Bedok South Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) has released a video warning Singaporeans not to be taken in by credit-for-sex scams and exposing the kind of tactics the scammers employ to force victims to conform.
Victims lured by sexy images of women
So far, a total of S$2.8 million has been lost to credit-for-sex scams in 2019, the NPC revealed.
In the video, screen captures of an exchange with a credit-for-sex scammer were included.
The NPC explained that scammers often lure victims in with "sexy" images of women.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
S$300 for "a full night"
The video showed a text message sent by the scammer, which claimed that the sender is a student who is working part-time, and is also providing sexual services.
While two hours cost S$100, a full night with "unlimited" services including "sex, bath, massage and kissing" costs S$300, the text message read.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
The scammers will then proceed to enter an actual conversation with potential victims, eventually suggesting to meet up.
In the example the police provided, the scammer asked the victim to wait beside the Toa Payoh MRT station.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
The scammer then claimed that she needs the victim to say a few words to her "manager" as they need the victim to guarantee the woman's safety since it was their first time meeting.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
Victims asked to transfer money on AXS machines
The video then cut to an exchange between the scammer and the undercover police officer, who was told to go to an AXS machine to transfer money to an email address using Alipay -- a common method that police say is used by the scammers to get money from victims.
The police officer received instructions from the "manager" over the phone, who asked him to key in his phone number and the email address he received.
The scammer also repeatedly told his potential victim to key in the correct email address.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
After the police officer pretended to have a change of mind, saying he does not want the "girl" anymore as he is "scared of the police", the scammer became noticeably more agitated.
Scammers use threats to coerce victims into making payments
The scammer continued to pressure the officer to finish printing the bill.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
But when the supposed victim refused to go through with the transaction, the scammer proceeded to use expletives, and continued to pressure his "victim" to finish sending the money over, saying the "girl" is waiting.
The police then warned viewers that scammers might resort to "threats and vulgarities to coerce victims into making the payments".
"Do not be intimidated by them," the police said.
Scammers threaten to hunt victims down
The scammer then proceeded to send the "victim" a text message containing threats that involve his family, saying his home address would be found simply by publishing his number on WeChat.
The scammer added that the "victim's" home would be found within three hours, and that he would instruct the man working under him to injure the "victim" the same way the man in the video was hurt.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
In his rant on the phone, the scammer threatened to "chop" the victim into "pieces" if he refuses to give him the money.
Screengrab via Bedok South NPC's Facebook
Police urged the public to stay calm and not accede to the scammers' request should they run into such a situation.
Credit-for-sex business brisk
Even after Singapore implemented circuit breaker measures, credit-for-sex scammers continue to see brisk business, with at least 20 male victims reporting such scams between Apr. 18 and 29.
Top image adapted via Bedok South NPC's Facebook