At least 411 people — 292 men and 119 women — are undergoing investigation for their alleged roles in various scams, which have resulted in the loss of more than SGD 13 million.
The alleged scamsters are aged between 16 and 75 years. As per an official news release, more than 1,500 cases have been registered.
A two-week anti-scam operation by the Commercial Affairs Department and seven police land divisions took place between 8 December and 31 December, 2023.
These scams were varied in nature and even included impersonation of government officials.
Other offences include cheating and providing unlicensed payment services. If found guilty, offenders can be sentenced to a jail-term, fined, or both.
“The offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine. The offence of money laundering under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. The offence of carrying on a business to provide any type of payment service in Singapore without a licence under Section 5 of the Payment Services Act 2019 carries a fine of up to $125,000, an imprisonment term of up to three years, or both,” the statement read.
“To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes,” the statement further read.
Reporting a scam
To report a scam, visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688.
Alternatively, the police can be reached at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.