Seven men and three women, aged between 18 and 47, will be charged in court on 25 May 2023 for their suspected involvement in various offences linked to money mule activities which includes cheating, facilitating unauthorised access to computer material and carrying on unlicensed businesses of providing payment services.
These individuals were alleged to have sold or rented their bank accounts to criminal syndicates for as much as $900 per bank account or assisted in carrying out bank transfers and withdrawals. Some purportedly deceived banks into opening bank accounts for them, before handing over the said ATM cards and iBanking PINs to the criminal syndicates. One person also allegedly sold her SingPass credentials for an amount of $300 to criminal syndicates to create new bank accounts.
The offence of cheating under Section 417 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years and a fine. 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. The offence of carrying on an unlicensed business of providing payment service under Section 5 of the Payment Services Act 2019 carries a fine not exceeding $125,000, imprisonment term of up to three years, or both.
The Police take a serious view of these offences and will not hesitate to take action against individuals who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. To avoid being an accomplice to crime, members of the public should always reject seemingly attractive money-making opportunities promising pay-outs for the use of their Singpass account, bank accounts or allow their personal bank account to be used to receive and transfer money for others. The Police would like to remind members of the public that individuals will be held accountable if they are found to be linked to such crimes.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
24 May 2023 @ 5:08 PM