M'sian man allegedly collected over $31k in cash and jewellery from scam victim, arrested when re-entering S'pore
A 27-year-old Malaysian man will be charged in court on Nov 4 for his suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam.
The police said they received a report on Oct 7 about a scam involving someone impersonating an official purportedly from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The victim was told she was under investigation for an offence and had to surrender funds for the purpose of investigations.
She later handed over jewellery worth more than $6,000 and cash of over $25,000 to unknown persons on three separate occasions.
Through investigations, officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division and Anti-Scam Command identified the man and arrested him on Nov 2 when he re-entered Singapore.
Preliminary findings revealed that he had allegedly been tasked by unknown persons to collect cash and valuables from victims of such scams, before passing them to others in Singapore and returning to Malaysia.
The man will be charged with abetment by conspiracy to assist another to retain benefits from criminal conduct under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992.
The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
Police reminded the public never to hand over money or valuables to unknown persons, or leave them at physical locations for collection.
Government officials, including those from MAS, will never ask members of the public to transfer money, share banking details, install unofficial mobile apps, or transfer calls to the police.
Anyone with information on such scams can call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. For urgent assistance, dial 999.
