The Police have arrested seven men, aged between 18 and 34, for their suspected involvement in perpetrating various scams such as fake friend call scams, investment scams, job scams, rental scams and Government Officials Impersonation Scam (GOIS).
These seven men were alleged to have made deals with criminal syndicates over Telegram or Facebook over the sale or rental of bank accounts. Pursuant to these deals made, they were believed to have sold or rented their bank accounts, or have cheated the banks into opening new bank accounts so as to sell or rent the bank accounts, to criminal syndicates, for between $500 to $900 per bank account. One man was alleged to have sold his SingPass credentials for an amount of $300 to criminal syndicates to create new bank accounts and other accounts.
All seven men will be charged in court on 23 June 2023 for their suspected involvement in various offences connected to money mule activities which include cheating, money laundering and facilitating unauthorised access to computer material. The offence of cheating under section 417 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both. The offence of money laundering punishable under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine not exceeding $500,000, or both. The offence of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material under section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term of up to two years, a fine, or both. The offence of unauthorised disclosure of access code under section 8(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term up to 3 years, a fine not exceeding $10,000, or both.
The Police take a serious view of persons who may be involved in scams and frauds, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
Photos of the Arrests ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
23 June 2023 @ 8:15 AM