『Singapore』 scam, money mule, theft, GOIS, unlicensed moneylender 2024.9.13-10.14

Woman Arrested For Theft

The Police have arrested a 34-year-old woman for her suspected involvement in a case of shop theft in the transit area of Changi Airport.

On 17 November 2023, the Police were alerted to a case of theft at Changi Airport, after a bracelet valued at more than $2,800 was discovered missing from a retail outlet located in the transit area. Through ground enquiries and with the aid of CCTVs, officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the woman. However, the woman had left Singapore on a flight after she had purportedly committed the crime.

On 23 September 2024, the woman returned to Singapore and was arrested by the Police.

The woman will be charged in court on 15 October 2024 for the offence of theft in dwelling under Section 380 of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine.

The Police take a serious view of shop theft cases and offenders will be dealt with firmly in accordance with the law. The Police will continue to work closely with stakeholders and the community to prevent and deter shop theft cases.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
14 October 2024 @ 12:00 PM

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警方逮捕了一名 34 岁女子，她涉嫌参与樟宜机场过境区商店盗窃案。

2023 年 11 月 17 日，警方接到一起樟宜机场盗窃案的报警，此前，过境区一家零售店发现一只价值 2,800 多美元的手镯不见了。通过地面调查和闭路电视的帮助，机场警察部门的警员确定了这名女子的身份。然而，这名女子在实施犯罪后乘飞机离开了新加坡。

2024 年 9 月 23 日，这名女子返回新加坡并被警方逮捕。

根据 1871 《刑法典》第 380 条，这名女子将于 2024 年 10 月 15 日在法庭上被控犯有住宅盗窃罪，该罪行最高可判处七年监禁和罚款。

35 Persons Arrested For Suspected Involvement In Government Official Impersonation Scam Variant Featuring Impersonation Of Banks

A total of 26 men and nine women, aged between 17 and 47, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the recent spate of Government Official Impersonation Scam (GOIS) cases, following an island-wide anti-scam enforcement operation conducted between 30 September 2024 and 8 October 2024. Another 12 men and 10 women, aged between 17 and 61, and a 16-year-old male teenager are assisting in the investigations.

Over the course of one week, officers from Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) mounted simultaneous island-wide operations and arrested the 35 persons. Preliminary investigations revealed that 25 men and nine women, aged between 17 and 46, had allegedly facilitated the scam cases by relinquishing their bank accounts and/or Internet banking credentials for monetary gains, and a 47-year-old man had allegedly received criminal proceeds in his bank account.

Since early September 2024, the Police have received several reports of GOIS involving the impersonation of banks and government officials. In this variant, the victim would first receive an unsolicited call from a scammer impersonating a bank officer, typically from DBS, OCBC, UOB or Standard Chartered Bank. The scammer would inform the victim that a credit card has been issued under the victim’s name, or that there were suspicious or fraudulent transactions detected in the victim’s bank account, and would ask the victim to confirm these financial transactions.

When the victim denies knowledge of such transactions, the scammer would transfer the call to a second scammer who would impersonate a government official (from SPF or MAS). These calls could, at times be in the form of video calls, with the scammers dressed as SPF/MAS officers with fake badges, against a backdrop with the agency’s logo. The communication between the second scammer and the victim may subsequently be moved to messaging applications such as WhatsApp. In some instances, the scammers may provide fake warrant cards or fake official documents to lend credence to their deceit. The scammers would accuse the victim of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering and ask the victim to transfer monies to “safety accounts” designated by the government to assist in investigations.

Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when the scammers become uncontactable or when they seek verification of the status of their cases with the banks or SPF.

The offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct under Section 55A(5) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment of up to three years, a fine or both. For deceiving the banks into opening bank accounts that were not meant for their own use and relinquishing their bank account login details, they are liable under Section 417 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code 1871 and Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 respectively. The offence of cheating under Section 417 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, or with a fine, or both, while the offence under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries a fine of up to $5,000, or an imprisonment term of up to two years, or both.

