M'sian man, 42, allegedly helped swindle woman of S$114,000 in fake S'pore police officer scam

A Malaysian man, 42, will be charged in court after being arrested for his suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam.

The victim had allegedly handed him S$114,000 in cash over four occasions, after being instructed to do so by a scammer pretending to be from the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

She'd been told that she was implicated in a money laundering investigation, and instructed to withdraw cash from her bank accounts for investigation purposes.

After receiving the police report on Oct. 5, officers from the Anti-Scam Command established the man's identity and arrested him on Oct. 30 when he re-entered Singapore.

He is believed to also be involved in other similar cases, and was allegedly tasked by unknown persons to collect cash from victims.

He then handed over the money to the persons.

Charged in court

The man will be charged on Nov. 1 for assisting another person to retain benefits from criminal conduct.

If convicted, he may be jailed up to 10 years, fined up to S$500,000, or both.

In an Oct. 31 statement, SPF reminded members of the public never to transfer or hand money or other valuables to people who you do not know, or whose identity you cannot verify.

Here are some red flags to take note of, when dealing with someone who claims to be a government official:

• They ask you to transfer money
• They ask you to disclose your bank login details
• They ask you to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores
• They transfer your call to the police

If in doubt, you can make a confidential report at the SPF hotline (1800-255-000) or online (www.police.gov.sg/i-witness).

All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Alternatively, you can visit the ScamShield website or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline (1799) for information on scams.

Top image from Canva