The suspects are believed to be involved in more than 1,208 scam cases, the police said. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: A total of 189 men and 99 women aged 16 to 76 are under police investigation for their suspected involvement as scammers or money mules in more than 1,000 scams, where victims reportedly lost at least S$6.54 million.
Police said in a statement on Saturday (Nov 16) that officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven land divisions of the Singapore Police Force conducted a two-week operation between Oct 31 and Nov 14.
The suspects are believed to be involved in more than 1,208 cases, comprising mainly job scams, e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, investment scams, internet love scams and fake buyer scams.
They are under probe for allegedly cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence.
If convicted of cheating, individuals can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. Those convicted of money laundering could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000, or both.
Individuals convicted of running a business to provide payment services without a licence could be fined up to $125,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
Scam victims in Singapore lost $385.6 million in the first half of 2024, with the number of cases increasing by 16.3 per cent to a new high of 26,587, figures released in August showed.
Most cases involved victims who were manipulated into transferring money to criminals.
E-commerce scams were the most common type reported, followed by job scams, phishing scams, investment scams and fake friend call scams.
The police said on Nov 16 that they take “a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law”.
It also advised people to always reject requests by others to use their bank accounts or mobile lines, as they will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes. - The Straits Times/ANN
