Two men, aged 19 and 25, will be charged in court on 21 March 2022 for allegedly disclosing their Singpass login details and relinquishing their own bank accounts to unknown persons for easy money. Their Singpass details were then purportedly used by scam syndicates to open bank accounts. Their relinquished bank accounts, as well as the bank accounts opened by the syndicate, were all allegedly used to launder proceeds of cheating offences.
Investigations revealed that in August 2021, the 25-year-old man came across an advertisement on Telegram which offered him cash in exchange for his Singpass details. After he handed over his Singpass login details, a syndicate was able to register a Standard Chartered Bank account in his name. The bank account was then used to launder proceeds of crime amounting to more than $850,000, including the proceeds of a job scam. He will also be charged for allegedly selling his OCBC bank account in return for fast cash to a member of another syndicate that he became acquainted with on Telegram in September 2021. This bank account was used to launder proceeds of crime amounting to $55,000.
In the other case, investigations revealed that in early 2021, the 19-year-old man was alleged to have disclosed his Singpass login details after he responded to an Instagram story asking if anyone was interested in earning fast cash. His Singpass details were used to access his Singpass account and open three bank accounts with Citibank and CIMB. These bank accounts were then used to launder proceeds of crime amounting to more than $77,000. In addition, he was allegedly approached by a member of a scam syndicate on Telegram to sell his bank account. He later created a Standard Chartered Bank account and relinquished control of the bank account to the syndicate. He will also be charged for allegedly relinquishing his personal United Overseas Bank account to an online gambling syndicate, in exchange for cash.
For allegedly disclosing their Singpass login details, the two men will be charged under Section 8(2)(a) of the Computer Misuse Act (Cap 50A, 2007 Rev Ed). If convicted, they will each be liable to a fine not exceeding $10,000 to imprisonment not exceeding three years, or both, for first-time offenders. For allegedly relinquishing their bank accounts, they will be charged under Section 3(1) read with Section 10 and Section 11A of the Computer Misuse Act. If convicted, they will each be liable to a fine not exceeding $5,000, imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both, for first-time offenders.
The Police would like to advise the public that disclosing Singpass login details and relinquishing bank accounts to other persons can constitute offences under the Computer Misuse Act. Crime syndicates may make use of the disclosed Singpass login details to access the Singpass accounts and open bank accounts, which are then used to launder the proceeds of crime.
To avoid becoming involved in money laundering activities, members of the public should always reject requests to disclose their Singpass login details, or allow their personal bank accounts to be used to receive and transfer money for others.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
18 March 2022 @ 9:00 PM