Nearly 150 people being investigated, $486k seized in anti-scam operation

SINGAPORE – More than 180 local bank accounts implicated in scams were identified and frozen during a three-week islandwide enforcement operation conducted between end-September and October, the police said on Nov 12.

More than $486,000 was seized during the enforcement operation against people suspected to be involved in government official impersonation scams, investment scams and job scams. The operation took place between Sept 29 and Oct 24.

A total of 147 people – 52 women and 95 men – aged between 16 and 76 are being investigated for allegedly relinquishing their bank accounts and enabling criminal syndicates to commit money laundering, the police said.

They are being investigated for alleged offences under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act and the Computer Misuse Act.

Those convicted of assisting someone else to retain benefits from criminal conduct in certain circumstances may be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $50,000, or both.

For the offence of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material, convicted individuals may be jailed for up to two years, fined $5,000, or both for a first conviction.

Working with major industry stakeholders such as social media companies, mobile phone messaging applications and telecommunications companies, the police also disrupted more than 920 online enablers and terminated over 1,140 phone lines linked to scams.

According to the latest figures released by the police in August, close to $500 million

was lost to scams in the first half of 2025

, with almost 20,000 cases reported in Singapore.

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