Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.
On 14 Oct, a woman fell victim to two scammers impersonating Singapore government officials and was tricked out of over S$20,000.
The police arrested two Malaysian men, seizing 41 pieces of gold jewellery and S$55,000 in cash.
The alleged scammers were charged in court on Wednesday (21 Oct).
Source: Singapore Police Force
According to a police media release on 20 Oct, one case involved a 40-year-old woman in Singapore.
Allegedly, the individual contacted her on 13 Oct, claiming to represent a Harvey Norman employee.
The individual reached out about a supposed delivery.
When the victim denied making the purchases, the callers claimed that someone may have misused her identity.
As a result, they would supposedly lodge a police report on her behalf.
The next day, a second individual claiming to represent Harvey Norman also reached out to her.
They guided her into contacting alleged Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) staff through WhatsApp.
She spoke with two individuals posing as MAS staff. They instructed her to log into her bank accounts while sharing her screen with them.
Subsequently, the scammers told her to disclose her banking credentials and One-Time Passwords (OTPs) and approve all transactions in her bank accounts.
The victim also had to photograph her jewellery and cash before handing them to an MAS representative for checks.
She met up with a man and handed him S$3,500 in cash, around S$20,000 in foreign currency, and her jewellery.
Source: Singapore Police Force
The victim later visited MAS in person and was told that she had not been communicating with their staff.
She thus lodged a police report on 15 Oct.
Singapore Police Force Cyber Command officers successfully identified the man who met the victim.
On 19 Oct, the police arrested him, alongside a male accomplice.
The latter was carrying 17 pieces of gold jewellery, believed to be scam proceeds.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Police officers performed a follow-up raid at a budget hotel, seizing S$55,000 in cash and 24 more pieces of gold jewellery.
The two Malaysian men, aged between 25 and 26, are believed to be working for members of a transnational scam syndicate.
Police believe they were tasked to collect valuables or cash from scam victims.
The two men were charged with abetment by conspiracy to assist another person to retain benefits from criminal conduct.
If convicted, they may receive up to 10 years in jail and/or a maximum fine of S$500,000.
The Police continue to observe an increasing trend of Malaysian nationals travelling to Singapore to assist scam syndicates in collecting cash, gold and valuables from scam victims.
They warned of serious action against scammers or scam mules.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Additionally, the police reminded members of the public to:
They also stated that Singapore government officials would never ask for money transfers over the phone or request banking details.
Also read: Deepfakes of PM Wong & other senior govt officials used in impersonation scam, 1 victim lost S$4.9M
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.