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The Police have arrested one 39-year-old Malaysian man and one 35-year-old Malaysian woman for their suspected involvement in two separate scam cases on 15 April 2026. This brings the number of Malaysians arrested in Singapore since March 2026 for facilitating scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables to 15.

For the first case, the Police received a report on 9 April 2026 from a 29-year-old victim who was first contacted by an unknown caller claiming to be a staff of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation ("HSBC"), regarding a credit card application made in her name. When she denied knowledge of the application, the call was transferred to an individual posing as a Police Officer, who informed her that she might have been a victim of identity theft and that she was implicated in a money-laundering investigation. She was asked to disclose her personal particulars and banking details to the scammer and subsequently instructed to purchase $115,000 worth of gold to facilitate in the investigations. After purchasing the gold, she was  instructed to leave the gold at a nearby shop in the vicinity of Bukit Panjang, and asked to proceed to a nearby bank branch to meet another Police Officer. The victim realised something amiss when she was told to take her time to travel to the bank.

In the second case, the police received a report on 11 April 2026 from a 38-year-old victim who had fallen prey to a similar scam. She was contacted by an unknown number claiming to be staff from SIMBA Telecom, regarding the sign-up of a mobile phone package. Upon denying knowledge of the sign-up, the victim’s call was transferred to another department purportedly to cancel the package. Shortly after, the victim received a follow-up call from another individual posing as an officer from the Ministry of Law. The caller alleged that the victim was under investigation for money-laundering and instructed her to hand over silver bars valued at $1,225 to an agent to facilitate the investigation. It was only when she did not receive any acknowledgement letter after handing over the items that she realised she had been scammed.

Through extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command established the identities of the Malaysian man and the Malaysian woman who were involved in the first and second case respectively. The individuals were arrested when they separately attempted to leave Singapore on 15 April 2026. Upon their arrests, jewellery and gold bars, believed to be from victims of scam, were found on the two subjects and seized as case exhibits. Preliminary investigations revealed that they had allegedly been tasked by unknown persons, believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate, to collect cash and jewellery from scam victims and hand them over to other unknown persons. 

The two Malaysians will be charged on 17 April 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 10 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 and valuables from scam victims. 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.

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, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.

PHOTOS OF SEIZED EXHIBITS FROM THE FIRST CASE