Hanoi (VNA) - Singaporean authorities are investigating 268 individuals, including a 15-year-old, over their alleged roles in more than 800 scam cases causing losses exceeding 4.66 million USD.
Police said on December 4 that the suspects, including 177 men and 91 women, with the oldest aged 78, were uncovered during a two-week enforcement operation from November 11 to December 4.
The alleged scams involved e-commerce fraud, impersonation of friends, fake job offers, sham investment schemes, bogus government officials and rental scams. Authorities are investigating possible offences including cheating, money laundering and providing illegal payment services.
Convicted offenders face up to 10 years’ jail and fines. Money laundering carries similar penalties, while illegal payment services may lead to up to 3 years’ jail or fines up to 125,000 USD.
Under amendments approved by Parliament on November 4, members or recruiters of scam syndicates may also face corporal punishment of 6 to 24 strokes; individuals who supply SIM cards or bank accounts to support scams may face up to 12 strokes.
Singapore recorded nearly 20,000 scam cases in the first half of 2025 with estimated losses of 456.4 million USD. In 2024, scam victims lost 1.1 billion USD, the highest annual total on record./.
