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The Police have arrested a 73-year-old Malaysian woman for her suspected involvement in at least three cases of Government Official Impersonation Scam (“GOIS”).

Between 8 October 2025 and 24 November 2025, the Police received reports of GOIS involving scammers posing as officials purportedly from the “Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)”. The victims were told that their bank accounts were allegedly linked to money laundering activities or that their personal information had been compromised. They were instructed to surrender their money and valuables for the purpose of investigations. The victims complied and met unknown individuals at various locations across Singapore to hand over cash and gold bars. The victims later realised they had been scammed when they failed to receive the promised refunds, or when the purported officials became uncontactable. 

On 24 November, an employee at BullionStar, a gold and silver dealer located along New Bridge Road, alerted the Police to a woman loitering suspiciously outside the retail premises. Officers from Central Police Division arrested the woman on the same day, and she was believed to be involved in the aforementioned GOIS cases as a mule. The Police recovered and seized cash amounting to $200 and gold bars worth approximately $200,000 from the woman. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had allegedly been facilitating the operations of a scam syndicate by collecting cash and gold bars from victims of GOIS from various locations in Singapore. The monies and gold bars collected were then handed over to unknown persons, believed to be members of the syndicate. 

Police investigations against the woman are ongoing.

The Police take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. 

Members of the public are reminded to NEVER transfer or hand monies/ valuables to unknown persons and persons whose identity you did not verify. NEVER place monies or valuables at a physical location to facilitate subsequent collection. Do not share the screens of your devices with any unknown persons. Singapore Government officials, including those from MAS, will never ask members of the public to do the following over a phone call:

1. Ask you to transfer money;  
2. Ask you to disclose banking log-in details; 
3. Ask you to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores; and  
4. Ask you to hand over any pre-signed cash cheques to anyone   
5. Transfer your call to Police 

If you have any information relating to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’. For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.

Photo of cash and gold bars recovered