S'pore schoolgirl, 15, rescued in M'sia, likely victim of 'China official' scam: S'pore police

UPDATE on Dec. 7 at 10:10am: This article has been updated with a statement from the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

A 15-year-old Singapore schoolgirl found by Malaysia police in Kuantan on Nov. 26 after she did not turn up for school, is believed to have been tricked by scammers into thinking she was being investigated for money laundering offences.

The scammers, masquerading as Singapore immigration officers and Chinese security officials, allegedly convinced the girl to travel to Malaysia alone to assist in investigations.

She was rescued on Nov. 26 by Malaysian police within 24 hours of being reported missing.

Scammers posed as Singapore immigration officers, Chinese police

Deputy Superintendent of Police Kor Ching Kiat, officer-in-charge of the Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Command, said in an interview on Dec. 6 that the girl was a victim of a government official impersonation scam, reported Shin Min Daily News and The Straits Times.

On Oct. 12, the girl, a Chinese national living alone in Singapore, received a call from scammers claiming to be Singapore immigration officers.

They told her that there was an issue with her student identity card and that she was under investigation.

They also claimed that her phone number in China was being used to commit crimes.

When the girl denied this, the scammers transferred her to a line where a "Chinese public security official" convinced her that her personal information had been leaked, and that she was being investigated in a money laundering probe.

Told to be on video call and report whereabouts

Scammers asked the girl to cooperate with investigations by being monitored via video call 24 hours a day, even when she slept, and regularly reporting her whereabouts, Kor said.

They also told her that if she alerted her family or friends about the investigation, she would be jailed.

The student complied.

Kor said the scammers "induced fear and uncertainty" into the situation, and noted that the girl was young and did not know the legal processes, ST reported.

Kor added that the scammer wore a Chinese police uniform similar to what the girl had seen online, which made it more believable, Shin Min reported.

Went to M'sia on scammers' instructions

On Nov. 24, the scammers told her to go to Malaysia to resolve "bail matters" and assist them in investigations.

That day, the girl engaged a cross-border taxi which brought her from Woodlands to Johor Bahru.

She then met with Chinese national Huang Xiaonan, 22, at a Johor hotel.

Huang was also studying in Singapore but the two did not know each other, Kor said.

Huang, allegedly acting on the instructions of the scammers, took her phone and gave her another one.

When the girl did not show up for a school exam on Nov. 25, the school notified her guardian in Singapore, who lodged a missing persons report.

Subsequently, the girl's father also lodged police reports in Singapore and Malaysia.

This prompted a cross-border effort to locate her.

Man, 22, charged after girl rescued by M'sian police

Within 24 hours, Malaysia police found the girl and Huang in Kuantan, Pahang, on the evening of Nov. 26.

Huang has since been arrested and charged with detaining the girl in a hotel in Johor Bahru.

He pleaded not guilty on Dec. 5 and has been denied bail.

A Singapore Police Force (SPF) spokesperson confirmed with Mothership that the missing 15-year-old girl returned to Singapore on Dec. 1, accompanied by her father.

"Preliminary investigations indicate that she was a victim of a purported China official impersonation scam, where she was instructed by fake China officials to travel to Malaysia on Nov. 24, 2024 to assist in a purported case of money laundering."

Police investigations are ongoing.

From January to October 2024, there have been at least 308 government official impersonation scam cases involving fake China officials, with total losses amounting to at least S$38.2 million.

This is up from 231 such cases in the same period in 2023.

More information on the scam variant can be found on the police website.

Related articles

Top image from Lianhe Zaobao