Govt has offered help to 9 S’poreans who might have been baited by scam syndicates: Shanmugam
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Victims were duped into believing that their bank accounts were implicated in an ongoing criminal investigation.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
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- Since 2022, Singapore has offered consular help to nine citizens suspected of overseas scam manipulation; only three accepted assistance to return.
- Insufficient evidence exists to confirm the nine Singaporeans were held captive or exploited by scam syndicates, according to Mr K Shanmugam.
- Arrest warrants were issued for 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians involved in a Cambodian scam ring linked to $41 million in losses.
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SINGAPORE – Since 2022, the Government has extended consular assistance to nine Singaporeans who were thought to have been manipulated by scam syndicates to work overseas.
Of the nine, only three accepted the Government’s offer, including to facilitate their return to Singapore and issue the necessary documents for them to do so, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam in a written reply to a parliamentary question on Nov 4.
He added that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the nine Singaporeans had been held captive and exploited by overseas scam syndicates.
Mr Shanmugam, who is also the Minister for Home Affairs, was responding to Mr Fadli Fawzi (Aljunied GRC), who had asked about the number of cases involving Singaporean victims baited by scam syndicates to work overseas. Mr Fadli asked whether the Government had offered assistance to any Singaporean who asked for help to escape these syndicates.
In April, Mr Shanmugam had responded to a similar parliamentary question raised by Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), who asked if the Government was working with other Asean countries to combat scam centres, and if there were any Singaporeans exploited in labour trafficking scams.
Mr Shanmugam said then that the Government had offered consular assistance to five Singaporeans upon receiving information that they might have been exploited at overseas scam centres.
However, none accepted the offers of assistance.
The subject of scam centres came under the spotlight on Oct 29 when the police issued arrest warrants against 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians allegedly involved in a scam ring operating in Cambodia
They are suspected to be involved in 438 scam cases involving losses of at least $41 million.
The Straits Times reported that the group is believed to be led by two brothers
Ng Wei Liang’s cousin, Lester Ng Jing Hai, 29, is reportedly also a high-ranking member in the syndicate’s operations.
Ng Wei Kang, Neo and Ng Jing Hai were charged in September under the Organised Crime Act and denied bail on Oct 2
The group was said to be involved in government official impersonation scams, in which scammers would call the victims posing as bank employees, and direct them to another scammer posing as either a police officer or a representative from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Victims were duped into believing that their bank accounts were implicated in an ongoing criminal investigation.
They were then ordered to surrender the funds in their bank accounts for “investigation purposes” by transferring the money into accounts controlled by the syndicate.
