02-06-2025
Nine suspected money mules charged over alleged involvement in scams
(From left) Muhamad Saifullah Azuwan, Cindy Yap Qinhan and Norsuliani Sulaiman are among the nine people hauled to court on June 2. ST PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG
SINGAPORE - Nine people were hauled to court after they allegedly allowed scam syndicates to access their bank accounts or Singpass credentials.
On June 2, six men were each handed between two and 19 charges. They are Muhamad Saifullah Azuwan, 27, Yuvan Thirumaran, 24, Amarjit Singh Jugindar Singh, 50, Ang Yong Han, 19, Addy Amin Mohamed, 50, and Lee Jun Chye, 25.
Three women – Cindy Yap Qinhan, 32, Khoo Yun Xuan, 32, and Norsuliani Sulaiman, 41 – face between one and three charges each.
The nine of them are among 41 people who are expected to be charged this week for allegedly acting as money mules or allowing related activities in a variety of scams, the police had said earlier.
These include government official impersonation scams, rental scams, job scams, fake friend call scams and e-commerce scams.
The nine people charged on June 2 are accused of relinquishing or selling their bank accounts to enable criminal syndicates to launder mone y; or unlawfully disclosing their Singpass credentials, enabling criminal syndicates to misuse their identities to open bank accounts.
Their offences include abetment of cheating, assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, and various contraventions of the Computer Misuse Act.
Many of the 41 suspects were promised a commission of up to $9,000 each for the use of their bank or Singpass accounts, but were not paid, said the police.
Scam victims in Singapore lost $1.1 billion in 2024, around 70 per cent higher than the $651.8 million that scammers took in 2023, and marking a record high amount of losses suffered in a single year.
The government has stated its intention to clamp down on money mules amid the scam scourge.
Under tougher sentencing guidelines introduced on Aug 21, 2024, a total of 230 money mules were charged between August 2024 and March 2025.
All adult offenders charged during this period were each handed a jail term of at least six months, while those aged below 21 were sent for reformative training, said the police.
To avoid being implicated in such crimes, the police urge the public to always reject requests by others to use their bank or Singpass accounts.
The public should also be wary of seemingly attractive money-making opportunities that promise fast and easy payouts for the use of these personal accounts.
'Anyone who allows their personal bank accounts to be used to receive and transfer money for others will be held accountable if these transactions are linked to crimes,' the police said.
Those convicted of assisting another person to retain the benefits from criminal conduct or cheating can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.
Anyone found guilty of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material for the first time can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.
If convicted of illegally disclosing passwords or access codes for Singpass, the suspects can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.
Christine Tan is a journalist at The Straits Times reporting on crime, justice and social issues in Singapore.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
