News
Singapore: Two Malaysian Men Arrested in Government Official Impersonation Scam
Singapore police apprehended two Malaysian men on March 21 for allegedly posing as government officials in a scam. This brings the total of Malaysians arrested this month for similar scams to eight.
Singapore authorities report that the arrests stem from a March 20 incident where a 62-year-old woman was targeted. The victim received phone calls from individuals impersonating representatives from the telecommunications company M1 and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The scammers claimed she had an unpaid bill of S$350 and alleged fraudulent Apple purchases linked to her accounts. The scammer, posing as an MAS officer via WhatsApp, instructed her to declare her valuables and deliver 8.6kg of gold to the MAS Building. After handing over the gold to an unknown man using a code word, the victim grew suspicious and alerted the authorities.
Key Facts
- Singapore police arrested two Malaysian men on March 21.
- The suspects are allegedly involved in scams impersonating government officials.
- The arrests occurred after a 62-year-old woman reported a scam on March 20.
- The victim was told she had an overdue bill and fraudulent Apple purchases.
- A scammer posing as an MAS officer instructed her to declare valuables and deliver 8.6kg of gold to the MAS Building on Shenton Way.
- The victim handed the gold to an unknown man before becoming suspicious and contacting the police.
- The Police Operations Command Centre, Central and Woodlands police divisions, the Anti‑Scam Command and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority made the arrests.
- Eight Malaysians have now been detained this month in connection to similar scams.
Primary Source
Research Sources
- Malay Mail — Singapore arrests two more Malaysians over government official impersonation scams