M’sian woman, 21, arrested after scam victim asked to hand over $50k at AMK Hub
A 21-year-old Malaysian woman will be charged in court on April 30 for her alleged involvement in an investment scam.
On April 28, a security officer from Ang Mo Kio (AMK) Hub alerted the police to a suspicious transaction after spotting a man handing a “large sum of cash” to a woman at the shopping centre via CCTV footage.
Police officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division and Anti-Scam Command established that the man was a victim of the investment scam, while the Malaysian woman was believed to be a money mule.
She was subsequently arrested, the police said in a news release on April 29.
Investigations revealed that in February, the victim was added to a WhatsApp group promoting investment opportunities, which included a link to a trading platform.
He initially transferred $10,000 to a bank account but did not receive any returns.
He later decided to invest more and was instructed by someone in the group to hand over $50,000 in cash to an “investment officer” from the company at AMK Hub.
The police also revealed that the Malaysian woman had been tasked by individuals believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate to collect cash from scam victims and hand them over to other unknown individuals.
The woman will be charged with abetment by conspiracy to assist another to retain benefits from criminal conduct.
The offence carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
Increasing trend of M’sians travelling to S’pore to assist scam syndicates
According to the police, this case brings the number of Malaysians arrested since March for facilitating scam syndicates to collect cash, gold and valuables to 20.
Scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, up to a maximum of 24 strokes. Scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
Under the Facility Restriction Framework, individuals involved in mule-related offences may face restrictions on banking services and mobile line subscriptions to prevent further facilitation of scams.
The police reminded the public to:
- Never transfer cash, jewellery or other valuables to strangers
- Never leave money or valuables at a location to facilitate subsequent collection
- Never share device screens or disclose login credentials to anyone
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
