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The Police have arrested six persons, aged between 19 and 34, and are investigating another 13 persons, aged 17 to 60, for their suspected involvement in scams as money mules. This follows a 14-day operation by officers from the Central Division Investigation Branch conduced over 10 December and 24 December 2025. They are believed to be involved in more than 45 cases of scams, comprising mainly e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams, where victims reportedly lost over $406,800.

These persons are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, abetting unknown persons to secure unauthorised access to the bank’s computer system and money laundering. The offence of cheating under Section 417 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both. The offence of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term of up to two years, a fine or both, for a first conviction. The offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct under Section 55A(5) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both.

On 17 September 2025, the Singapore Police Force, Monetary Authority of Singapore, Infocomm Media Development Authority, and Government Technology Agency of Singapore announced new measures effective from October 2025 to restrict scam mules' access to facilities which could be exploited to facilitate scams, including financial, telecommunications and Singpass/Corppass services.

Under the new facility restriction framework, scam mules may be barred from using banking services that enable the movement of illicit funds. This includes card-based transactions, ATM withdrawals and online banking through Internet or mobile platforms. Access to Singpass accounts could also be restricted, preventing individuals from using Singpass to open bank accounts or register for other high-risk services. The arrested persons will face restrictions calibrated according to the risks posed by each person, taking into consideration their basic financial and communication needs.

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. To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes.

The Police would like to remind members of the public to NEVER transfer or hand monies or 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. Do not share the screens of your devices with any unknown persons. Singapore Government officials, including those from MAS, will never ask members of the public to do the following things over a phone call:

1. Ask you to transfer money;   
2. Ask you to disclose banking log-in details;   
3. Ask you to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores; or 
4. Transfer your call to Police

Members of the public are strongly advised to adopt the following precautionary measures:

1. ADD - the ScamShield app and set security features (e.g., activate the privacy function on WhatsApp which disallows unknown users from adding you into group chats. To do so, go to Settings > Privacy > Groups and select the privacy options “My Contacts” or “My Contacts Except..”.)
2. CHECK – for scam signs with official sources or websites. You can check the legitimacy of suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or visit the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg. Do NOT accept dubious job offers that offer lucrative returns for minimal effort.
3. TELL - authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Anyone with information on such scams may 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.

Photographs of Arrests