A behavioural scientist unpacks the dark psychology of why smart people fall for the Nanning pyramid scheme

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

We often hear this saying: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Yet, 52 Singaporeans were recently arrested in China over the notorious Nanning pyramid scheme. So why do highly educated, financially literate people continue to fall for frauds that seem so obvious from the outside?

In this episode of In Your Opinion, Lynda Hong sits down with Dr Serene Koh, director of the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) in Singapore, to deconstruct the dark psychology behind massive investment scams.

Moving past the surface-level blame of describing victims as greedy and gullible, Dr Koh explains how sophisticated syndicates architect fake realities, weaponise our closest family networks, and use our own intelligence against us.

Highlights (click/tap above):

00:52 Why behavioural science is the key to understanding scam victims

1:55 How the Nanning Ponzi scheme differs from other scams

4:15 How pig-butchering scams work

7:57 Why scammers target the human desire for family security rather than pure greed

13:11 Why shame and cognitive dissonance keep victims silent

15:42 Using inoculation programmes and survivor stories to build public resistance against scam syndicates

18:31 The sunk cost fallacy and social ties that prevent victims from walking away

22:12 How trust and personal relationships override logical due diligence

25:42 Why higher financial literacy and education can increase scam vulnerability

31:29 The social cost of fraud, eroded trust, and why people have stopped picking up phone calls anymore

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong

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Why they offer more safety features and generate less nuclear waste, says a nuclear expert.

Singapore announced in May 2026 that it will be embarking on the first phase of a review by the UN atomic watchdog, to help Singapore determine if it has what it takes to deploy nuclear energy.

Host Audrey Tan discusses what this process entails for Singapore with Low Xin Wei, the chief executive of the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute (SNRSI), a research organisation. He was previously the assistant chief executive at Singapore’s energy regulator, the Energy Market Authority.

Low describes the review process as being similar to a marriage counselling course, which participants undergo to learn more about what marriage entails.

Just like how the final decision on whether to get married will be determined by the couple, countries will have the final say in whether to go ahead with deploying nuclear energy.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:20 How has Singapore’s stance on nuclear energy changed over the years?

6:45 What are the three reasons behind this change?

12:21 How has public perception of nuclear shifted?

15:20 How nuclear energy can boost energy security

20:25 Embarking on Phase 1 of the integrated nuclear infrastructure review: What it entails for Singapore?

26:45 What will it take to demonstrate that nuclear plants are safer than what people perceive?

36:45 Where could a nuclear power plant in Singapore potentially be sited?

Read more:

S’pore to undergo review by UN atomic watchdog in 2027: https://str.sg/M6Du

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

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Good grades, good jobs, applying for a BTO, getting married. Isn’t that every Singaporean’s dream?

In this episode, Julian Low, co-founder of theatre practice Wushiren, talks about his experience defying the “Singaporean Dream” by dropping out of medical school. He then went on to pursue his dream of starting an independent theatre collective.

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss if a fixed definition of success is still relevant in these times and why it’s important to have the courage to stray from “the script” and explore what truly makes you curious in life.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Intro

0:54 Is there a "Singaporean Dream"?

2:48 Why Julian dropped out of medical school

6:34 People stick to safe choices even when it makes them suffer

10:54 “Challenge” is the new C in the 5Cs list

15:55 Is fatigue our body’s way of sending a message?

20:02 Financial realities vs your dreams

29:04 Redefining the Singaporean Dream

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim and Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.

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In an increasingly digital world, why are young Indonesians drawn to activities that bring them offline and together?

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they're based in.

In this episode, host Li Xueying speaks with Indonesia correspondent Karina Tehusijarana about the growing popularity of shared, analogue and hands-on trends, such as a resurgence in cinema attendance to jump rope groups and custom mechanical keyboards.

As people seek ways to connect beyond their screens, these different pursuits point to a renewed interest in community and the tangible pleasures of an offline life.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:20 Post-Covid-19 cinema boom

6:30 Exploring traditional communal practices like arisan

10:40 The analogue lifestyle: A resurgence

16:50 Mechanical keyboards and diverse communities

19:50 Emerging analogue trends such as knitting and vinyl records

Read Karina Tehusijarana’s articles here: https://str.sg/dEAyW

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz

Host: Li Xueying (xueying@sph.com.sg)

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

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In the first two months after the Online Safety Commission (OSC) started operations, the agency handled more than 500 reports of online harms. Doxing and online harassment made up the bulk of eligible reports.

The OSC is a new avenue - it launched on June 29 - that helps victims by compelling platforms and group administrators to remove harmful content quickly.

Can the OSC make the internet a safe space for users in Singapore?