The Police take a serious view of these offences and will not hesitate to take action against individuals who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be sternly dealt with in accordance with the law. The Sentencing Advisory Panel has also published Guidelines[1] that recommend significant imprisonment sentences as the norm for scams-related offences involving the handing over of bank accounts or the disclosure of Singpass credentials. The courts also have the discretion to enhance sentences if there are aggravating factors, such as the involvement of vulnerable victims.

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2024 年 9 月 30 日至 2024 年 10 月 8 日期间，全岛开展了反诈骗执法行动，共逮捕了 26 名男性和 9 名女性，他们年龄在 17 至 47 岁之间，因涉嫌参与最近发生的多起冒充政府官员诈骗案 (GOIS) 而被捕。另有 12 名男性和 10 名女性，年龄在 17 至 61 岁之间，以及一名 16 岁的男性青少年正在协助调查。

在一周的时间里，商业事务部 (CAD) 官员在全岛范围内同时开展行动，逮捕了 35 人。初步调查显示，25 名男性和 9 名女性，年龄在 17 至 46 岁之间，据称他们通过放弃银行账户和/或网上银行凭证来获取金钱收益，从而为诈骗案件提供了便利，一名 47 岁的男子据称在其银行账户中收到了犯罪所得。

自 2024 年 9 月初以来，警方已收到多起 GOIS 冒充银行和政府官员的报告。在这种情况下，受害者首先会接到一个冒充银行官员的骗子的主动来电，这些官员通常来自星展银行、华侨银行、大华银行或渣打银行。骗子会告知受害者，受害者名下已发行了信用卡，或者受害者的银行账户中检测到可疑或欺诈交易，并要求受害者确认这些金融交易。

当受害者否认知道此类交易时，骗子会将电话转接给第二个冒充政府官员（来自 SPF 或 MAS）的骗子。这些电话有时可能是视频通话的形式，骗子打扮成 SPF/MAS 官员，佩戴假徽章，背景是该机构的标志。第二个骗子与受害者之间的通信随后可能会转移到 WhatsApp 等消息应用程序上。在某些情况下，骗子可能会提供假的逮捕令或假的官方文件，以增加其欺骗行为的可信度。骗子会指控受害者参与洗钱等犯罪活动，并要求受害者将资金转入政府指定的“安全账户”，以协助调查。

只有当骗子无法联系或受害者向银行或 SPF 寻求案件状态核实时，受害者才会意识到自己被骗了。

Police investigate 482 Scammers And Money Mules In Island-Wide Enforcement Operation

Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven Police Land Divisions conducted a two-week operation between 13 September 2024 and 3 October 2024. A total of 339 men and 143 women, aged between 15 and 76, are assisting in investigations for their suspected involvement in scams as scammers or money mules. The persons are believed to be involved in more than 1,400 cases of scams, comprising mainly internet love scams, investment scams, friend impersonation scams, e-commerce scams, job scams and fake buyer scams, where victims reportedly lost over $12.2 million.

The persons are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence. The offence of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine. The offence of money laundering under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. The offence of carrying on a business to provide any type of payment service in Singapore without a licence under Section 5 of the Payment Services Act 2019 carries a fine of up to $125,000, an imprisonment term of up to three years, or both.

The Police take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes.

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482人涉当钱骡或诈骗被查 涉案金额超过1220万元
商业事务局和七大警署于9月13日至10月3日，展开为期两周的全岛行动。年龄介于15到76岁的339名男性和143名女性，因涉嫌参与诈骗活动或充当钱骡被调查。

482人涉嫌充当钱骡和涉及诈骗活动被警方调查，涉案金额超过1220万元。

新加坡警察部队星期五（10月4日）发文告说，商业事务局和七大警署于9月13日至10月3日，展开为期两周的全岛行动。年龄介于15到76岁的339名男性和143名女性，因涉嫌参与诈骗活动或充当钱骡被调查。

