The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China (MPS) conducted a joint investigation into a fraud syndicate that had targeted Singaporean victims.
In the first half of 2015, the SPF received 627 reports of credit-for-sex scams. The total amount of money cheated was about S$1.6 million. Investigations revealed that the culprits behind the scams operated from call centres based in China and used social media platforms to deceive victims into paying money for non-existent sexual services.
In an operation in December 2015, the Chinese Police conducted simultaneous raids at various locations in China and detained 43 members of a syndicate responsible for such scams. Several computers, telecommunication devices and modems were seized. The raids were the culmination of a joint investigation by officers from the SPF and MPS.
Mr David Chew, Director of the Commercial Affairs Department, SPF, said, “We appreciate the support from our Chinese counterparts in this joint investigation. The close cooperation between the SPF and the Chinese Police was instrumental in crippling this transnational criminal syndicate. It demonstrates our common resolve to work together to ensure that crime does not pay, and that we spare no efforts to clamp down on criminals who hide behind the anonymity of the Internet to prey on victims across borders.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
22 January 2016 @ 5:10 PM