A 27-year-old Malaysian man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a government official impersonation scam, in which victims were deceived into believing they were under investigation by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
According to the police, a report was lodged on October 7 after a woman was tricked into thinking she was being probed for an offence. The scammers convinced her to surrender her funds to "assist in investigations." Over several days, she handed over jewelry worth more than S$6,000 and S$25,000 in cash to individuals she did not know.
Following extensive ground enquiries, officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division and the Anti-Scam Command identified one of the suspects and arrested him on November 2, when he re-entered Singapore.
Preliminary findings suggest the man may be linked to other similar scams. He is believed to have acted on instructions from unknown parties to collect cash and valuables from victims and pass them to others in Singapore before returning to Malaysia.
The suspect will be charged with abetment by conspiracy to assist another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, under Section 51 of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992. The offence carries a penalty of up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both.
"The Police take a serious stance against scams, and those involved will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law," the Singapore Police Force said in a statement.
Authorities also reminded the public not to hand over money or valuables to unknown individuals or place them at designated spots for collection. Members of the public are further advised not to share their device screens or personal details with strangers claiming to be officials.