调查显示，这些人涉及超过1400起诈骗案，主要包括爱情诈骗、投资诈骗、假朋友诈骗、电商诈骗、求职诈骗和冒充买家诈骗，使受害人蒙受超过1220万元的损失。

目前，这些人因涉嫌欺骗、洗钱或无照提供汇款服务而接受调查。根据《刑事法典》第420节条文，欺骗罪一旦成立，可被判坐牢最长10年及罚款；根据《贪污、贩毒和严重罪案（没收利益）法令》，洗钱罪一旦成立，可被判坐牢最长10年或罚款50万元，或两者兼施；根据《付款服务法》，无照提供任何汇款服务一旦罪成，可被判坐牢最长三年或罚款12万5000元，或两者兼施。

112 Persons Investigated For Unlicensed Moneylending Activities During Five-Day Islandwide Police Operation

The Police are investigating 112 persons, aged between 16 and 77, for their suspected involvement in unlicensed moneylending activities, following an islandwide operation conducted between 23 and 27 September 2024.

During the five-day operation, officers from the Criminal Investigation Department and the seven Police land divisions conducted simultaneous raids island-wide. Preliminary investigations revealed that 22 suspects had allegedly harassed debtors at their residence and 47 suspects are believed to be runners who had assisted in unlicensed moneylending activities by carrying out Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transfers. One suspect allegedly provided six SIM cards to an unlicensed moneylender.

The remaining 42 persons are believed to have opened bank accounts and provided their ATM cards, Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) and/or Internet Banking tokens to unlicensed moneylenders to facilitate their unlicensed moneylending activities.

Investigations against all the persons are ongoing.

Under the Moneylenders Act 2008, when a bank account, ATM card or Internet Banking token of any person is used to facilitate moneylending by an unlicensed moneylender, that person is presumed to have assisted in carrying on the business of unlicensed moneylending. First-time offenders found guilty of the offence of carrying on or assisting in a business of unlicensed moneylending shall be punished with imprisonment term of up to four years, a fine of not less than $30,000 and not more than $300,000 and caning of not more than six strokes. First-time offenders found guilty of the offence of acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender to commit or attempt to commit any acts of harassment shall be punished with imprisonment term of up to five years, a fine of not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000 and caning of not less than three and not more than six strokes.

The Police will continue to take tough enforcement action against those involved in the unlicensed moneylending business, regardless of their roles, and ensure that they face the full brunt of the law. This includes taking action against individuals who open or give away their bank accounts or provide SIM cards to aid unlicensed moneylenders.

Unlicensed moneylenders will not hesitate to carry out persistent and dangerous harassment acts on the borrowers and their families, such as setting fire and splashing paint at their residences, and locking the gates using chains or bicycle locks to confine the occupants. Members of the public are advised to stay away from unlicensed moneylenders to avoid the vicious cycle of harassment, and not to work with or assist them in any way as there are serious legal consequences. Foreigners found to have borrowed from unlicensed moneylenders or convicted of aiding them will have their student or work passes cancelled and be deported from Singapore. The public can call the Police at ‘999’ if they suspect or know of anyone who could be involved in unlicensed moneylending activities.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
04 October 2024 @ 2:50 PM

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2024 年 9 月 23 日至 27 日，警方在全岛范围内开展了一次行动，目前正对 112 名涉嫌参与无牌放贷活动的人员展开调查，这些人员年龄在 16 岁至 77 岁之间。

在为期五天的行动中，刑事调查部和七大警署部门的警员在全岛范围内同时进行了突袭。初步调查显示，22 名嫌疑人涉嫌在其住所骚扰债务人，47 名嫌疑人被认为是跑腿者，他们通过自动柜员机 (ATM) 转账协助无牌放贷活动。一名嫌疑人涉嫌向无牌放贷人提供了六张 SIM 卡。

其余 42 人据信开设了银行账户，并向无牌放贷人提供了他们的 ATM 卡、个人识别码 (PIN) 和/或网上银行令牌，以方便他们进行无牌放贷活动。

对所有人员的调查正在进行中。

警方将继续对那些参与无牌放贷业务的人采取严厉的执法行动，无论他们的角色如何，并确保他们受到法律的全面制裁。这包括对那些开设或泄露银行账户或提供 SIM 卡来帮助无牌放贷者的个人采取行动。

