SINGAPORE - The police have arrested two Taiwanese men who are believed to have duped victims into handing over money by pretending to be law enforcement officers.

The duo, aged 22 and 27, were arrested in Geylang Lorong 16 on Friday (Jan 26).

In a statement, the police said a 32-year-old woman lodged a report on Thursday that she had been cheated of her money.

She had received a phone call from a man claiming to be from Interpol earlier that day. He accused her of money laundering and told her to empty her bank account and hand over the money to a man near Buffalo Road.

She did as she was told and passed him $32,000.

When the scammer called to demand more money, the victim felt suspicious and decided to seek advice from the police.

In its statement, the police said the two suspects are believed to be involved in several other similar cases.

They will be charged with dishonestly receiving stolen property and, if found guilty, face up to five years' jail, a fine, or both.

The police advice members of the public to take these precautions:

- Ignore such calls and instructions. No government agency will demand payment through an undocumented medium like a telephone call or social messaging platforms, or ask you for personal banking information.

- For foreigner residents receiving calls from persons claiming to be police officers or government officials from your home country, please call your Embassy/High Commission to verify the claims of the caller.

- Refrain from giving out personal information and bank details, whether on a website or to callers over the phone. Do not make any fund transfers at the behest of such callers.

- Call a trusted friend or talk to a relative before you act. Do not be pressured by the caller to act impulsively.