Latest news with #Singpass
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Election expenses open for inspection from May 28
SINGAPORE - The election expenses of candidates who contested the May 3 General Election can be inspected at the Elections Department (ELD) from May 28. Candidates are required under the law to submit their election expenses – listing how much they spent and what the money was used for – to ensure accountability and transparency of campaign finances. They have to do so within 31 days of the election result being published in the Government Gazette, which was done on May 16. For now, 35 candidates have submitted their returns and declarations, ELD said in a statement on May 27. These include Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Faishal Ibrahim, newly minted Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, and Speaker of Parliament Seah Kian Peng. Others who have submitted their returns are Progress Singapore Party chief and former Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai, as well as independent candidates Darryl Lo, who contested Radin Mas, and Jeremy Tan, who contested Mountbatten. The records will be available for inspection for six months from the date the submissions are announced in the Gazette. The law imposes a ceiling on the amount that a candidate contesting an election can spend, so as to ensure a level playing field and to prevent money politics. This time round, candidates in the general election could spend a maximum of $5 for each registered voter, up from $4 previously, to account for inflation. The last time the limit was revised was in 2015. Spending more than the maximum amount stipulated is against the law. People who wish to inspect candidates' election expenses can do so by logging into ELD's digital service using their Singpass. Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
New Paper
a day ago
- New Paper
Nine suspected money mules charged over alleged involvement in scams
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 over 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 money 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, 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 urged 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.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
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.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
41 suspected money mules in Singapore to be charged over alleged involvement in various scams
Many of the suspects were promised a commission of up to $9,000 for their bank or Singpass accounts, but were never paid. - Photo: Singapore Police Force SINGAPORE: Forty-one people are expected to be charged in the coming week for allegedly acting as money mules or allowing related activities in a variety of scams. The 32 men and nine women, aged between 16 and 64, are suspected of being involved in scams such as government official impersonation scams, rental scams, job scams, fake friend call scams and e-commerce scams. Between June 2 and 6, the 41 suspects are expected to be charged with various offences, such as helping another person retain the benefits from criminal conduct in certain circumstances, and abetment to cheating. Other offences include allowing unauthorised access to computer material, and illegally disclosing passwords or access codes to Singpass, the national digital identity service. Among the suspects, 35 are accused of having relinquished or sold their bank accounts and enabling criminal syndicates to commit money laundering. Some allegedly tricked banks into opening personal accounts before handing over the ATM cards and iBanking credentials to unknown people. Another group of suspects is believed to have unlawfully disclosed their Singpass credentials, enabling criminal syndicates to misuse their identities to open bank accounts. Many of the suspects were promised a commission of up to $9,000 for their bank or Singpass accounts, but were never paid. 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. 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 east 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. For more information on scams, the public can visit or call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799. Anyone with information on scams can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit the information online at Scam victims in Singapore lost $1.1 billion in 2024, marking a record high amount of losses suffered in a single year. This is around 70 per cent higher than the $651.8 million that scammers took in 2023, according to police figures released on Feb 25. Police also saw a record high number of scam reports in 2024, with 51,501 cases recorded, compared with 46,563 cases in the previous year. A total of 230 money mules were charged between August 2024 and March 2025, under tougher sentencing guidelines introduced on Aug 21, 2024. All adult offenders charged during this period were handed jail terms of at least six months, while those aged below 21 were sent for reformative training, said the police. - The Straits Times/ANN
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
From teens to seniors, 41 face money mule charges in Singapore
SINGAPORE, June 1 — A total of 41 people, including a teenager, are expected to be charged this week for their alleged roles as money mules or for facilitating scam-related activities, amid rising concern over online fraud in the country. According to The Straits Times, the suspects — 32 men and nine women aged between 16 and 64 — are believed to have been involved in a range of scams, including government official impersonation scams, job scams, rental scams, e-commerce scams, and fake friend call scams. Between June 2 and 6, they are expected to be charged with offences such as assisting others to retain benefits from criminal conduct, abetment to cheating, allowing unauthorised access to computer material, and illegally disclosing passwords or access codes to Singpass, Singapore's national digital identity system. According to police, 35 of the suspects are accused of selling or handing over their personal bank accounts to criminal syndicates, enabling money laundering activities. Some had allegedly deceived banks into opening accounts, only to pass on the ATM cards and internet banking credentials to unknown parties. Others are believed to have unlawfully disclosed their Singpass credentials, which allowed scammers to misuse their identities to open bank 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. In several cases, suspects were promised commissions of up to S$9,000 (RM30,000) for their bank or Singpass accounts but ultimately received no payment. Under Singapore law, those convicted of helping another person retain criminal proceeds or abet cheating can face up to three years' jail, a fine, or both. Meanwhile, facilitating unauthorised access to computer material carries a sentence of up to two years' jail, a fine, or both. Offenders who illegally disclose Singpass credentials can also be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both. The Straits Times reported that Singapore saw a record S$1.1 billion lost to scams in 2024 — about 70 per cent more than the S$651.8 million lost in 2023. Police also recorded 51,501 scam reports in 2024, up from 46,563 the year before. In response to the surge, 230 money mules were charged between August 2024 and March 2025 under stiffer sentencing guidelines introduced on August 21, 2024. All adult offenders received jail terms of at least six months, while offenders below 21 were sent for reformative training.
