3 arrested after woman, 68, loses S$97,800 to fake 'MAS staff'

Two men and one woman, aged between 22 and 39, were arrested on May 22 for their suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

Woman, 68, scammed of S$97,800

On May 21, police received a report that a 68-year-old woman had fallen victim to scammers impersonating government officials and lost S$97,800.

The scammers allegedly posed as staff from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and convinced the victim that she had been implicated in a money-laundering offence.

They also said she was required to surrender her money for investigations, SPF said.

Officers from the Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) subsequently conducted extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations.

3 suspects arrested after victim hands over cash

On May 22, after the victim handed over the money to one of the three suspects, officers identified and arrested the trio in the vicinity of Bendemeer Road.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 38-year-old man was tasked to collect cash from the victim and hand it over to the 22-year-old man.

The 38-year-old man arrived together with the 39-year-old woman, but only the man met the victim during the transaction.

The 22-year-old man was loitering around the vicinity when the transaction took place.

Police officers arrested the trio swiftly after the transaction was made.

The 22-year-old man will be charged in court on May 24 for the offence of cheating.

Investigations against the other two suspects are ongoing.

The 38-year-old man was also found in possession of substances believed to be controlled drugs.

His suspected drug-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB).

How to avoid becoming a victim or accomplice of scams

SPF advised members of the public to always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines, to avoid being an accomplice to crimes.

As for government official impersonation scams, SPF explained that:

• Government officials will never ask you over a call to transfer money, disclose banking log-in details, install mobile apps from unofficial app stores or transfer your call to the police
• Government officials from other countries do not have legal powers to require

  members of the public in Singapore to perform such actions

• The public are to call the SPF if an alleged Chinese government official meets you in person to collect money, or to receive and sign documents for bail or investigation purposes

To help combat these scams, the public is also recommended to adopt the ACT Against Scams approach:

ADD: Install the ScamShield app and enable security features on payment accounts.

CHECK: Check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield app or by calling the ScamShield Helpline at 1799.

TELL: Report scams to the authorities and notify family and friends. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately and make a police report.

More information on scams can be found at www.scamshield.gov.sg.

Top image from SPF & Google Street View