In a two-day island-wide operation conducted on 29 and 30 September 2015, the Police rounded up 44 persons for their suspected involvement in various online scams. The 22 men and 22 women, aged between 18 and 54, are suspected to be involved in 137 cases of online scams involving more than S$110,000.
Some of the suspects are believed to have acted as “money mules†who received and transferred illegal funds on behalf of criminal syndicates. Some suspects are believed to have posed as online sellers of various products such as electronic gadgets, mobile phones etc. but failed to deliver the products to their buyers even after receiving payment.
The investigations are part of Police’s ongoing enforcement efforts against online scams. The suspects will be investigated for the offence of Cheating which carries a punishment of imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine, or money laundering offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, which carry a punishment of imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to S$500,000. Any bank account found to have been used to receive money from illegal sources will be frozen for the purpose of investigations. The suspects will not be able to utilize their bank accounts for any transaction while investigations are ongoing.
Police would like to advise members of public to be vigilant when engaging in any form of online activity on social media applications or shopping on online platforms. Members of public should not allow their bank accounts to be used to receive funds from unknown sources as these monies may be illegal funds. They should also be mindful that the personal particulars such as identity numbers, bank account numbers provided to you over the Internet may have been fraudulently obtained and may not belong to the person you are communicating with.
To avoid becoming a victim of such scams:
- Be wary of strangers who befriend you online. Think twice if such online “friends†ask you for money.
- Never give your bank account and credit card details and personal information to anyone you do not know or have not checked out.
- If you are purchasing something, always check the track record of the party you are dealing with. Use reputable sites and payment platforms with established refund policies.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
01 October 2015 @ 4:20 PM