SINGAPORE – A woman who was found to be part of a Cambodia-based scam group believed to be behind $52.5 million in losses from victims in Singapore has been jailed for two years and one month.
This comes after the end of De Villar Rizalyn Panganiban’s trial on Aug 24, which saw her convicted on two charges after Principal District Judge Thian Yee Sze found the prosecution had made out its case.
The judge said the overriding sentencing consideration in De Villar’s case was general deterrence, especially given the transnational reach of the organised crime group involved in this case.
She added that the sentence had to be substantial enough to deter those tempted to become involved in similar activities.
The Filipina, 35, had claimed trial to charges including one for being a member of a locally linked organised criminal group, and another for engaging in criminal conspiracy with members of the group to cheat people in Singapore through government impersonation scams.
The court heard that she had arrived at the Cambodian scam compound on March 29, 2025, after being lured by the promise of financial gains. She remained at the compound until April 24, 2025, when she was asked to go to another scam compound in Laos.
Prosecutors had sought a jail term of not less than 27 months for De Villar, arguing that she had been part of a highly sophisticated and organised criminal group, to the extent that law enforcement agencies continue to face difficulties apprehending the high-level members of the syndicate who remain on the run.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Yeo Kee Hwan said the group had a three-layer structure, with members playing distinct roles ranging from bank officers to government officials, and employed various props such as artificial intelligence rendering, uniforms and backdrops resembling Singapore’s government agencies.
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