Latest news with #ConfiscationofBenefits)Act1992
International Business Times
30-07-2025
- International Business Times
Two Men Charged Over Suspected Involvement in Government Official Impersonation Scams in Singapore
July 30, 2025 19:08 +08 Representational image Pixabay Two men, aged 30 and 37, were arrested for their suspected involvement in several cases of government official impersonation scam ("GOIS"). The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Wednesday, July 30, that they received a report of GOIS involving the impersonation of a government official purportedly from the Monetary Authority of Singapore on May 17 May. Reportedly, the victim had allegedly handed over more than S$43,000 in cash to the 30-year-old man, a cash mule, after being instructed by the scammer to do so. The victim was told that she had been implicated in an offence and was required to surrender the funds for investigative purposes. SPF said, "Through extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command arrested the two men on July 28. The two men are believed to be accomplices who worked together in facilitating the scam syndicate to retain benefits from criminal conduct." "Preliminary investigations revealed that the 30-year-old man had purportedly collected the cash from the victim on behalf of the scam syndicate before handing over the cash to an unknown person. Prior to their arrest on July 28 July, the 30-year-old man had also allegedly collected S$47,000 from another scam victim before handing the cash to the 37-year-old man. The cash amounting to S$47,000 was recovered upon their arrest. The two men are believed to be involved in other similar cases," added the police. On Wednesday, July 30, the two men will face charges under Section 51 of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 for abetment by conspiracy to assist another in keeping the benefits of criminal activity. The offense is punishable by up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to half a million dollars, or both. Related topics : Singapore crime
AsiaOne
28-06-2025
- AsiaOne
3 men charged for alleged involvement in Pokemon card scams; believed to have cheated victims out of $57k, Singapore News
Three men aged between 21 and 28 will be charged in court on Saturday (June 28) for their suspected involvement in money laundering and unauthorised access to computer material, in a case that involved the selling of Pokemon trading cards. In a press release on Saturday (June 28), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said: "Between May and June 2025, the police received several reports from victims who were cheated by an online seller who was selling Pokemon trading cards on Carousell. After the victims made payment via bank transfers, they did not receive the said trading cards. "When questioned, the seller claimed he was in a business venture with another supplier who did not honour the transactions upon receiving payments." Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department conducted follow-up investigations and discovered the identities of the supplier and two accomplices, and arrested them on June 26 and 27, SPF said. The police believe the men have been involved in more than 50 similar scams, cheating victims out of at least $57,000. One man, 26, will be charged under Section 55A(1)(a)(i) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 "with the offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct". It is punishable by a prison term of up to three years and/or a fine not exceeding $50,000. The two others, aged 21 and 28, will be charged with "accessing without authority bank accounts belonging to separate individual to withdraw payments" under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993. They can be imprisoned for up to two years and/or pay a fine of up to $5,000. Between January and February 2025, at least 50 people had fallen victim to Pokemon card scams and had been cheated out of over $163,000. Scammers would engage potential victims on Facebook or Carousell, before convincing them to move their conversations to WhatsApp or Telegram, SPF said on Feb 6. The victims would then make payments via PayNow or bank transfers, and only realise they were scammed after the cards would fail to arrive or the sellers would cease communications with them. In their recent statement, the SPF advised the public to only communicate with sellers within the apps and to conduct transactions in person so they can inspect products before making payment. "Be wary of e-commerce scam red flags such as large discounts for faster transactions. Do not transfer money to anyone you do not know. Never disclose your personal information, internet banking or One-Time passwords to anyone," the SPF said. They also encourage members of the public to download the ScamShield app on their phones to block and filter SMSes, and set up security features on payment methods. The public can also use official channels including the ScamShield app, their 24-hour hotline at 1799 and their website at to check for signs of scams, or discuss with a trusted person. SPF also recommends reporting suspicious listings or user profiles to Carousell or Facebook through their in-app reporting functions. If someone suspects that they have been scammed, they should call their banks to report and block fraudulent transactions as well as lodge a police report. [[nid:514707]] drimac@
