SINGAPORE – Since 2022, the Government has extended consular assistance to nine Singaporeans who were thought to have been manipulated by scam syndicates to work overseas.
Of the nine, only three accepted the Government’s offer, including to facilitate their return to Singapore and issue the necessary documents for them to do so, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam in a written reply to a parliamentary question on Nov 4.
He added that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the nine Singaporeans had been held captive and exploited by overseas scam syndicates.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also the Minister for Home Affairs, was responding to Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC), who had asked about the number of cases involving Singaporean victims baited by scam syndicates to work overseas. Mr Fadli asked whether the Government had offered assistance to any Singaporean who asked for help to escape these syndicates.
In April, Mr Shanmugam had responded to a similar parliamentary question raised by Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), who asked if the Government was working with other Asean countries to combat scam centres, and if there were any Singaporeans exploited in labour trafficking scams.
Mr Shanmugam said then that the Government had offered consular assistance to five Singaporeans upon receiving information that they might have been exploited at overseas scam centres.
However, none accepted the offers of assistance.
The subject of scam centres came under the spotlight on Oct 29 when the police issued arrest warrants against 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians allegedly