Singapore’s Commissioner of Online Safety Francis Ng drops in on The Usual Place to talk about how the OSC has the power to tackle online harms, and why removing harmful content can give victims relief.

Also, if Ng could personally ban one harmful online behaviour, what would it be?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:30 What does the Online Safety Commission do?

4:30 500+ cases, some of the material “very, very disturbing”

7:02 The AI sextortion case that stayed with Ng

9:54 Is there too much onus on social media platforms?

13:40 Is it always clear-cut that harm has been caused?

21:43 The “eat slipper rice” case: when context matters

23:52 Can you report content that’s already disappeared?

31:47 Why is “justice” important for victims?

35:01 The one online habit we would each ban

If you are a victim of intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxing, online harassment and online stalking, you can make a report directly on OSC’s website at www.osc.gov.sg.

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: / theusualplacepodcast

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

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IPS' Mathew Mathews unpacks why a high salary can't protect you like a wealth buffer can.

Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.

The average wealth held by the top 20% of households stands at $5.3 million. That is 18 times more than the bottom 20%, whose average wealth sits at $293,000, according to an occasional paper titled Income Growth, Inequality, and Social Mobility Trends in Singapore published by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in February 2026.

While government policies and wage initiatives have successfully lowered income inequality, MOF's 2026 occasional paper reveals that Singapore’s wealth Gini coefficient now stands at 0.55.

In this episode of In Your Opinion, host Lynda Hong sits down with Mathew Mathews, principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), to unpack the critical difference between earning and owning.

They explore why real income growth alone cannot bridge the mobility gap if lower-income families lack the disposable cash needed to invest in property or compounding assets. Mathews explains how accumulated wealth acts as a vital psychological and practical buffer against economic shocks, particularly for lower-income households.

The conversation dives into the future of the Singaporean social fabric, tackling the threat of AI-driven job disruptions, the dangers of retail investing without financial literacy, and the potential for a universal basic capital model. Finally, they discuss whether slowing relative mobility means the traditional status symbols — like car ownership — are irrelevant, or simply being revisioned by a new generation.

Highlights (click/tap above):

00:48 Why did MOF focus on wealth inequality recently

2:16 Income vs wealth: When what you own matters more

3:52 Can two families with the same income but varying wealth withstand economic shocks?

5:05 How wealth protects children’s opportunities for the future

5:35 Impact of AI on widening income inequality

8:49 Why salary growth doesn't equal social mobility

12:00 How to generate wealth apart from property and CPF

15:12 The hidden risks of retail investing for the lower-income

25:05 Does moving up the economic ladder mean more comforts in life?

29:20 The threat to Singapore's social cohesion

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai

Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong

Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops:

Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb

Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Singapore is also testing out solutions to tackle heat without air-conditioning.

Synopsis: Every Tuesday, we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society.

After three years of clear skies, the haze is back in Singapore. One contributor to the pollution is the El Nino weather phenomenon, which causes drier, hotter weather in South-east Asia.

This causes fires typical of Indonesia’s agroforestry landscape to burn harder and longer.

So how is Singapore responding to the double whammy of haze and hotter weather?

Green Pulse host Audrey Tan talks to correspondents Shabana Begum and Ang Qing on what they have observed while reporting on these conditions.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:13 The impacts of El Nino in South-east Asia

7:39 How people in Singapore are responding to the heat and haze

13:50 Are people in Singapore heat-tolerant or heat-avoidant?

15:53 Solutions to help people adapt to heat without air-conditioning

20:24 What are the global impacts of El Nino?

Read Qing’s and Shabana’s related articles:

Solar-powered air-con, freeze-tech and ‘fan-jakketos’ among innovative cooling gadgets on the market: https://str.sg/b6WC

Emergency visits for respiratory cases up even with small spikes in PM2.5 levels: S’pore study: https://str.sg/mVPv

Follow Audrey Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/848W

Read her articles: https://str.sg/JLM2

Host: Audrey Tan (audreyt@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Green Pulse Podcast every Tuesday as we discuss how environmental issues intersect with business, politics and society:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaf

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWaY

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWag

YouTube: https://str.sg/fapS

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Wired earphones and film cameras: Is retro tech back, or another performative trend?

In this episode, we look at how retro analogue items such as wired earphones, film cameras, and Walkmans are making a comeback. Is this here to stay or is it just another performative trend?

Join hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann as they chat with Gen Z business owner and CD collector Cody Tong about the psychology behind the analogue revival and the benefits of unplugging.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00 Introduction

2:32 Why physical formats are making a comeback

5:52 Tech trends, aesthetics, and nostalgia

8:33 Intention and benefits of going analogue

17:13 Digital detox and practical tips to unplug

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.

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