SINGAPORE - Two Taiwanese men were charged in court on Thursday (Aug 10) with their alleged involvement in a ruse in which scammers impersonated police officers to cheat their victims.
They are Wang Wei-ciang, 23 and Wang Wei-ming, 25. The Straits Times understands that the pair are not siblings.
Both men are accused of one count each of dishonestly receiving stolen property.
Wang Wei-ming allegedly received $45,100 in cash from Wang Wei-ciang between last Friday and Tuesday (Aug 4 and 8).
Wang Wei-ciang allegedly received $33,800 in cash from one Shen Xinyan at Bukit Batok Central at around 11am on Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, police said officers 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 details 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 Wang Wei-ciang and Wang Wei-ming as suspects. The two 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.
The two are being remanded at Central Police Division and will be back in court on Aug 17.
If convicted of dishonestly receiving stolen property, Wang Wei-ciang and Wang Wei-ming can each be jailed for up to five years and fined.
Last month, four Taiwanese men allegedly involved in police impersonation scams were charged in court. The victims lost more than $800,000 in the scams.
The Straits Times understands that the two cases are not related.
On Tuesday, two more Taiwanese men pleaded guilty to the roles they played in a similar scam.
The police have 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 go to www.scamalert.sg.
