Latest news with #ComputerMisuseAct1993
AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
3 men charged for alleged involvement in Pokemon card scams; believed to have cheated victims out of $57k, Singapore News
Three men aged between 21 and 28 will be charged in court on Saturday (June 28) for their suspected involvement in money laundering and unauthorised access to computer material, in a case that involved the selling of Pokemon trading cards. In a press release on Saturday (June 28), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said: "Between May and June 2025, the police received several reports from victims who were cheated by an online seller who was selling Pokemon trading cards on Carousell. After the victims made payment via bank transfers, they did not receive the said trading cards. "When questioned, the seller claimed he was in a business venture with another supplier who did not honour the transactions upon receiving payments." Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department conducted follow-up investigations and discovered the identities of the supplier and two accomplices, and arrested them on June 26 and 27, SPF said. The police believe the men have been involved in more than 50 similar scams, cheating victims out of at least $57,000. One man, 26, will be charged under Section 55A(1)(a)(i) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 "with the offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct". It is punishable by a prison term of up to three years and/or a fine not exceeding $50,000. The two others, aged 21 and 28, will be charged with "accessing without authority bank accounts belonging to separate individual to withdraw payments" under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993. They can be imprisoned for up to two years and/or pay a fine of up to $5,000. Between January and February 2025, at least 50 people had fallen victim to Pokemon card scams and had been cheated out of over $163,000. Scammers would engage potential victims on Facebook or Carousell, before convincing them to move their conversations to WhatsApp or Telegram, SPF said on Feb 6. The victims would then make payments via PayNow or bank transfers, and only realise they were scammed after the cards would fail to arrive or the sellers would cease communications with them. In their recent statement, the SPF advised the public to only communicate with sellers within the apps and to conduct transactions in person so they can inspect products before making payment. "Be wary of e-commerce scam red flags such as large discounts for faster transactions. Do not transfer money to anyone you do not know. Never disclose your personal information, internet banking or One-Time passwords to anyone," the SPF said. They also encourage members of the public to download the ScamShield app on their phones to block and filter SMSes, and set up security features on payment methods. The public can also use official channels including the ScamShield app, their 24-hour hotline at 1799 and their website at to check for signs of scams, or discuss with a trusted person. SPF also recommends reporting suspicious listings or user profiles to Carousell or Facebook through their in-app reporting functions. If someone suspects that they have been scammed, they should call their banks to report and block fraudulent transactions as well as lodge a police report. [[nid:514707]] drimac@
International Business Times
31-05-2025
- International Business Times
Five Men Arrested for Suspected Involvement in Money Mule Activities in Singapore
Five men, aged 22 to 27, were arrested for their suspected involvement in money mule activities, which include facilitating unauthorized access to computer materials and money laundering. On Friday, May 30, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) issued a press release and stated that a 23-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday, 28 May, and "preliminary investigations revealed that he had allegedly solicited more than ten bank accounts from different individuals, by paying them a commission for every bank account relinquished." The bank accounts were then turned over to his accomplices, who utilized them to receive scam revenues totaling over S$76,000. SPF said, "Through extensive ground enquiries and follow up investigations, officers from Central Police Division established the identities of his accomplices and conducted an island wide operation. Four other men, aged 22 to 27, were arrested on 29 May for their suspected involvement in money mule activities." The 23-year-old male was supposed to be charged in court on May 30, 2025, while the other three, aged 22 to 27, will be charged on May 31, 2025, for aiding unlawful access to computer files. The other 26-year-old man is assisting with investigations. The offence of facilitating 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, or both. The remaining 26-year-old man is assisting with investigations. The police take a severe stance against anyone engaging in scams, and culprits will face legal consequences. To prevent being engaged in money laundering, members of the public should always decline solicitations to utilize their own bank accounts to receive and move funds for others.
International Business Times
29-05-2025
- International Business Times
Indonesian Man Arrested for Computer Misuse Act Offences After Returning to Singapore
A 28-year-old Indonesian man will be charged on Thursday, May 29, for Computer Misuse Act offenses that were allegedly committed at retail shops located at Changi Airport and Bugis. On October 11, 2024, at about 4.47pm, Singapore Airlines lodged a police report regarding suspected fraudulent transactions using KrisFlyer ("KF") miles that were detected by local merchants in June 2024. Officers from the Airport Police Division (APD) were able to identify the individual through ground investigations and CCTV images, but he had already left the country in September 2024 before the report was filed. When the man returned to Singapore on January 11, 2025, APD police arrested him at Changi Airport. According to preliminary investigations, he obtained other people's KF accounts while abroad by making illicit internet purchases. In June 2024, he took a plane to Singapore, where he allegedly used the KF miles from these accounts to buy a Samsung phone and cover from a Changi Airport retail store and several pastries from a Bugis restaurant, totaling over $1,600. The man will be charged in court for two counts of unauthorized access to computer material under Section 3(1)(a) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993, which carries a fine of no more than $5,000, a maximum sentence of two years in prison, or both. In addition, he will also be charged for two counts of unauthorized modification of computer material under Section 5(1)(a) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993, which carries a maximum fine of $10,000, a maximum sentence of three years in prison, or both. In an effort to improve security, the police reminded the public how important it is to protect online accounts by turning on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) or Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), if at all possible. They also advised notifying the bank or service provider once you come across any unusual or suspicious transactions. In case of emergency, people may contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit the information online at if anyone has any information on such crimes Every piece of information will be kept completely private. In case of immediate police assistance, one can dial '999'.
International Business Times
29-05-2025
- International Business Times
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.
AsiaOne
29-05-2025
- AsiaOne
Man to be charged for stealing Krisflyer miles and using them for purchases, Singapore News
An Indonesian man will be charged in court on Thursday (May 29) for allegedly buying KrisFlyer accounts illegally and using their miles to purchase items. On Wednesday, the police said they received a report from Singapore Airlines on Oct 11, 2024 regarding suspected fraudulent transactions using KrisFlyer miles, which had been detected by local merchants earlier in June. KrisFlyer is a rewards programme by Singapore Airlines that allows members to earn and redeem miles through transactions. Through ground enquiries and using CCTV footage, officers from the Airport Police Division (APD) identified the 28-year-old man, but he had left the country in September — before the report was lodged. When the man returned to Singapore on Jan 11, 2025, he was detained by APD officers at Changi Airport. Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had illegally bought and accessed some KrisFlyer accounts belonging to other people while he was overseas. Upon arriving in Singapore in June last year, he allegedly used the miles in these accounts to buy a Samsung phone and phone cover from a shop in Changi Airport as well as some pastries from a shop in Bugis. These purchases amounted to more than $1,600, said the police. He was later detained at Changi Airport when he returned to Singapore on Jan 11 this year. The man is set to be charged with two counts of unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1)(a) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993, which carries a fine of up to $5,000, two years of jail, or both. He also faces two counts of unauthorised modification of computer material under the same Act, which carries a fine of up to $10,000, three years of jail, or both. The police urged members of the public to protect their online accounts by enabling multi-factor authentication or two-factor authentication. "If you notice any suspicious or unauthorised transactions, please report the incident to your service provider or bank immediately," they added. [[nid:718489]]
