1 Malaysian to be charged over suspected involvement in govt official impersonation scam

The victim handed over jewellery worth more than $28,000 to the scammer. 1 Malaysian to be charged over suspected involvement in govt official impersonation scamSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxThe man is expected to be charged with the offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct.ST PHOTO: JASON QUAHWong Man ShunPublished Mar 05, 2026, 09:41 PMUpdated Mar 05, 2026, 09:45 PMSINGAPORE – A Malaysian man is expected to be charged on March 6 over his suspected involvement in a government official impersonation scam.The man, 44, is among more than 50 Malaysians who have been arrested and charged for facilitating scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables since May 2025, said the police in a statement on March 5.They added that nine arrests were made in 2026.The police said they received a report on March 4 from a victim who was contacted by someone claiming to be from Harvey Norman regarding the purchase of an electrical appliance costing more than $10,000.When the victim denied making any purchase, the caller advised him to check his bank account for any unauthorised transactions and provided the victim with a contact number for the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).The victim was then contacted by another person claiming to be an MAS officer and informed him that he was involved in a criminal case.The scammer instructed the victim to hand over his jewellery to an “undercover agent” for the investigation.The victim handed over jewellery worth more than $28,000 to the Malaysian man in Telok Blangah Rise.The police identified the scammer through follow-up investigations and arrested him in Bishan.Preliminary investigations showed that the man had been tasked by unknown persons, who are believed to be part of a transnational scam syndicate, to collect valuables or cash from victims and hand it over to other unknown persons.The man is expected to be charged with the offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct.If convicted, the man may be sentenced to a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.In their statement, the police said they have observed more Malaysian nationals travelling here to assist scam syndicates in collecting cash and valuables from victims.Scammers and members or recruiters of scam syndicates face mandatory caning of six to 24 strokes if convicted. Those who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds may face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.Those involved in mule-related offences may also face restrictions on banking services and mobile line subscriptions to prevent further facilitation of scams.The police advised members of the public not to transfer cash or valuables to unknown persons, not to leave money or valuables at a location to facilitate further collection and to never share the screens of their devices or share login credentials to unknown persons.The police added that Singapore Government officials will never ask people to transfer money over the phone, request banking login details, instruct people to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores or transfer people’s calls to the police.Those who have information about such crimes or have doubts may call the police hotline on 1800-255-000. They may also submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witnessThey may visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799 for more information on scams.The police added that all information will be kept strictly confidential.More on this topic24 people to be charged with scam-related money mule activities involving over $3.1m in losses4 Malaysians to be charged over suspected involvement in government impersonation scam Wong Man Shun is a journalist on the ST Now team. He is interested in culture and community news.See more onCrimeScamsPolice