Over 200 suspected scammers, money mules linked to losses of $8.2 million under police probe

SINGAPORE – A total of 208 suspected conmen and money mules linked to cases in which victims are believed to have lost more than $8.2 million are under investigation.

All in, there were 650 cases, most of which were e-commerce scams, friend impersonation scams, job scams, government official impersonation scams, investment scams and rental scams, the police said in a statement on Oct 9.

The suspects – 140 men and 68 women aged between 15 and 77 – were rounded up during a two week-long raid that from Sept 26 to Oct 9, and involved officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven police land divisions.

The suspects are under investigation for a gamut of offences including cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence, said the police.

If found guilty of cheating, they face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, whereas money laundering carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

Anyone found guilty of carrying on a business to provide any type of payment service in Singapore without a licence can be fined up to $125,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.

The police said they take a serious view of anyone involved in scams.

“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,” the police said.

In the first half of 2025, there were nearly 20,000 reported scams, with victims losing $456.4 million to conmen.

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