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In a fine demonstration of public vigilance, BullionStar staff Mr Luke Chua, Mr Peter Walden and Ms Camille Kang acted quickly after noticing signs that a customer might be a victim of a scam during a transaction at their store. Their alertness and swift reporting led to the arrest of a suspect linked to a Government Official Impersonation Scam (GOIS).

Spotting the Red Flags

The incident unfolded on the afternoon of 24 November 2025 at BullionStar’s store along New Bridge Road. A lady customer had arrived to collect a gold bar.

However, while handling the transaction, Ms Kang sensed something was amiss. The customer was evasive about questions regarding the collection and appeared to be receiving a high volume of calls and messages on her phone.

Suspecting the customer might be the victim of a scam, she swiftly alerted her supervisor, Mr Chua, to coordinate their next move.

Connecting the Dots

Ms Kang brought the customer into a room to give her privacy, then worked with her colleagues to assess the situation. Mr Chua, Ms Kang and Mr Walden spotted a woman lingering outside the store and acting suspiciously. They instantly called the Police.

Their actions proved decisive. Officers from Central Police Division arrived and swiftly intercepted the suspect just as she tried to leave the area.

Police officers recovered and seized gold bars worth approximately $200,000 as well as $200 in cash from the suspect, a 73-year-old Malaysian.

Investigations revealed that the woman had been facilitating the operations of a scam syndicate by collecting cash and gold bars from GOIS victims from various locations in Singapore.

With the woman apprehended, investigators were able to piece together a clearer picture of the syndicate's operations, potentially preventing further victims from falling prey to the scam. The swift and coordinated actions of Ms Kang, Mr Chua and Mr Walden not only helped prevent the loss of assets but also disrupted the syndicate's activities.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

In recognition of their vigilance, the three BullionStar staff were awarded the Public Spiritedness Award. Mr Walden collected the award on behalf of the BullionStar trio at the Central Police Division’s Commander’s Ceremony on 17 August 2026.

Mr Walden was gratified to receive the award. “I want to recognise the whole team at BullionStar. Without their willingness to challenge situations like this, to learn how to spot when someone is being taken advantage of, and their genuine passion for keeping our customers safe, it wouldn't have been possible,” he said.

Asked if he has any advice for other retail and service staff, Mr Walden said that scam warning signs are rarely obvious right away but tend to appear as small things that seem “off.” Staff should trust their instincts and report any anomalies to management.

“The message I’d want other businesses to take from this is that they should invest time and effort into combating scams, empower and trust their team to spot the signs, and encourage them to report it as soon as possible,” Mr Walden said. “Reporting it late, or not at all, can cost someone everything they have.”

Police Scam Advisory

Members of the public are reminded to NEVER transfer or hand monies/valuables to unknown persons and persons whose identity you did not verify. NEVER place monies or valuables at a physical location to facilitate subsequent collection.

Singapore Government officials will never ask members of the public to do the following over a phone call:
i. Ask you to transfer money, luxury watches, gold or cryptocurrency;
ii. Ask you to disclose banking log-in details;
iii. Ask you to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores; or
iv. Transfer your call to Police or any other government officials

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 to check.