A woman in Singapore lost $1.2 million to scammers who pretended to be officers from the police’s Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) over the course of two months.
This case highlights a growing variant of government impersonation scams that has claimed multiple victims.
Sophisticated ASC impersonation tactics lead to million-dollar loss
The victim, referred to as Jane to protect her identity, received a call on 11 December 2024 from someone claiming to be “Jenny,” an ASC officer.
The caller told Jane that her identity card number was being misused and urged her to make a police report.
Jane, who is in her 50s and works in finance, was then transferred to another person who claimed to be “Inspector Yang.”
The scammer sounded local and sent her a one-time view image of a “police pass” that disappeared after she clicked on it.
When Jane expressed suspicion, the fake inspector became confrontational, saying: “I have the right to suspect you.”
He then accused her of being involved in money laundering activities, claiming her identity card was used to open a bank account that received illicit funds.
The scammer further alleged that Jane had taken a 10 per cent commission from these illegal transactions.
To maintain the façade of a legitimate investigation, the fake officer demanded that Jane surrender her bank statements and update him on her whereabouts up to four times daily via WhatsApp.
He warned her not to tell anyone about the case, calling it confidential—a tactic scammers use to isolate victims from family and friends who might alert them to the fraud.
On 13 December, Jane received a fake letter supposedly from the police stating she would face charges for laundering criminal proceeds and would be detained for 60 days if she failed to follow their instructions.
Jane, who was unwell at the time, did not verify the letter’s authenticity.
The following day, “Inspector Yang” transferred the call to his supposed supervisor, “Inspector Chong,” who instructed Jane to withdraw $500,000 from her account.
The scammers knew her account balance because she had previously shared her bank statements as directed.
Fraudsters extract victim’s life savings through multiple cash handovers
“Inspector Chong” directed Jane to open an account with a Chinese bank and transfer money to various accounts, claiming these funds would serve as bait to capture other suspects in the case.
“They wanted me to help with investigations by transferring money to these people, so they could catch them,” Jane explained.
Between 18 and 19 December, she made nine bank transfers totaling $180,000 to various payees with accounts at the Chinese bank.
The scammers even prepared Jane for potential intervention, instructing her to tell genuine ASC officers that she was knowingly helping the police if they contacted her about suspicious transactions.
Two days after Jane opened the new bank account, the Chinese bank suspended it due to suspicious transfers.
“Inspector Chong” then told Jane to close the account and withdraw the remaining $320,000, claiming it would be handed to an “investigation team.”
Jane withdrew the full amount in $100 notes and met with a fake “officer” in a public space in central Singapore.
She described him as a Chinese man with a local accent who appeared to be in his 30s.
“Inspector Chong” remained on the phone during the meeting, helping Jane identify the accomplice.
Police warnings and victim’s road to recovery
Over the next few weeks, Jane met the same man and another individual a total of four times, handing over various cash sums withdrawn from her bank account.
Her final meeting with one of them occurred on 3 January 2025.
In total, Jane surrendered $1.2 million—her life savings intended for her new home and retirement.
Jane attempted multiple times to recover her money, but the scammers claimed the case was before the High Court and she needed to wait.
She finally realized she had been duped when the scammers stopped responding on 24 January.
Still recovering from illness, Jane filed a police report at Pasir Ris Neighbourhood Police Centre on 6 February.
In 2024, Singapore saw 1,504 reported cases of government official impersonation scams, with losses totaling at least $151.3 million.
Most victims who fell for this variant were aged 50 to 64 and were contacted via phone and WhatsApp.
The Singapore Police Force warned in November 2024 that scammers were impersonating officers from ASC or ScamShield.
The ScamShield app helps identify potential scam threats on messaging platforms and provides advisories on the latest scam trends.
Police have stressed that they never ask for personal details over the phone or messaging platforms like WhatsApp, and advise the public not to disclose personal information to unknown persons.
Despite her significant loss, Jane has found ways to cope.
“I’ve learnt to let go; I just see it as charity, and I assume that whoever took my money needed it more than I did,” she said.
Her three sons have supported her emotionally, with one telling her, “No matter what happens, you still have us. Money can be earned again.”
They have also offered to help pay for her new home.
With her sons’ assistance, Jane has reopened her bank accounts and learned valuable lessons from her experience.
“Don’t let scammers control your emotions. Because once they’ve manipulated you, they can easily attack,” she cautioned.
Here's a summary of the Chocolate Finance saga, simplified so even a non-finance kid can understand:
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