The Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF), together with Malaysia’s National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), conducted a month-long anti-scam operation between 10 February 2025 and 9 March 2025. The operation in Malaysia was led by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), coordinated by the National Anti-Financial Crime (NFCC), and with support from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) under the NSRC. More than 850 subjects, aged between 15 and 77, are being investigated in Malaysia and Singapore for their suspected involvement in scams. These subjects are believed to be involved in more than 2,700 cases of scams, comprising mainly government official impersonation scams, investment scams, rental scams, internet love scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams and e-commerce scams, where victims reportedly lost over SGD$8.1 million. More than 3,400 bank accounts suspected to be linked to scams were detected and frozen by the ASCom and the NSRC, with more than SGD$2 million seized in these bank accounts.
During this operation, the SPF and the RMP worked closely to effect the arrest of a 34-year-old man on 28 February 2025. The man was allegedly involved in managing a group of scammers who impersonated Police officers in government official impersonation scam cases. He was apprehended in Malaysia and, pursuant to an arrest warrant issued by the State Courts of Singapore, handed over to the SPF. He had been charged with the offence of criminal conspiracy to commit cheating in the State Courts on 1 March 2025.
Prior to this operation, the ASCom and the Malaysia's NSRC worked hand in hand to analyse, identify and seize illicit cross-border funds movements as part of Project FRONTIER+ (Funds Recovery Operations & Networks Team, Inspiring Effective Resolution Plus).
In a case of an internet love scam, a 48-year-old female victim had befriended a “friend” through an online dating application in December 2024. The friend was in fact a scammer. After gaining the victim’s trust, the scammer sought financial assistance, and she agreed to help. Believing that the scammer was facing financial difficulties, the victim transferred more than SGD$130,000 to the scammer. Subsequently, the victim realised it was a scam and lodged a police report. The ASCom analysed the funds trail and found that the funds had been sent to a payment service provider’s account in Malaysia. With the swift assistance from the NSRC, more than SGD$34,000 was successfully secured in the account.
FRONTIER+
The establishment of FRONTIER+ on 21 October 2024, comprising representatives from anti-scam centres of seven countries, namely Singapore, Hong Kong SAR, Malaysia, Thailand, the Republic of Maldives, the Republic of Korea and Australia, is essential to bolster international cooperation and combat the growing threat of scams. The FRONTIER+ network allows for seamless information sharing, quick and synchronised response to scams and knowledge exchange to develop and improve the intervention processes in each country. By connecting the law enforcement agencies, it aims to build a coalition with a shared vision to effectively nip scams in the bud by clamping down on the scam syndicates’ operations, arresting syndicate members and mitigating financial losses for scam victims.
This month-long collaboration between the ASCom and Malaysian law enforcement agencies marks the first-of-its kind anti-scam joint operation between ASCom and the FRONTIER+ members, demonstrating Singapore’s and Malaysia’s strong commitment to combat scams and money laundering at the transnational level. Similar joint operations with other FRONTIER+ member countries will be conducted to ramp up regional efforts against transnational scams.
Director CAD, Mr David Chew said, “The recent tripartite collaboration between Singapore's Anti-Scam Command, the Royal Malaysia Police and Malaysia's National Scam Response Centre demonstrates the strength of our regional partnerships in combating transnational financial crimes. Through a co-ordinated and meticulous analysis of suspicious fund flows and quick action by the Royal Malaysian Police, we successfully recovered substantial scam proceeds and disrupted criminal syndicates operating across our borders. As transnational scam syndicates become increasingly sophisticated in their structure and modus operandi, close cooperation between the Singapore and Malaysia authorities is crucial. We will continue to work together to stay ahead of the criminals’ tactics and with help from our law enforcement partners overseas, ensure that transnational criminals are detected and arrested wherever they may choose to operate from.”
Annex A
Police officers escorting the man handed over from Malaysia to Singapore▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
19 March 2025 @ 10:00 AM