77 scammers and money mules assisting police in investigations for cheating and money laundering

A total of 77 people are currently assisting police in investigations for their suspected involvement in scams after a four-day enforcement operation conducted by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven police land divisions between Nov 25 and 29.

The suspects, who include 46 men and 31 women, are aged between 15 and 71. They are believed to be involved in 137 scam cases, which mainly comprise of e-commerce scams, amounting to a loss of more than $237,000.

The suspects are being investigated for cheating or money laundering.

If convicted of cheating, they could face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

If convicted of money laundering, they could face a jail term of up to 10 years and/or a fine of up to $500,000.

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following measures to avoid falling victim to e-commerce scams:

• Be wary of online advertisements of items at cheap prices that sound too good to be true. Read the reviews of the seller before committing to a purchase.
• Scammers may use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC/driver’s licence to make you believe they are genuine sellers.
• As you are dealing with strangers, avoid making payments or deposits in advance. Try to use shopping platforms/arrangements that release your payment to sellers only upon receipt of the item. Alternatively, arrange to meet the seller and pay only on delivery.

To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should always reject requests to use their bank account or mobile lines as they will be held accountable if their accounts are linked to illegal transactions.
 
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam hotline 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.