The Police have arrested two men, aged 30 and 37, for their suspected involvement in several cases of government official impersonation scam (“GOIS”).
On 17 May 2025, the Police received a report of GOIS involving the impersonation of a government official purportedly from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, where the victim had allegedly handed over more than $43,000 in cash to the 30-year-old man, a cash mule, after being instructed by the scammer to do so. The victim was told that she had been implicated in an offence and was required to surrender the funds for investigative purposes.
Through extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command arrested the two men on 28 July 2025. The two men are believed to be accomplices who worked together in facilitating the scam syndicate to retain benefits from criminal conduct.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the 30-year-old man had purportedly collected the cash from the victim on behalf of the scam syndicate before handing over the cash to an unknown person. Prior to their arrest on 28 July 2025, the 30-year-old man had also allegedly collected $47,000 from another scam victim before handing the cash to the 37-year-old man. The cash amounting to $47,000 was recovered upon their arrest. The two men are believed to be involved in other similar cases.
The two men will be charged in court on 30 July 2025 with the offence of abetment by conspiracy to assist 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 take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. The Police would like to remind members of the public never to transfer monies, hand monies or other valuables to any unknown persons or persons whose identity you did not verify.
Members of the public are encouraged to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- ADD – Add the ScamShield app to block calls and filter SMSes. Set transaction limits that are adequate for daily expenses, and lower transaction notification thresholds. Alert the bank immediately of any suspicious activity in your bank account. Activate the Money Lock feature of your bank to “lock up” a portion of your money so that it cannot be transferred out digitally by anyone.
- CHECK – Check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield App. Call and check with the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
- TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately and make a police report.
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.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
29 July 2025 @ 9:30 PM