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SINGAPORE: A man “invested” S$40,000 (US$30,900) to fund the operations of a syndicate that sold chat accounts to customers including criminals and received over S$92,600 from the illicit activities.<\/p>\n
When the police moved in and raided the syndicate’s headquarters in an empty office space above a car repair workshop, they seized 24,000 SIM cards that were linked to almost 2,400 police reports by scam victims.<\/p>\n
The victims had reportedly lost a total of S$51 million to a variety of scams such as job scams, investment scams and government official impersonation scams.<\/p>\n
Ronnie Low, a 50-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to four years’ jail and fined S$52,000 on Tuesday (Jul 14). If he cannot pay the fine, he will have to serve another five months’ jail.<\/p>\n
Low pleaded guilty to three charges which include being a member of an organised criminal group and engaging in a criminal conspiracy to acquire benefits of criminal conduct.<\/p>\n
Another two charges were taken into consideration.<\/p>\n
In mid-2022, co-accused Alvin Kok Jun Keat chanced upon an SMS modem when looking for ways to earn fast cash.<\/p>\n
This device receives SMS messages sent to pre-registered SIM cards inserted into the modem. The messages can then be accessed through a connected computer.<\/p>\n
The 31-year-old Singaporean devised a business plan around this modem and the setting up of anonymous accounts in chat applications WhatsApp and WeChat.<\/p>\n
Kok would then sell the chat accounts to customers who could conceal their identities when using the accounts anonymously for criminal purposes including scams.<\/p>\n
The customers that the syndicate later drew were mostly based overseas from countries like Malaysia, Myanmar and Cambodia.<\/p>\n
Kok imported an SMS modem from China and looked for pre-registered SIM cards on Telegram for the business.<\/p>\n
He hired an unidentified person to advertise the services on Telegram, charging US$30 for 30 days’ use of a WhatsApp account, or US$10 for a WeChat account. All payments were to be made to a cryptocurrency wallet.<\/p>\n
Several other men were roped into the syndicate and its “business”, which shifted to using software to allow customers to receive concurrent links to access one-time passwords needed to activate the chat accounts.<\/p>\n
Kok moved the operations to a rented condominium in Gerald Drive before shifting again to an empty office space in Toh Guan Road.<\/p>\n
Low was roped into the criminal enterprise by his friend, 47-year-old Tan Shay Howe, who had come to learn of the illegal business in December 2022.<\/p>\n
Tan introduced Low to Kok in October 2023, as Kok was looking for investors.<\/p>\n
Kok told Low that the business was profitable, guaranteeing that he would receive S$15,000 to S$20,000 per month.<\/p>\n
He asked for S$100,000, but Low invested only S$40,000. At the same time, Tan invested S$25,000 for a cut in the profits.<\/p>\n
On May 29, 2024, the Anti-Scam Command raided the syndicate’s office and seized 24,000 SIM cards, 27 SMS modems and other electronic items.<\/p>\n
Investigations revealed that the syndicate generated S$887,477 in profits between November 2023 and May 2024.<\/p>\n
Between January 2024 and May 2024, the seized SIM cards were linked to a total of 2,393 police reports made by 2,393 victims in a variety of scams.<\/p>\n
Of the total losses of S$51 million, the largest figure was from investment scams, which led to S$24 million in losses, followed closely by job scams.<\/p>\n
The court heard that Low had been told by other members that the business was illegal, and that their customers were likely using the accounts for scams.<\/p>\n
He knew how the syndicate ran and that it facilitated scams through the provision of one-time passwords to its customers.<\/p>\n
He also knew that the business was paid for in cryptocurrency, which cannot be traced to people or sources.<\/p>\n
Low made about S$92,651 from the group’s illegal activities, spending at least S$6,000 on personal expenses such as food and drinks.<\/p>\n
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li sought a jail term of at least 52 months and two weeks, and a fine of S$52,000.<\/p>\n
He said at least S$1.1 billion had been lost by scam victims in 2024, and that criminal syndicates are increasingly using local SIM cards to perpetrate scams.<\/p>\n
Low was a financier of an elaborate and highly successful illegal business profiting from the sale of chat accounts using SIM cards registered in the names of other people, said Mr Li.<\/p>\n
He said Low knowingly and willingly participated as a member of the syndicate for around seven months and received “the lion’s share” of the profits despite not doing much.<\/p>\n
This shows the role Low occupied and the level he was at within the group – at the top of the hierarchy, said Mr Li.<\/p>\n
Defence lawyers Adrian Wee and Lynette Chang of Lighthouse Law sought 39 months’ jail and a fine of S$52,000.<\/p>\n
Mr Wee said the approach had to be principled and that the prosecution could not say one offender was a key player because of what he did, then say that another offender was a key player because he did not do much but received profits.<\/p>\n
“If not, everyone is a key player,” said Mr Wee. “If everyone is special, no one is.”<\/p>\n
He said his client’s role never extended beyond that of a “passive financier” while Tan went from financier to owner, operator and landlord of the business.<\/p>\n
During most of the time, Low was in Dubai and had no involvement in business operations, said Mr Wee.<\/p>\n
The judge said that while Low was not involved in the operations of the syndicate, he noted that Low had financed the illegal enterprise.<\/p>\n
It was through this that the group managed to scale up its operations, he said.<\/p>\n
Tan had been jailed for three-and-a-half years and two weeks and fined S$11,000 in August 2025.<\/p>\n
After the prosecution appealed, his jail term was increased to four years, four months and two weeks in April this year.<\/p>\n
For being part of a locally linked organised criminal group, Low could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.<\/p>\n
For engaging in a criminal conspiracy to acquire benefits of criminal conduct, Low could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to S$500,000.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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