SINGAPORE - More than 400 people are assisting police in their investigations into scams that resulted in victims losing more than $10.9 million.

A total of 275 men and 134 women, aged between 16 and 80, are believed to be involved in more than 1,053 cases, either as scammers or money mules, said the police in a statement on Sunday.

These comprise mainly investment scams, e-commerce scams, phishing scams, job scams, Internet love scams and the impersonation of government officials.

A two-week operation was conducted by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven police land divisions between March 10 and March 23.

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

The police said they “take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law”.

“To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes,” they added.

For cheating, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

The offence of money laundering carries a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

For providing a payment service in Singapore without a licence, an offender can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $125,000, or both.

Earlier this month, the police said that a total of 357 suspects, aged between 16 and 75, were under investigation for alleged involvement in scams and money mule operations that caused losses of more than $4 million.

At that time, the police said that the suspects were believed to be involved in more than 1,160 cases of scams. These comprise mainly fake-friend call, investment, e-commerce, job, and government official impersonation scams.