SINGAPORE - Two Taiwanese men aged 23 and 25 have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a scam in which they impersonated police officers to cheat their victims.

Police said in a statement on Wednesday (Aug 9) that they received a report on Aug 4 from a 31-year-old victim who had received a call from an unknown person claiming to be a police officer.

She was told she was being investigated for money laundering offences, before the call was transferred to an unknown person who identified himself as a police officer from a foreign country.

The victim was instructed to key in her Internet banking credentials on a website link.

She then discovered that her bank account had been accessed illegally and about $45,100 transferred to an unknown bank account.

Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department followed up on the report and identified the two suspects, who were arrested on Tuesday.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the duo are believed to be involved in at least six other similar cases in which victims lost a total of about $100,000.

If convicted, they could be jailed up to five years and/or fined.

Last month, four Taiwanese men allegedly involved in police impersonation scams were charged in court. The scams resulted in a loss of more than $800,000 for the victims.

The Straits Times understands that the two cases are not related.

In an advisory that accompanied their statement on Wednesday, police advised members of the public to take the necessary precautions when receiving unsolicited calls from unknown parties, such as refraining from giving out personal information.

Those in doubt can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or dial 999 for urgent assistance.

For scam-related advice, the public can call the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg.