Suspected scam mules linked to Government Official Impersonation and Investment Scams
Two Malaysian men, aged 22 and 35, were charged in court on Friday (13 March) for their suspected involvement in two separate cases of Government Official Impersonation Scam (GOIS) and Investment Scam.
This marks the fifth arrest of Malaysians in Singapore for similar offences within just 10 days, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a statement on 12 March.
Elderly woman tricked by fake MAS officer
In the first case, the police received a report on 8 March from a victim who was contacted by an unknown person claiming to be from UnionPay.
Source: SPF
The caller told her she needed to pay S$750 to cancel an insurance policy she wished to terminate.
When she refused, she was told she was a scam victim and that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) would take over.
“She then received a video call from a man who identified himself as an officer from MAS. She was convinced to hand over her jewellery in her possession to another MAS officer, a man, on the same day,” said SPF.
The victim’s daughter discovered the scam and immediately contacted the police.
Same suspect targeted another victim
Further investigation revealed that the same suspect had targeted another elderly woman in Bukit Batok.
She was told her bank account was involved in money laundering and instructed to withdraw S$9,000 in cash. She handed over the money after meeting a man with a secret passcode verification,
Officers from the Anti-Scam Command arrested the 22-year-old suspect on 11 March.
Upon arrest, he was found with S$170 in cash, believed to be part of the scam proceeds. The suspect was also found to be in possession of paraphernalia used to commit the offences.
In the second case, a 35-year-old Malaysian man was linked to an investment scam in which a victim lost more than $66,000.
In December 2025, the victim responded to a Facebook advertisement promoting stock tips and insider information.
She downloaded a fake app called “KY INTL” upon joining a WhatsApp group.
It was then that she was instructed to deposit cash for “purported trades”.
“The victim handed over cash of S$9,000 and close to S$40,000 to two different unknown persons on two separate occasions in Sengkang in January and February this year,” the police said.
When the victim had trouble withdrawing her funds and discovered the app was no longer available on Google Playstore, she realised she had been scammed.
Investment scam victim loses over S$66,000
Investigations revealed that the suspect used fake documents and staff passes to impersonate company representatives when collecting cash.
Source: Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels. Image for illustration purposes only.
Preliminary investigations indicate that both men were tasked by unknown persons, believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate, to collect cash and jewellery from victims and hand them over to others.
The two men will be charged with the offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct. The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both.
Police urge public to stay vigilant
The police highlighted an increasing trend of Malaysian nationals entering Singapore to assist scam syndicates.
Since 30 Dec 2025, scammers and syndicate recruiters face mandatory caning of six to 24 strokes, while scam mules who enable scammers by laundering proceeds may receive discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
“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,” SPF said.
Authorities reminded Singaporeans to:
- Never transfer cash, jewellery, or valuables to strangers whose identities cannot be verified
- Never leave money or valuables for later collection
- Never share device screens or login credentials with anyone unknown
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force (left and right).Â
