SINGAPORE: Two men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a Chinese official impersonation scam, with victims losing more than S$445,000 (RM1.57 million) in the process.
Police said in a statement on January 20 that the two men are 21 and 25 years old.
Police said they received two separate reports of a 19-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man being suspected of being kidnapped on January 17th.
Prior to reporting, the victim’s parents, who are based in China, received a video of the victim being held and demanding a ransom from an unknown person speaking in Chinese.
The parents then contacted a friend in Singapore, who also reported the incident to the police.
Upon receiving the information, police conducted an extensive follow-up investigation and were able to track down the victim within 12 hours.
It was later discovered that they were victims of identity fraud.
In the first case, the victim received an unsolicited call on October 31, 2023, purporting to be from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICA) official.
She was then handed over to another fraudster claiming to be a Chinese police officer, who claimed that her personal information was used to register a bank card involved in money laundering activities in China.
The scammer then told the victim that they must provide bail and money to settle the case to avoid arrest and deportation.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim had transferred more than $230,000 to the bank account of the scammers known as “China Police.”
In the second case, the male victim received an unsolicited phone call in early November 2023, also from an ICA employee.
The victim was accused of possessing a Chinese mobile phone number associated with spreading rumors related to the coronavirus infection in China.
He was then handed over to another fraudster who claimed to be a Chinese police officer and claimed to be involved in money laundering activities.
The victim followed the scammer’s instructions and transferred $215,000 to the bank account provided by the scammer as bail money.
In both cases, the two victims had to report to the “Chinese police” five times a day via video calls, messages, and video calls using messaging applications on their mobile phones.
At some point in early January, both victims videotaped themselves being tied up as part of “fraud education,” making it appear as though they were captured separately and cooperating with the ongoing investigation. I was asked to do so.
Two men have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in a Chinese official impersonation scam. – Photo: Singapore Police Force
The scammer arranged for the 25-year-old suspect to help shoot the video, and to make the video more convincing, the 25-year-old suspect also acted out a staged kidnapping scene and used a kukri knife on both victims. Toward.
After a week, both victims were directed to quarantine in various safe houses.
A hideout was arranged for the female victim by the 25-year-old suspect, but she was asked to have no contact with anyone, including her parents, to facilitate the investigation.
The male victim was eventually found by police in a safe house rented by the 21-year-old suspect.
The male victim had bruises all over his body. The scratches appear to be fake.
Unbeknownst to the two victims, the scammers had sent a fraudulent educational video to their parents in an attempt to blackmail them into paying a ransom.
Preliminary investigation by the police revealed that the two suspects acted on instructions from the scammer to reserve and rent a room for the victim.
They also replaced the victim’s cell phone with a new cell phone and SIM card, so no one but the scammer could contact the victim.
A police investigation into the incident is ongoing. Case exhibits such as the kukri and rope used in the video were seized.
If convicted of cheating, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined.
Those found guilty of possessing a scheduled weapon can face up to five years in prison and a minimum of six strokes of the cane.
Police would like to emphasize that foreign law enforcement agencies have no authority to operate here, to arrest anyone, or to ask citizens to cooperate in any investigation without the approval of the Singapore government. Stated.
In a separate statement on January 20, it announced that 397 people were cooperating with the investigation on suspicion of being involved in the fraud as fraudsters and money mules.
The surgery took place from January 1st to January 18th.
A total of 276 men and 121 women, ranging in age from 15 to 79, were involved in more than 1,300 fraud cases, with victims reportedly losing more than $9.5 million.
They primarily consist of e-commerce scams, investment scams, recruitment scams, phishing scams, Internet romance scams, and government official impersonation scams.
The suspects are being investigated on suspicion of fraud, money laundering, or providing payment services without authorization.
If convicted of cheating, he could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison and fined.
If convicted of money laundering, the person could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, fined up to $500,000, or both.
If you are found guilty of operating a business offering payment services of any kind in Singapore without a license, you can be sentenced to up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $125,000, or both. there is.
Police said citizens should always refuse requests from others to use their bank accounts or mobile phone lines to avoid becoming accomplices in crimes, and will be held accountable if they are linked to a crime. – Straits Times/ANN