Four Malaysians, including a woman, have been arrested in Singapore over their alleged involvement in three scams impersonating government officials, which resulted in losses of about S$1.17 million (RM4.1 million).
The suspects, three men and one woman aged between 24 and 30, were charged in a Singapore court yesterday.
According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the first case, reported on October 22 last year, involved a victim being tricked into transferring more than S$1.1 million after scammers posed as government officials. Investigations revealed that the funds were routed through a complex payment network before being withdrawn in cash from ATMs in Malaysia.
Following extensive investigations, Singapore’s Anti-Scam Command officers, in cooperation with Malaysian authorities, arrested two men aged 24 and 30 on January 20. Preliminary inquiries suggest they assisted the syndicate by withdrawing cash using payment cards linked to scam mules and handing the money to unknown individuals as part of a money-laundering operation.
The second case, reported on January 19, involved a victim who was deceived by callers posing as bank officers and officials from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The victim withdrew S$50,000 and handed it to a 28-year-old Malaysian man, who was later arrested at the Woodlands Checkpoint while attempting to leave Singapore.
In the third case, also reported on January 19, a 26-year-old Malaysian woman was arrested after an elderly victim handed over S$15,000 following threats of arrest, with police intervening before a further S$9,000 could be taken.
SPF said both suspects in the second and third cases were part of a transnational syndicate responsible for collecting cash from victims before passing it to other operatives.
The two men linked to the first case face charges under the Computer Misuse Act for abetting unauthorized access to bank systems, while the other two suspects are charged under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, which carries penalties of up to 10 years in jail, fines of up to S$500,000, or both.
Authorities warned of a rising trend of Malaysians travelling to Singapore to assist scam syndicates in collecting cash, gold, and valuables. SPF said that all scam-related offences will be dealt with firmly, noting that mandatory caning has been introduced for certain offences since December 30 last year.
