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The Police will be charging three Malaysian men aged between 22 and 24 for their suspected involvement in scams.

On 18 June 2026, the Police received information that a 23-year-old Malaysian man had entered Singapore on an assignment arranged by scam syndicates to collect cash and gold bars from scam victims in Singapore. Officers from the Anti-Scam Command and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority subsequently identified two other accomplices who had entered Singapore together with the 23-year-old Malaysian man. The Police successfully arrested all three men within six hours of their entry to Singapore.

During the operation, officers recovered and seized 69 bank cards which were used to withdraw monies, amounting to around $200,000 in scam losses across more than 20 scam reports. Preliminary investigations revealed that the three men received instructions from a scam syndicate based in Malaysia to perform ATM withdrawals across different locations in Singapore.

The three men will be charged in court on 20 June 2026. The 23-year-old Malaysian man will be charged in court with the offence of assisting others to retain criminal proceeds 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. His accomplices, two Malaysian men aged 22 and 24, will be charged for Unauthorised Access to Computer Material under Section 3 of the Computer Misuse Act 1993. The offence carries an imprisonment term not exceeding two years, a fine not exceeding $5,000, 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, as well as making cash withdrawals from ATM machines using relinquished bank cards. 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.

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.