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The Police have arrested a Malaysian woman, aged 36, for her suspected involvement in a Government Official Impersonation Scam (GOIS). She is the 13th Malaysian arrested since March 2026 for facilitating scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables.

On 8 April 2026, the Police received a report from a 75-year-old victim who had fallen prey to a Government Official Impersonation Scam. The victim received a WhatsApp call purportedly from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (“MAS”), who informed her that she was allegedly implicated in a money laundering case. The caller instructed the victim to withdraw cash and hand it over to an  agent to facilitate investigations assuring her that the money would be returned after the investigations. That same day, the victim handed cash amounting to $10,000 to the 36-year-old woman in the vicinity of Jurong West Central. 

Through extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command established the identity of the woman and arrested her on 14 April 2026 as she was entering Singapore. Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had allegedly been tasked by unknown persons, believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate, to collect cash and jewellery from scam victims and hand them over to other unknown persons. 

The woman will be charged on 16 April 2026 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 dealing with scam proceeds, including collecting cash and valuables from scam victims. With effect from 30 December 2025, scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, up to a maximum of 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.

Members of the public are reminded to:

• Never transfer cash, jewellery or other valuables to unknown persons whose identity has not been verified. 
  
  
• Never leave money or valuables at a location to facilitate subsequent collection. 
  
  
• Never share the screen of your device or disclose login credentials to anyone you do not know.

Singapore Government officials will never: 

•  Ask you to transfer money over the phone;   
  
  
• Request your banking login details;   
  
  
• Instruct you to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores; or  
  
  
• Transfer your call to the Police.

If you have any information relating to such crimes or are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit information 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.