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A 24-year-old Malaysian man will be charged in court on 25 February 2026 for his suspected involvement in a case of Investment Scam.

On 23 February 2026, the Police received a report of an investment scam involving losses of more than $8,000. The victim was added to an investment groupchat on WhatsApp unsolicited, where purported investment opportunities were introduced to him. To start investing, the victim was instructed to download an application from Apple App Store and create an account. The victim experienced technical difficulties during the account creation process and sought help from one of the contacts in the WhatsApp investment chatgroup. He was then instructed to contact a designated helpline for assistance and later directed to handover cash to an unknown person who falsely identified himself as authorised company representative for his investment.

The man was subsequently arrested by officers from Woodlands Police Division on 23 February 2026 after attempting to collect additional money from the same victim for the investment. The victim’s family had called “999” after sensing something amiss. Preliminary investigations by Anti Scam Command officers revealed that the man had allegedly been tasked by unknown persons, believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate, to collect cash from scam victims and hand it over to other unknown persons.

The subject will be charged with the offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct under Section 51 of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine not exceeding $500,000, or both. 

The Police continue to observe an increasing trend of Malaysian Nationals travelling to Singapore to assist scam syndicates in collecting cash and valuables from scam victims. Since May 2025, more than 50 Malaysians have been arrested for facilitating the scam syndicate to collect cash and valuables. With the passing of the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill on 4 November 2025, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least 6 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. 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.

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.

The Police would like to remind members of the public to be cautious when asked to download any applications or make investments. The Police have observed instances where scammers would ask victims to hand over monies or other valuables in person. DO NOT agree to such requests to meet up with unknown persons. DO NOT transfer monies to unknown persons. Members of the public are also encouraged to adopt the following precautionary measures:

1. ADD - set security features (e.g. activate the privacy function on your device which disallow unknown users from adding you into group chats).
   
2. CHECK – check for scam signs with official sources or websites. You can check the legitimacy of suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or visit the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg. Verify the authenticity of the investment company by: 
   - Asking as many questions as needed to understand the investment opportunities. If the company is unable to answer or avoids answering any questions, be wary;
   - Checking on the company, its owners, directors, and management members to assess if investment opportunities are genuine; 
   - Confirming the company’s and representatives’ credentials by using available resources, including the Financial Institutions Directory, Register of Representatives, and Investor Alert List on the MAS’ website (www.mas.gov.sg);
   - Checking for user reviews and ratings of applications before downloading them, even if they are believed to be legitimate and are available on official application stores.
   
3. TELL - authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.

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.