Five people aged between 18 and 32 were charged in court on Friday, January 16, for their alleged involvement in a series of money mule and scam-related offences.
The accused include three men, one woman and a male teenager, and face a range of charges linked to cheating, the misuse of Singpass credentials, unauthorised access to computer systems and assisting criminal syndicates.
In one case, a 32-year-old man allegedly handed over his Singpass and internet banking details to an unknown individual in 2022 in an attempt to obtain an online loan from unverified sources. His credentials were later used to create three additional bank accounts, which, together with his original account, were used by criminal syndicates to facilitate scam activities. He will face charges for unauthorised disclosure of access codes and abetting unauthorised access to computer material.
A second case involves a 21-year-old man who allegedly surrendered access to three bank accounts and his Singpass details in May 2024 after being promised payments that he never received. His credentials were used to set up five more bank accounts, all of which were subsequently exploited for scam operations.
He will be charged with multiple offences, including disclosure of Singpass access codes, conspiracy to commit cheating and assisting others in retaining the proceeds of criminal conduct.
An 18-year-old male teenager is accused of opening two bank accounts in April 2025 with the intention of handing over the internet banking details to a criminal syndicate.
Although he was promised S$2,000, he allegedly received only half the amount after relinquishing control of the accounts. He will be charged with abetting by conspiracy to commit cheating and facilitating unauthorised access to computer systems.
Separately, a 25-year-old man allegedly cheated three victims of a total of S$85,300 between April 2022 and April 2023 by convincing them to invest in purported schemes. One of the victims was a former acquaintance, while the other two were met through online dating platforms. He will face three counts of cheating.
In the fifth case, a 20-year-old woman allegedly opened three bank accounts in 2022 and 2023 and surrendered their internet banking credentials to criminal syndicates. She was promised payment for each account but received less than the agreed amount. She will be charged with multiple counts of abetting by conspiracy to commit cheating and facilitating unauthorised access to computer material.
The police said the offences carry penalties ranging from fines and jail terms to lengthy imprisonment for more serious charges such as cheating. They stressed that they take a serious view of money mule and scam-related activities and will not hesitate to take action against those who assist criminal syndicates.
Members of the public are reminded to reject offers promising easy money in exchange for the use of Singpass credentials or bank accounts, as doing so could make them accomplices to serious crimes.
