Behind a declaration of love lay a web of deceit… Here’s how officers broke an Internet love scam and money mule syndicate!
By: Alethea Lee
Nigerian national Awolola Oladayo Opeyemi moved to Malaysia and became involved in a transnational Internet love scam syndicate. From 2017 to 2019, not only did he scam victims, he also recruited money mules in Singapore to facilitate his scheme.
Among those that Opeyemi recruited was Suhaili binte Suparjo. Leveraging his relationship with Suhaili, Opeyemi persuaded her to use her bank accounts to facilitate scam transactions and also to bring his ill-gotten funds to him in Malaysia.
Romance as a Front for Crime
Opeyemi used false identities to woo victims online, building up trust until he felt confident enough to ask them for money. The unsuspecting victims would then transfer their funds to Suhaili, believing they were aiding their online love interest.
Under Opeyemi’s direction, Suhaili received bank transfers and also large sums of cash from scam victims. Between June to August 2017, Suhaili’s bank accounts were used to receive monetary benefits totalling up to $256,000. Suhaili would then withdraw the money and travel to Malaysia to give it to Opeyemi.
The Collapse of the Con
The scam unravelled after two victims filed police reports after transferring money to Suhaili’s account. Officers of the Anti-Scam Command began their investigations. Alerted by law enforcement partners in Canada and Macau, they soon discovered clues that led them to Suhaili.
After building their case, officers swiftly froze Suhaili’s accounts for further investigations. Opeyemi was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on 16 April 2019 and subsequently extradited to Singapore where he faced charges related to his crimes.
Scammers and Money Mules, Watch Out
In 2021, Opeyemi was sentenced to five years’ jail for offences related to receiving the benefits of criminal conduct. In 2023, Suhaili was sentenced to 15 months’ jail for money mule offences.
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 crimes, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes.
Crime Files
Police Life brings you actual investigations that Police officers have pursued to keep Singapore safe and secure. Watch a reenactment of this case on Crimewatch, Episode 10, 2023!
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