A 23-year-old Malaysian man has been charged in Singapore for his alleged involvement in a fake friend call scam that defrauded a victim of S$20,000.
The arrest took place on Wednesday (22 July) at Changi Airport Terminal 4 before the suspect could depart from Singapore.
On 3 July, a 69-year-old victim notified the Singapore Police Force after getting a call from an “acquaintance” who claimed that he had been detained by Singapore Immigration at Changi Airport Terminal 4.
The caller told the victim that he had failed to declare funds in his bank account and required S$20,000 as bail for his temporary release, the police said.
Source: pixelshot on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
The following morning, the victim went to Terminal 4 and handed over the cash to an unknown man.
She later realised she had been scammed when additional bank transfer requests followed.
Airport Police Division officers quickly identified the man who had collected the cash from the victim.
They arrested the suspect on 22 July at Changi Airport Terminal 4 departure hall.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had been recruited by unknown individuals believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate to collect cash from scam victims and pass the proceeds to other unknown persons.
The man was charged on 23 July with the offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct.
If found guilty, the suspect could face a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both, and caning of up to 12 strokes.
Police urge members of the public to be cautious of unknown callers requesting urgent financial help.
They added: “Always make further checks to verify the identity of the requestors through other sources. Never transfer money to any persons whose identity is not adequately verified.”
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from pixelshot on Canva, for illustration purposes only.