Fraudulently obtaining Singpass accounts: Girl, 17, & 4 men, aged 22-29, arrested

The Singapore police have arrested one girl, 17, and four men, aged between 22 and 29, for their suspected involvement in a series of job scams involving fraudulently obtaining Singpass accounts.

Between March to May 2026, the police received 26 reports from victims who responded to job applications via Carousell, and were deceived into providing copies of their NRIC, changing their registered mobile phone numbers and email addresses of their Singpass accounts.

This action allowed the scammers to take over control of the victims' Singpass accounts.

They used the fraudulently obtained Singpass accounts to apply for accounts with financial institutions or for mobile phone services with telecommunication service providers.

These applications were made without the victims' knowledge.

However, control of the Singpass accounts was returned to the victims on the same day.

Arrested a few months later

Officers from the Anti-Scam Command and Police Intelligence Department arrested the five persons involved on Jul. 1, 2026.

Preliminary investigations revealed that they had conspired with a scam syndicate based overseas to procure accounts with financial institutions in Singapore.

They were coached to deceive victims into relinquishing access and control of their Singpass accounts under the guise of a job application.

To be charged

The four men, aged between 22 and 29, will be charged in court on Jul. 2 with the offence of obtaining any credential of another person under the Computer Misuse Act 1993.

The offence carries a jail term of up to three years or a fine not exceeding S$10,000, or both.

Investigations against the 17-year-old female teenager is ongoing.

Advisory

The police said 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.

Scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates will face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, which can go up to 24 strokes.

Under the Facility Restriction Framework, individuals involved in mule-related offences – whether they are under investigation and assessed to be at risk, or have been warned, issued with composition sums, prosecuted, or convicted – may face restrictions on banking services and mobile line subscriptions to prevent further facilitation of scams.

Anyone with information on such scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.