Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven Police Land Divisions conducted a two-week operation between 10 January 2025 and 23 January 2025. A total of 214 men and 98 women, aged between 15 and 75, are assisting in investigations for their suspected involvement in scams as scammers or money mules. The persons are believed to be involved in more than 1,180 cases of scams, comprising mainly job scams, e-commerce scams, investment scams, government official impersonation scams and friend impersonation scams, where victims reportedly lost over $11.2 million.
The persons are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering and providing payment services without a licence. The penalties of the various offences being investigated are:
- Cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.
- Money laundering under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
- Carrying on a business to provide any type of payment service in Singapore without a licence under Section 5 of the Payment Services Act 2019 carries a fine of up to $125,000, an imprisonment term of up to three years, or both.
The Police take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. To avoid being an accomplice to criminal activities, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable for their misuse.
If you have any information relating to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
24 January 2025 @ 11:15 AM