The Police have arrested 41 persons, aged between 16 and 56, for their suspected involvement in perpetrating various scams such as Government Officials Impersonation Scam (GOIS), internet love scams, malware phishing scams, rental scams and China Officials Impersonation Scam (COIS). They will be charged in court on 15 February 2024 for their suspected involvement in various offences connected to money mule activities, which include abetment to cheating, assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, abetting unauthorised access to computer material, unauthorised disclosure of access code and carrying on an unlicensed business of providing payment service.
31 persons were alleged to have sold or rented their bank accounts to criminal syndicates or assisted by carrying out bank transfers and withdrawals. Some of them are believed to have cheated the banks into opening bank accounts before handing over their ATM cards and iBanking credentials to the criminal syndicates. 10 persons also allegedly sold their SingPass credentials to criminal syndicates to create new bank accounts.
The offence of abetment to cheating under Section 417 read with 109 of the Penal Code carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both. The offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct under Section 51(1)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years, a fine not exceeding $500,000, or both. The offence of abetting unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1) read with 12(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both, for first time offenders. The offence of unauthorised disclosure of access code under Section 8(1) the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term not exceeding three years, a fine or both, for first-time offenders. The offence of carrying on an unlicensed business of providing payment service under Section 5(1) of the Payment Services Act 2019 carries a fine not exceeding $125,000, imprisonment term not exceeding three years, 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 helpline 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
14 February 2024 @ 5:48 PM