SINGAPORE: A transnational scam syndicate has been dismantled and its 16 Malaysian members arrested after a joint operation between the Singaporean and Malaysian police. 

The members, aged between 24 and 43, are suspected of being involved in government official impersonation scams targeting Singapore residents, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Friday (Jan 24).

At least 1,100 such cases were reported from January to October last year, with total losses amounting to at least S$120 million (US$88 million), said the police in a press release.

“The syndicate is believed to be linked to more than 50 reported cases, with total losses exceeding S$1.4 million,” it added. 

The members were arrested in a raid by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) on Jan 13 at an office complex in Kuala Lumpur. 

They have been charged in Malaysia with criminal conspiracy to commit cheating. 

SURGE IN SUCH SCAMS

Government official impersonation scams have surged recently, with syndicates abusing Singapore SIM cards to impersonate bank and law enforcement officers, said Mr David Chew, director of SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department. 

According to the police, victims of the scam variant would receive an unsolicited call from a scammer impersonating a bank officer, typically from DBS, OCBC, UOB or Standard Chartered. 

The scammer would inform the victim that a credit card had been issued under the victim’s name or that there were suspicious or fraudulent transactions detected in the victim’s bank account, before asking the victim to confirm these transactions. 

When the victim denied knowledge of such transactions, the scammer would transfer the call to a second scammer who would impersonate an official from SPF or the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). 

The calls could be in the form of video calls, with the scammers dressed as SPF or MAS officers with fake badges, against a backdrop with the agency’s logo.

After the call, subsequent communication between the second scammer and the victim would continue on message applications like WhatsApp.

In some instances, the scammers would provide fake warrant cards or fake official documents to lend credence to their deceit, said the police.

They would accuse the victim of being involved in criminal activities, such as money laundering, and ask them to transfer money to "safety accounts" designated by the government to assist in investigations. 

“The scammer threatens victims to instil fear and to get them to execute bank transfers into Singapore money mule accounts,” said Mr Chew. 

“SPF will continue to collaborate with the RMP to robustly target and take down these transnational syndicates targeting Singapore victims.”