Singaporean woman sentenced to more than 31 years’ jail in Taiwan for helping scam syndicate
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CCTV footage of the Singaporean woman withdrawing cash from an ATM in Yunlin.
PHOTO: YUNLIN DISTRICT PROSECUTORS OFFICE
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A Singaporean woman who was previously arrested in Taiwan has been sentenced by two counties there to a total of more than 31 years in prison for her involvement in nearly 30 incidents of fraud and money laundering.
The woman was identified as Kek Hui Ting in court papers in Yunlin and Changhua counties, published on Oct 17 and 21, respectively. Her age was not given in the court papers, but the district prosecutor’s office had said in April that she was 27 then.
She was found guilty of 25 counts of fraud in Yunlin county, and three counts of fraud in Changhua county.
She was sentenced to a jail term of 30 years and two months by the Yunlin court, and to one year and six months’ jail and a NT$30,000 (S$1,270) fine by the Changhua court.
Both county courts found that the syndicate involved in the incidents had an intent to defraud and to launder money.
Kek entered Taiwan on Feb 21 on a tourist visa and, through a Telegram group she joined before she arrived, worked with a local scam syndicate, with a promised payment of $300 a day.
She was given debit cards to withdraw cash from ATMs in both counties, as directed by a syndicate leader, according to the court papers.
From March 1 to 4, she was ferried to dozens of convenience store ATMs and made more than 50 withdrawals amounting to around NT$1.7 million for the syndicate.
The syndicate would have already persuaded its victims to transfer money to various accounts through malicious advertisements on multiple social media platforms.
Taiwanese police arrested Kek on March 8 at the airport when she tried to leave Taiwan.
The Yunlin prosecutor’s office released camera footage at an ATM capturing her withdrawing cash there with her face partially concealed by a mask and her sweatshirt’s grey hood.
Kek told the Changhua court she had not been paid by the syndicate, which had promised to reward her only after she left Taiwan.
The courts ordered that she be deported after serving her sentence.
