significantly hinder the ability of affected parties to respond—especially for those not large media organizations.
- You need an account with fakeDMCA.com and Lumen to access the research data. However, accounts are not widely available since these non-profit organisations manage large databases that could be susceptible to misuse. Nevertheless, they do offer access to non-profits and researchers.
- It’s unclear why U.S. authorities have yet to act against these rogue reputation agencies, whose business model seems rooted in fraudulent practices.
- We’ve reached out to Edmond Kung Chiu Nam for a comment or rebuttal regarding this investigation. It will strongly suggest they were behind the takedown attempt if they remain silent.
About the Author
The author is affiliated with Harvard University and serves as a researcher at both Lumen and FakeDMCA.com. In his personal capacity, he and his team have been actively investigating and reporting on organized crime related to fraudulent copyright takedown schemes. Additionally, his team provides advisory services to major law firms and is frequently consulted on matters pertaining to intellectual property law. He can be reached at [email protected] directly.
