Man arrested for money laundering and scam offences after allegedly collecting cash from victims

SINGAPORE – A 24-year-old man was arrested for money laundering and scam-related offences after he allegedly collected cash from scam victims.

The police said in a statement on Oct 30 that they received a report on Oct 11 about an investment scam involving a fraudulent online trading platform.

A victim had allegedly handed over cash totalling $75,000 to unknown people in three separate transactions after scammers introduced her to a fake investment opportunity via WhatsApp.

The victim was allegedly guided to create a trading account on a fraudulent website and make physical cash transactions.

Through ground enquiries and images from police cameras, officers from the Bedok Police Division were able to identify the man and arrest him on Oct 30.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the man was recruited through messaging platform Telegram to collect cash on three separate occasions. The cash was to be handed over to unknown individuals.

He was offered cash rewards between $30 and $50 each time he collected the cash. He is also believed to have provided his banking credentials to an unknown person.

The man is expected to be charged on Oct 31 with cheating, unauthorised access to computer material, acquiring benefits from criminal conduct and assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct.

In their statement, the police reminded members of the public that they should not transfer or hand money or other valuables to anyone whose identity they have not verified.

For more information on scams, the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799.

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

www.police.gov.sg/i-witness

The police added that all information will be kept strictly confidential.