Two Elderly Singaporeans Scammed of S$5.9m by Fake Overseas Police Officers"

Two elderly Singaporeans were swindled out of a total of S$5.9 million (RM19.25 million) by scammers posing as overseas law enforcement officers last December. The victims were initially contacted by scammers impersonating local telecom officials, who claimed their phone numbers were linked to criminal activities abroad. The victims were then transferred to scammers pretending to be police officers.

One victim lost S$1 million, while the other lost S$4.9 million. The scammers went as far as sending fake police IDs and forged documents to their homes. Victims were tricked into withdrawing money and handing it over to a "cash mule" for safekeeping.

Both victims only realized they had been duped when the scammers became unreachable or after contacting the police. Singapore authorities have warned that foreign law enforcement cannot direct locals to assist in investigations, and officers would never ask individuals to withdraw cash.

Scam-related losses in Singapore reached a record S$385.6 million in the first half of 2024, with over 26,500 cases reported.