Two elderly Singaporeans lose S$5.9m in ‘overseas police’ scams

SINGAPORE – Two elderly victims were swindled out of a combined total of S$5.9 million (RM19.25 million) by scammers impersonating overseas law enforcement officers last December.

This is not the first case that happened this month; The Straits Times reported that an 18-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly aiding scammers who posed as Chinese officials in defrauding an elderly woman of S$290,000.

According to the Singapore daily, the two latest victims were contacted by scammers pretending to be telecommunications officials from companies like Singtel or Starhub, and told their mobile numbers had been linked to criminal activities abroad and were then transferred to another scammer posing as an overseas police officer.

One victim lost S$1 million while the other lost S$4.9 million.

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“One victim received a ‘police identification card’ through WhatsApp, and the scammer even delivered forged documents to the victim’s home,” Singapore police were quoted as saying on January 23.

The scammers tricked the victims into withdrawing money from their bank accounts and handing it over to a stranger acting as a “cash mule” for safekeeping.

In cases where victims couldn’t withdraw the funds, a third party would be sent to help retrieve the money.

The two victims realised they had been deceived after the scammers became unreachable or when they contacted the police.

Singapore police said that foreign law enforcement agencies do not have jurisdiction in the city state, and as such cannot direct local residents to assist in investigations.

According to the Singapore newspaper, local police officers identify themselves with physical warrant cards and would never ask people to withdraw cash for safekeeping.

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Scam-related losses hit a record S$385.6 million in the first half of 2024, with 26,587 cases reported, according to The Straits Times.

On January 5, local police warned the public about scammers impersonating government officials from agencies like the Singapore Police Force and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.