Scammer uses photo of MP to pose as police officer over WhatsApp, warns of ‘arrest warrants’
A Toa Payoh resident has lost more than S$1 million to a scammer who posed as a police officer over WhatsApp.
So brazen was the scammer that he even used the photo of a Member of Parliament (MP) as a profile picture, said Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Cai Yinzhou in a Facebook post on Thursday (23 July).
Source: Cai Yinzhou on Facebook
Scammer uses MP as profile pic, ‘Ministry of Law’ as cover pic
The woman had been communicating with the scammer via WhatsApp since March, sending him a selfie from home every day, said Mr Cai.
According to a photo he shared, the scammer used the name “Ryan Goh M” and a cover photo depicting the “Ministry of Law Singapore”.
He also used the photo of “a fellow MP”, Mr Cai added.
Scammer warns of police arrest warrants
The scammer had impersonated a police officer and warned the victim about “outstanding arrest warrants”.
He also told her not to tell anybody about their interactions.
Source: Jonas Leupe on Unsplash. Photo for illustration purposes only.
In April, 32 transactions were made from the victim’s account over just two weeks.
On his instructions, she also personally delivered her jewellery and valuables to the scammer.
Victim attends MPS after account was frozen
The scam came to light when the resident attended a Meet-The-People Session (MPS), said Mr Cai, who is in charge of the Toa Payoh Central division.
She had intended to make an appeal after her bank account was frozen.
She also mentioned that “the police” had been in touch with her.
She found out that she had been scammed only after Mr Cai’s team accompanied her to the police station to verify what had happened.
Source: Toa Payoh NPC on Facebook
Residents urged to look out for one another
Mr Cai urged residents to look out for one another, especially seniors, saying:
Scams can happen to anyone.
He advised people to verify before doing anything if something feels off, and never be isolated from trusted people.
Also read: Yishun resident who was scammed of S$17K gets his money back, thanks MP & police
Yishun resident who was scammed of S$17K gets his money back, thanks MP & police
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Featured image adapted from Cai Yinzhou on Facebook and Jonas Leupe on Unsplash. Photo on the right for illustration purposes only.
