Over 300 People in S’pore Investigated for Involvement in Scams & The Oldest is 75YO

By
Megan
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We’ve all experienced it before. Messages claiming that we’ve got a parcel stuck at customs that we didn’t order, calls claiming that we’re under investigation for a crime we didn’t commit, or even demands for gifts from a lover we’ve never personally met. 

As we all know by now, scams run rampant in this age of technology, and according to the Singapore Police Force, more than 300 individuals have been placed under investigation for suspected involvement in scams. 

Here’s all that you need to know. 

Over 300 People in S’pore Investigated for Involvement in Scams & The Oldest is 75YO

The Commercial Affairs Department, along with seven police land divisions, launched an operation over two weeks (13 Mar-26 Mar). 

Following the operation, the police announced on Saturday (27 Mar) that 313 people are being investigated for suspected involvement in scams totalling $7.3 million. 

These 313 individuals comprise 214 men and 99 women aged between 16 and 75. They are believed to be involved in a total of 561 scam cases. 

The scams include Internet love scams, impersonation of China officials, e-commerce scams, investment scams, fake gambling platforms and loans. 

Cheating, money laundering and the unlicensed provision of payment services are the offences that are currently undergoing investigation. 

Cheating carries imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine. Money laundering carries imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or a fine not exceeding $500,000, or both. Unlicensed provision of payment services carries imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding $125,000 or both. 

Protecting Yourself from Scams 

Here’s a reminder from the police: do not allow others to use your bank accounts or mobile lines, lest you fall victim to being an accomplice of crime. 

That is because the owner of a bank account or mobile line that is linked to crimes will be held responsible for the crime. 

If you have information related to the aforementioned scams, do call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000. Alternatively, you can also submit information online right here. 

For more information on how to protect yourself from falling victim to scams, as well as keep updated on the latest scams circulating in the community, do visit this website. 

You can also call the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688 for more information. 

Another handy tool to have is ScamShield, an app that helps you to block scam calls by comparing incoming calls that you may receive against a list created by the Singapore Police Force. 

If the number has been used for illegal purposes, the app blocks it immediately. 

ScamShield can also filter SMSes from unknown numbers, moving scam messages to a junk folder. 

However, the ScamShield app is currently only available for iOS devices. 

New Scam Involves WhatsApp Messages from Attractive Ladies from Hong Kong 

You may have recently received a WhatsApp message starting with “Hi, I haven’t heard from you for a long time…”, accompanied by a chiobu’s selfie. 

Before you start making plans for the wedding, remember that it’s merely a scam, and that the sensible thing to do would be to ignore the message and delete it.

You can watch these videos to the end to know more about various scams in Singapore:

Featured Image: Donal Keane / Shutterstock.com

Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:

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Megan
Email: [email protected]