9 People Arrested, S$1.9M Seized in Police Operation Targeting Scam Activities in Singapore
Officers from the Singapore Police Force's Anti-Scam Command (ASC) and Police Land Divisions' Scam Strike Teams, along with cooperating local banks, carried out an island-wide operation between April 15, 2025, and May 13, 2025, focusing on investment scams, employment scams, and impersonation scams involving government officials.
Working together with local banks, ASC officials confiscated over S$1.9 million in alleged scam proceeds and frozen over 400 bank accounts throughout the operation.
At the same time, members of the Police Land Divisions' Scam Strike Teams conducted raids throughout Singapore to find people who might have given their bank accounts to scammers for money laundering purposes. A total number of 33 people are under investigation, and seven males and two women, ages 18 to 33, were taken into custody.
The police also shut down over 900 online enablers and terminated over 806 phone lines used in the scams by working closely with key industry players, including social media companies, messaging platforms, and telecommunications companies (for telco line reporting).
Forty-two people are thought to have been involved in over 200 scam cases, primarily including investment scams, government official impersonation scams, and employment scams.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a statement, "Investigations are ongoing into offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, and Computer Misuse Act 1993."
"The offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct in certain circumstances under Section 55A(1) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine of up to $50,000, or both. For first-time offenders the offence of unauthorized access to computer material under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term of up to two years, a fine of up to $5,000, or both," added the statement.
People who may be involved in scams are taken seriously by the police, and those who do so will face legal consequences. In order to avoid being an accomplice to criminal activities, members of the public are advised to reject requests by others to use their SingPass credentials, bank accounts or mobile lines as they will be held accountable for their misuse.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
6 hours ago
- CNA
Trump says 'not going to stand' for Netanyahu's continued prosecution
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said on Saturday (Jun 28) the United States was "not going to stand" for the continued prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges. "The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. An Israeli court on Friday rejected Netanyahu's request to postpone giving testimony in his corruption trial, ruling that he had not provided adequate justification for his request. In one case, Netanyahu and his wife Sara are accused of accepting more than US$260,000 worth of luxury goods such as cigars, jewellery and champagne from billionaires in exchange for political favours. In two other cases, Netanyahu is accused of attempting to negotiate more favourable coverage from two Israeli media outlets. Netanyahu has denied any wrongdoing and has thanked Trump for his support in Israel's war with Iran, which saw a ceasefire agreement earlier this week. His lawyer had asked the court to excuse the leader from hearings over the next two weeks, saying he needs to concentrate on "security issues". Trump on Wednesday sprung to Netanyahu's defence, describing the case against him as a "witch hunt". On Saturday, he described Netanyahu as a "War Hero" and said the case would distract the prime minister from negotiations with Iran and with Hamas, the Gaza-based Palestinian armed group that Israel is at war with. "This travesty of 'Justice' will interfere with both Iran and Hamas negotiations," said Trump, although it was unclear what negotiations he was referring to with regards to Iran. Hamas took 251 hostages during its Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel, with 49 still believed to be held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Negotiations are ongoing for the return of the remaining hostages and the bodies of those killed, while Israel's punishing war on Gaza continues unabated. The US leader also likened Netanyahu's legal troubles to his own before he took office for his second term. "It is a POLITICAL WITCH HUNT, very similar to the Witch Hunt that I was forced to endure," said Trump. The Republican was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records in May 2024 in a case related to hush money payments to a porn star.
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Former head of China Eastern Airlines under graft investigation
BEIJING: The former head of China Eastern Airlines is under investigation for "serious violations of discipline and law" - a common euphemism for corruption - according to China's top anti-graft watchdog on Saturday (Jun 28). The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission made the announcement in a statement, without giving further details. Liu Shaoyong headed China Eastern Airlines from 2009 until his resignation in 2022. He also previously held the position of party secretary at the airline. The Shanghai-based airline, primarily owned by the Chinese government through its parent company, is one of the three largest Chinese airlines. Liu was credited with turning the carrier around after it posted record losses before he was appointed. China Eastern Airlines under his leadership merged with Shanghai Airlines and joined the SkyTeam airline alliance, strengthening its position in domestic and international markets. Liu also led another one of China's major airlines, China Southern, before taking the reins of China Eastern. Chinese President Xi Jinping has waged an unrelenting crackdown on corruption since coming to power over a decade ago.
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Police probe 11 illegal massage establishments posing as TCM clinics
One outlet was also found to be offering vice services. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE SINGAPORE - The police are investigating 11 illegal massage establishments that were found operating under the guise of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinics, following enforcement operations between Feb 7 and April 14. In a statement issued on June 28, the police said the enforcement operations revolved around 181 TCM outlets in response to public feedback about unlicensed massage services and suspected vice activities. While most outlets checked were found to be in compliance with the law, 11 outlets were discovered to have non-certified TCM practitioners administering massages to customers. One outlet was also found to be offering vice services. A female employee was arrested for managing a place of assignation u nder the Women's Charter 1961. Investigations against the 11 non-compliant outlets are ongoing. Under Section 5(1) of the Massage Establishments Act 2017 , providing massage services without a valid licence carries severe penalties. If guilty, offenders may be fined of up to $ 10,000, a jail term of up to two years, or both. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $20,000, imprisoned for up to five years, or both. To support enforcement efforts, the police have engaged the TCM Practitioners Board to remind registered practitioners of their obligations under the M assage Establishments (Exemption) Order 2018. The police added that regular enforcement checks will continue to deter and detect illicit activities at TCM outlets. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
