The Police have arrested a total of 23 individuals, aged between 17 and 48, for their suspected involvement in perpetrating various scams such as job scams, Government Officials Impersonation Scam (GOIS), loan scams, rental scams, e-commerce scams and Internet love scams. Twenty men and three women will be charged in court on 14 February 2023 for their suspected involvement in various offences connected to money mule activities which include cheating, money laundering, facilitating unauthorised access to computer material and carrying on unlicensed businesses of providing payment services.
These 23 individuals are alleged to have sold or rented their bank accounts to criminal syndicates for as much as $800 per bank account or assisted in carrying out bank transfers and withdrawals. Some of them are believed to have cheated the banks into opening bank accounts before handing over the ATM cards and iBanking PINs to the criminal syndicates. One person is alleged to have sold his SingPass credentials for an amount of $4,500 to criminal syndicates to create new bank accounts.
The offence of cheating under section 417 of the Penal Code carries an imprisonment term of up to three years and a fine. The offence of money laundering under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act carries an imprisonment term not exceeding 10 years, a fine not exceeding $500,000 or both. The offence of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material carries an imprisonment term not exceeding two years, a fine or both. The offence of carrying on an unlicensed business of providing payment service under Section 5 of the Payment Services Act 2019 carries a fine not exceeding $125,000, imprisonment term not exceeding three years or both.
The Police take a serious view of persons who may be involved in scams and frauds, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit 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.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
13 February 2023 @ 8:05 PM