A transnational anti-scam operation conducted between 28 April and 28 May 2025 resulted in the arrest of 1,858 individuals across seven Asian jurisdictions, according to the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
The joint effort involved law enforcement agencies from Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Thailand, and Macau.
An additional 33,900 individuals are currently under investigation for their suspected roles in scam activities.
Authorities revealed that victims lost over S$289 million (US$225 million) across more than 9,200 reported scam cases during the period of the operation.
Singapore sees 106 arrests and over 1,300 scam cases
Within Singapore, 106 suspects were arrested and 545 more are under investigation.
These individuals were allegedly involved in over 1,300 local scam cases, which led to losses of approximately S$39.3 million.
In addition, 714 bank accounts linked to the scams were frozen, with more than S$7.69 million seized.
SPF noted that ongoing investigations include offences such as abetment to cheating and the unlawful disclosure of passwords or access codes related to the national digital identity system.
Wide variety of scams targeted
The scam types identified in the operation include government official impersonation scams, investment fraud, rental scams, and internet romance scams.
More than 32,600 suspicious bank accounts across the jurisdictions were identified and frozen. Authorities managed to seize over S$26.2 million from these accounts.
Two separate Chinese services impersonation scams were highlighted by SPF, where victims were instructed to transfer S$25,000 and S$45,000 respectively into local accounts provided by scammers.
The Anti-Scam Centre discovered that a portion of these funds had been transferred to bank accounts in Malaysia on the same day.
With assistance from Malaysia’s National Scam Response Centre, more than S$19,000 was successfully recovered.
Transnational operations critical in digital age, says SPF
David Chew, Director of SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department, emphasised the need for international cooperation to tackle such crimes.
“In today’s digital age, scam syndicates operate without geographical constraints, employing increasingly sophisticated methods across multiple jurisdictions to defraud victims and launder their illicit proceeds,” he stated.
“No single jurisdiction has an adequate answer to this scourge, but we are collectively stronger together.”
Frontier+, a cross-border anti-scam platform that fosters cooperation between ten jurisdictions, including Australia, Canada, and Indonesia.
Hong Kong reports 337 arrests, S$80 million in losses
At a press conference held in Hong Kong on 3 June, Wong Chun-yue, Chief Superintendent of the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force, shared results of their local enforcement efforts.
Hong Kong police arrested 337 individuals linked to 301 scam cases, which included online shopping, phone scams, investment fraud, and employment scams.
Total losses amounted to HK$475 million (approximately US$60.6 million).
Authorities in Hong Kong also froze 68 bank accounts, intercepting over HK$49.5 million.
Emerging scam trends observed across jurisdictions
Wong highlighted that scammers across jurisdictions often use similar narratives and tactics.
For example, fake customer service scams that were prevalent in Hong Kong in 2024 have now emerged in Singapore and Macau.
From January to March 2025, Singapore recorded over 600 such scams, where fraudsters impersonated representatives from platforms like WeChat, Alipay, or UnionPay, threatening unauthorised charges and coaxing victims into revealing sensitive banking information.
Wong stressed the importance of intelligence sharing and regional cooperation to disrupt scam syndicates and their networks.
South Korea faces surge in impersonation and corporate scams
South Korean police arrested 116 individuals during the operation and recovered US$657,000 in losses.
Scam trends in South Korea have shown a significant rise in impersonation frauds involving fake soldiers, prison officers, and celebrities—cases of this nature have increased nearly 4.7 times over the past five years.
Authorities also reported a growing number of “no-show scams” targeting small and medium-sized businesses, in which scammers order large quantities of goods and demand advance payments or deposits under false pretences.
In 2024 alone, more than 1,700 fake credit card call scams were reported, with losses reaching US$178 million.
Thailand intensifies fight against online scam infrastructure
Thai police reported that most scams in the country occur online.
In response, they have enhanced efforts to dismantle fake websites, puppet SIM cards, and mule accounts used to facilitate fraudulent activities.
Thailand has also collaborated with international organisations to address cross-border cybercrime.
As part of the wider Operation Frontier+ efforts, 582 suspects were arrested in Thailand, with US$3.17 million recovered.
Continued cooperation a key strategy moving forward
Law enforcement agencies from the participating jurisdictions continue to coordinate efforts and share intelligence to stem the tide of transnational scams.
According to Wong, the collaboration among the seven jurisdictions demonstrates a clear commitment to jointly addressing both local and cross-border scam operations.
He also indicated plans to enhance cooperation with Thailand and Myanmar to track down ringleaders of Southeast Asian scam syndicates, such as those operating out of so-called “KK Parks.”
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