无牌放贷人会毫不犹豫地对借款人及其家人实施持续且危险的骚扰行为，例如在他们的住所纵火和泼漆，以及用链条或自行车锁锁住大门以将住户关起来。建议公众远离无牌放贷人，以避免恶性骚扰循环，并且不要与他们合作或以任何方式帮助他们，因为这将产生严重的法律后果。被发现向无牌放贷人借款或被判定协助他们的外国人将被取消学生或工作准证，并被驱逐出新加坡。如果公众怀疑或知道有人可能参与无牌放贷活动，可以拨打“999”报警。

Man Convicted For Theft On Board An Aircraft

On 13 September 2024, 30-year-old Chinese national, Jiang Yangbo (“Jiang”), was convicted and sentenced to 7 months’ imprisonment for the offence of theft committed on board an aircraft, under Section 379 of the Penal Code 1871 read with Section 3 of the Tokyo Convention Act 1971.

On 16 May 2024, Jiang dishonestly took a bag belonging to another passenger from the overhead compartment onboard an aircraft. He stole a credit card from within the bag before returning the bag to the compartment. His actions were witnessed by a fellow passenger. Upon landing at Changi Airport, the witness alerted the victim after noticing that the bag belonged to the victim and not Jiang. Together, the victim and the witness approached an Auxiliary Police Officer, who arrested Jiang.

The Police have zero tolerance against acts of theft on board an aircraft and will spare no effort to apprehend such offenders, who will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law.

The Police would also like to remind members of the public to protect themselves from being victims of crime on board an aircraft. Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

Keep your cash or valuables with you at all times instead of placing them inside the overhead luggage compartments.

Be wary and keep a lookout for passengers who are seen opening up overhead compartments and retrieving baggage and rummaging through them during the flight.

Alert the cabin crew immediately of such suspicious behaviour.

Image of Mr Jiang Yangbo ▼

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
20 September 2024 @ 5:00 PM

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2024 年 9 月 13 日，30 岁的中国公民姜杨波因在飞机上实施盗窃罪被判处 7 个月监禁，罪名是违反《1871 刑法》第 379 条和《1971 东京公约法》第 3 条。

2024年 5 月 16 日，姜在飞机上不诚实地从头顶行李舱拿走了另一名乘客的行李。他从包里偷了一张信用卡，然后把包放回行李舱。他的行动被一名乘客目睹。飞机降落在樟宜机场后，目击者注意到行李是受害者的，而不是姜的，于是提醒了受害者。受害者和目击者一起找到了一名辅警，辅警逮捕了姜。

警方对飞机上的盗窃行为绝不容忍，并将不遗余力地逮捕此类罪犯，并依法严厉打击。

Man Arrested For Theft Of Motor Vehicle Within Seven Hours

The Police have arrested a 28-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a case of theft of motor vehicle.

On 13 September 2024 at about 2.45am, the Police were alerted to a case of theft of motor vehicle at the driveway of a hotel located along Jalan Rajah. The victim, a taxi driver, had left his taxi unlocked along the driveway of the said hotel, with its engine running. He returned about five minutes later, only to find his taxi missing.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of images from Police cameras and CCTV footages, officers from Tanglin Police Division and Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him within seven hours of the report. The stolen taxi was recovered on the same day.

The man will be charged in court on 14 September 2024 with the offence of theft of motor vehicle, under Section 379A of the Penal Code 1871. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine.

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男子盗窃机动车七小时内被捕

警方逮捕了一名 28 岁的男子，他涉嫌参与一起汽车盗窃案。

2024 年 9 月 13 日凌晨 2 点 45 分左右，警方接到报警，称在拉惹路一家酒店的车道上发生了一起汽车盗窃案。受害者是一名出租车司机，他将出租车停在该酒店的车道上，车门未锁，发动机还在运转。大约五分钟后，他回来时发现出租车不见了。

通过实地调查，并借助警方摄像机和闭路电视录像，东陵警署和宏茂桥警署的警员确定了该男子的身份，并在报告后七小时内将其逮捕。被盗的出租车于同一天被追回。

根据 1871 《刑法典》第 379A 条，该男子将于 2024 年 9 月 14 日在法庭上被控盗窃汽车罪。该罪行可判处最高七年监禁和罚款。