424 people under investigation for suspected involvement in scams where victims lost over $9m
The police rounded up 277 men and 147 women for their suspected involvement in more than 1,400 scam cases. PHOTO: ST FILE
Aqil Hamzah
UPDATED
10 JUN 2023, 8:53 PM SGT
SINGAPORE – A two-week-long police operation netted a total of 424 suspected scammers or money mules, with the youngest among them being a 16-year-old.
The police said on Friday that they rounded up 277 men and 147 women for their suspected involvement in more than 1,400 scam cases, which saw victims losing more than $9 million.
The suspects are aged between 16 and 78, and are believed to be involved in a variety of scams, including job scams, e-commerce scams, phishing scams, government officials impersonation scams and investment scams.
They were caught by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven police land divisions between May 27 and June 8. The suspects are being investigated for cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence.
Stressing that they take a serious stance against those involved in scams, the police said perpetrators will be dealt with according to the law.
“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 police said.
Those found guilty of cheating can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined, while money laundering carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
Meanwhile, those convicted of providing payment services without a licence can be fined up to $125,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
In 2022, scam victims here lost $660.7 million, up from $632 million in 2021, with the number of scams reported also rising from 23,933 cases in 2021 to 31,728 in 2022.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling said in April that it was worrying that a large number of people between the ages of 10 and 29 had also been arrested for being money mules.
Between 2020 and 2022, more than 19,000 suspected money mules were investigated by the police, but fewer than 250 were prosecuted due to current laws, which require proof that the money mule is aware that the money they handle is linked to criminal activity.
However, proposed amendments to these laws introduced in Parliament on April 18 aim to make it easier to prosecute such individuals.
