SINGAPORE – A Malaysian man is expected to be charged on May 2 over his suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam.
Investigations found that the man, 40, had been acting as a runner to collect cash, gold and valuables from victims before taking the items back to Malaysia, the police said in a statement on May 1.
He is also believed to have used a fictitious company pass to impersonate a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) accredited officer.
The police said they had received a report on April 29 from a victim who was contacted by someone claiming to be from M1 Singapore. The unknown person told the victim that he had been enrolled in a M1 mobile line contract plan, and that his mobile line was linked to a money laundering investigation.
The victim denied having signed up for an M1 mobile line and was referred to another scammer claiming to be from MAS.
The scammers falsely led the victim to believe that he was under investigation by MAS for money laundering offences. The victim was then instructed to show proof that his funds were clean.
Following the scammers’ instructions, the victim handed over cash, gold and valuables amounting to around $140,000 to the 40-year-old man.
