A 73-year-old Malaysian woman has been arrested in Singapore for her suspected involvement in a series of impersonation scams in which fraudsters posed as officials from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
In a statement issued on Sunday, November 30, the police said the woman is believed to have acted as a money mule in at least three reported cases.
She was arrested on November 24 after an employee at precious metals dealer BullionStar, located along New Bridge Road, alerted authorities to her suspicious behaviour outside the store. Officers from the Central Police Division responded swiftly and detained her at the scene.
During the arrest, police recovered S$200 in cash and gold bars valued at around S$200,000.
According to reports lodged between October 8 and November 24, victims had been contacted by scammers claiming to be MAS officials. They were falsely told that their bank accounts were linked to money laundering operations or that their personal information had been compromised.
To “assist” in investigations, victims were instructed to hand over cash and valuables, meeting unidentified individuals at different locations across the island.
Many only realised they had been duped when they failed to receive the refunds promised by the scammers, or when the callers could no longer be reached.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the arrested woman had been helping the syndicate by collecting cash and gold bars from victims across Singapore. Police investigations into her alleged involvement are ongoing.
The authorities urged the public to remain vigilant and avoid transferring or handing over money or valuables to unknown individuals, especially those whose identities cannot be verified. Items should also not be left unattended for strangers to collect.
The police added that government agencies will never ask members of the public to transfer money, reveal banking details or download applications from unofficial app stores during phone calls.
