SINGAPORE - A two-week operation by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and the police rounded up 236 men and 100 women allegedly involved in various scams.

In a press release on Saturday (Sept 25), the police said the operation was conducted between Sept 10 and 24.

The suspects were allegedly involved in more than 1,439 Internet love scams, e-commerce scams, government official impersonation scams and job scams.

They were aged between 12 and 74 years old and some were suspected money mules.

Their victims lost more than $13 million.

The police said the suspects are being investigated for cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence.

The offence of cheating carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

Money laundering under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

The offence of carrying on a business of providing any type of payment service in Singapore without a licence carries a fine of up to $125,000, jail for up to three years, or both.

Police figures showed that between January and June this year, victims had lost $168 million in total in the top 10 scam categories.

This is more than double the $63.5 million lost to scams during the same period last year.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit this website or call the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.

Anyone with information on such scams may also call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at this website.