SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): People were cheated of more than S$200,000 by a new type of loan scam in the first four months of this year, with at least 20 police reports made.
The New Paper
$3.9m lost to scammers posing as High Court, Interpol officials
Through Line or WhatsApp, the victims were shown a fake Interpol International police pass. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
Apr 22, 2021 06:00 am
0 Engagements
More than $3.9 million was lost to a new impersonation scam that targeted English-speaking victims here between January and April.
Posing as Singapore High Court or Interpol officials, the scammers tricked victims into believing they were under probe for money laundering offences and had to hand over money or their bank account details as part of the investigations.
The police said yesterday that they had received more than 40 reports of such scams.
Thursday, 22 Apr 2021 09:23 AM MYT
A screengrab of a fake Interpol identity card and WhatsApp message used by scammers. Picture by Singapore Police Force via TODAY
Subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on news you need to know.
SINGAPORE, April 22 More than S$3.9 million (RM12 million) has been lost this year by victims of a new scam where swindlers pose as officials from the Singapore High Court or Interpol asking for payments to settle concocted offences, the police said yesterday.
The scammers told the victims that they were being investigated for money laundering activities and referred the victims to an Interpol officer called “Eric Wong Teng Hui”, the police said.
Police Advisory On Government Officials Impersonation Scams Targeting English-Speaking Victims police.gov.sg - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from police.gov.sg Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Victims lost more than S$3.9 million
In this new variant, scammers posed as Singapore High Court or Interpol Singapore personnel to cheat victims into making monetary transfers for the purported settlement of alleged money laundering offences, which were never committed by them.
The police said in a press release that they received more than 40 reports between January and April 2021 from victims who had lost more than S$3.9 million to the scammers.
The victims had received unsolicited phone calls purportedly from callers who claimed to be from Singapore High Court or Interpol Singapore.
They were informed that they are being investigated for money-laundering activities.