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The Police will be charging a 34-year-old Malaysian woman for her suspected involvement in a Government Officials Impersonation Scam. This brings the total number of Malaysians arrested in Singapore since March 2026 for facilitating scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables to 26.

On 19 May 2026, the Police received a report from a victim who had received a call purportedly from a police officer, stating that her identity had been misused in money laundering activities. When the victim was instructed to provide her banking and personal information, she was also warned not to divulge details of the investigations to anyone, including her family members. She was further directed to make cash withdrawals and surrender her cash and gold items to an 'agent' for 'investigation purposes'. To prove her innocence, the victim complied and handed over cash amounting to $13,700 and her gold items to the 34-year-old Malaysian woman in the vicinity of Kovan. The victim subsequently realised that she had been scammed and lodged a police report.

Through extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command established the identity of the 34-year-old woman and arrested her on 19 May 2026, as she was attempting to leave Singapore. Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had been tasked by unknown persons, believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate, to collect cash and valuables from the victim. Two gold bars were found in the possession of the woman and were seized as case exhibits.The woman will be charged in court on 21 May 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 ten 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, gold 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. 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 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, visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.

PHOTO OF SEIZED EXHIBITS