Police thwart M'sian man before he could collect $15,000 from scam victim
A 33-year-old Malaysian man will be charged for his suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam.
The police said they received a report on Nov 4 about a scam involving a caller who claimed to be from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
The victim was told that he was being investigated for money laundering and was required to surrender funds for investigation.
He was instructed to withdraw cash from his bank accounts and hand over $15,000 to an unknown person.
However, before the handover could take place, officers from the Central Police Division arrested the man on the same day.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is believed to be involved in other similar cases. He had allegedly been tasked by unknown persons to collect cash and valuables from victims before passing them to the said individuals.
The man will be charged in court on Nov 6 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.
If convicted, he could face up to 10 years' jail, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
The police said the man will be remanded for further investigations by the Anti-Scam Command.
They also reminded members of the public to be wary of such scams and to never transfer money or hand over valuables to unknown persons.
Officials from government agencies, including MAS, will never:
- Ask for money transfers;
- Request for bank login details;
- Instruct you to install mobile apps from unofficial stores; or
- Transfer your call to the police.
Members of the public with information about such crimes can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit details online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. For urgent assistance, call 999.
