11 arrested after raids on scam syndicate using S'pore phone numbers in Hong Kong and M'sia
The Singapore Police Force (SPF), Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) busted a scam call syndicate in a joint operation from April to June.
The sophisticated criminal network conducted scam calls across the three countries using voice over internet protocol (VoIP) GSM gateway devices.
They also used an advanced cloud-based remote operating system, which linked GSM mobile phone networks between Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
The scammers operated remotely and routed fraudulent calls through our local mobile phone networks, hence victims in Singapore believed they were receiving calls from within Singapore.
Following the police raids, 75 GSM gateway devices from Singapore were seized, along with 141 more from Hong Kong and 10 from Malaysia.
The police also arrested 11 people aged between 24 and 48 from across the three countries for their suspected involvement in the criminal syndicate.
A 29-year-old suspect who was arrested in Malaysia on June 3 was handed over to Singapore authorities.
The suspect will be charged in court on June 5 with being a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit cheating offences.
Those found guilty could face an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.
Director of SPF's Commercial Affairs Department David Chew said: "Scam syndicates build sophisticated transnational cloud network infrastructure to launch
attacks on our citizenry.
"A transnational threat requires a transnational response. This successful operation demonstrates the strong partnership between SPF, HKPF and RMP to combat these transnational scam syndicates.
"The coordinated efforts with our foreign counterparts have been instrumental in arresting the criminals maintaining this criminal infrastructure and dismantling it.
"We will continue to work closely with our partners to detect, deter and disrupt such criminal activities and prosecute the persons behind it to the fullest extent of the law."
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield helpline at 1799.
Anyone with information on scams can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
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