SINGAPORE - A Singaporean woman, Ivy Boey Poh Lian, was convicted on March 18 for her involvement in laundering $98,000 she received from two elderly victims of Internet love scams.

The 64-year-old began an online relationship in November 2017 with a man she never met. The man requested Boey to help him receive funds for alleged business purposes. She agreed to help the man and provided her bank account details to him.

Boey received $50,000 and $48,000 from two victims of Internet love scams in her bank account in March 2018 and took the cash to Malaysia, where she delivered it to strangers her online partner arranged for her to meet.

The police said Boey delivered the money despite having reasonable grounds to believe that the funds had been received illegally.

Those charged for the offence of acquiring or transferring criminal benefits under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act may be jailed up to 10 years or be fined up to $500,000 or both.

The police advised the public not to allow others to use their bank accounts for any purposes.

Internet love scams are a serious crime concern in Singapore.

Last year, victims lost at least $34.6 million in 649 cases of such scams.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688.

Those with information on such scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at 111.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

Correction note: An earlier version of the article, based on the police news release, reported that the woman was convicted on March 20. The State Courts have since clarified that she was convicted on March 18.