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The Police have arrested 16 men and eight women, aged between 16 and 51, for their suspected involvement in perpetrating various scams such as Government Officials Impersonation Scam (GOIS), Job Scam, E-Commerce Scam, Investment Scam, Internet Love Scam and Sexual Services Scam, accounting for more than $3.1 million in losses. They will be charged in court from 2 to 6 February 2026 for offences connected to scams-related money mule activities, which include abetment to cheating, acquiring another person’s benefit from criminal proceeds, assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, abetting unauthorised access to computer material, unlawful disclosure of password or access code and knowingly providing fraudulently registered postpaid SIM cards for monetary gains.

Investigations revealed that the 24 individuals had allegedly facilitated in scam activities by relinquishing or selling their bank accounts, assisting to receive or transfer funds or collecting cash from scam victims and enabled criminal syndicates to commit money laundering. Some allegedly cheated the banks into opening bank accounts and handed over their iBanking credentials to unknown persons. One individual had purportedly disclosed his Singpass credentials unlawfully and thereby enabled criminal syndicates to misuse his identity in the opening of bank account. Another individual had allegedly assisted criminal syndicates to register SIM cards in return for promised monetary rewards.

The offence of acquiring another person’s benefit from criminal proceeds under Section 54(5) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to ten years, a fine or both. The offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct under Section 55A(5) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both. 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 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, for a first conviction. The offence of unlawful disclosure of password or access code under Section 8A of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both. The offence of knowingly providing a fraudulently registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain under Section 39B of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both.

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. With effect from 30 December 2025, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, which can go up to 24 strokes. Scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes. This includes certain money-laundering offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act; Singpass offences under the Computer Misuse Act; and certain SIM-card offences under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.

Under the Facility Restriction Framework, individuals involved in mule-related offences – whether they are under investigation and assessed to be at risk, or have been warned, issued with composition sums, prosecuted, or convicted – may face restrictions on banking services and mobile line subscriptions to prevent further facilitation of scams.

Photos of the Arrests