SINGAPORE: A 34-year-old Malaysian woman will be charged in court today over her alleged involvement in a scam in which victims were deceived by callers posing as police officers.
Police said the woman was arrested on Tuesday while attempting to leave Singapore following ground enquiries and follow-up investigations by officers from the Anti-Scam Command.
The arrest brings the number of Malaysians allegedly caught in Singapore for helping scam syndicates collect cash and valuables since March this year to 26, while another 26-year-old Malaysian woman was charged on May 9 over a similar jewellery collection case.
According to police, a female victim lodged a report on May 19 after receiving a call from an unknown person claiming to be a police officer.
The victim was allegedly told her identity had been linked to money laundering activities and was instructed to provide banking and personal information while being warned not to reveal details of the purported investigation to anyone, including family members.
She was later directed to withdraw cash and hand over $13,700 and gold items to an “agent” at Kovan for supposed investigation purposes, with police later seizing two gold bars belonging to the victim from the suspect.
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Preliminary investigations revealed the woman had allegedly been tasked by unknown individuals believed to be part of a transnational crime syndicate to collect cash and valuables from the victim, and if convicted of assisting another person to retain benefits from criminal conduct, she faces up to 10 years’ jail, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
