31 people arrested for their involvement in various scams connected to money mule activities

Thirty-one people, aged between 17 and 67, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in various scams.

The police said in a statement that these scams include government official impersonation scams, Internet love scams, malware phishing scams, rental scams and China official impersonation scams.

Preliminary investigations revealed that 19 suspects allegedly sold or rented their bank accounts to criminal syndicates or assisted by carrying out bank transfers and withdrawals.

Three suspects are believed to have cheated the banks into opening bank accounts before handing over the ATM cards and Internet banking credentials to the criminal syndicates.

Another nine suspects allegedly sold their Singpass credentials to criminal syndicates to create new bank accounts.

All 31 suspects will be charged in court on Mar 22 for their suspected involvement in various offences connected to money mule activities.

These include abetment to cheating, assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, abetting unauthorised access to computer material, unauthorised disclosure of access code and providing payment services without a licence.

Those found guilty of conspiring to cheat the bank into opening the bank account can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.

First-time offenders who abet unknown persons to secure unauthorised access to the bank’s computer system can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to $5,000, or both.

People who assist others to retain benefits from criminal conduct may be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000, or both.

Those guilty of unauthorised disclosure of access codes could be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.

Anyone convicted of providing payment services without a licence can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $125,000, or both.

To avoid being an accomplice in these crimes, members of the public are advised to always reject seemingly attractive money-making opportunites promising fast and easy pay-outs for the use of their Singpass accounts, bank accounts, or allow their personal bank accounts to be used to receive and transfer money for others.

Individuals will be held accountable if they are found to be linked to such crimes.

For more information on scams, visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam helpline at 1800-722-6688.

Anyone with information on such scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

All information will be kept confidential.