26-year-old man nabbed over China officials impersonation scams involving more than $200k

Between Feb 27 and March 5, the police received separate reports of such scams from five victims, the authorities said in a statement. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER

SINGAPORE - The police arrested a 26-year-old man from China on Thursday (March 5) for his suspected involvement in a series of scams involving the impersonation of China officials.

Between Feb 27 and March 5, the police received separate reports of such scams from five victims, the authorities said in a statement on Friday night.

A total of $262,080 was lost.

The victims received phone calls from scammers claiming to be Chinese authorities and were told that they were being investigated for transnational crimes. They were then instructed by the scammers to surrender money to a male "agent" for further investigations at various locations around Singapore.

Through investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and Ang Mo Kio Police Division established the identity of the 26-year-old man and arrested him on Thursday for dishonestly receiving stolen property.

If convicted, he faces a prison term of up to five years, or a fine, or both.

Police investigations are currently ongoing.

Members of the public are advised to ignore such calls and instructions, as no government agency will demand payment or personal banking information through an undocumented medium such as a phone call or via any social media platform.

If unsure, especially for foreign residents, the public should call their respective embassy/high commission to verify the claims.

Should scam-related advice be required, the public can dial the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg

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