SINGAPORE: A 27-year-old man is facing charges in court for his suspected involvement in money mule activities linked to an S$80,000 scam.
On 10 July, Wong Chun Hou was handed one charge each for possessing and attempting to possess property representing the benefits of criminal conduct.
If convicted, the offences carry a fine of up to S$150,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.
The alleged offences took place on 8 July. According to court documents, Wong is accused of possessing S$5,000 and attempting to collect a further S$75,000.
The funds are believed to be proceeds from criminal activities.
The police said they received a report on 24 June from a female victim, who claimed she had been deceived into handing over S$90,000 in cash across two separate occasions.
She was allegedly duped by unknown individuals in an online cryptocurrency investment scam.
The money was meant to top up her online investment account, which was later discovered to be fake.
Officers from Ang Mo Kio Police Division arrested Wong while he was allegedly trying to collect additional funds from the victim.
He was also said to have collected S$5,000 from another victim in a similar scam.
Wong’s case has been adjourned pending further investigations and will be heard again on 7 August.
The police emphasised that they take a zero-tolerance stance towards money mule activities.
They advised members of the public to reject seemingly attractive money-making opportunities that promise fast and easy payouts, warning that such offers could lead to involvement in criminal conduct.
The police also cautioned that individuals should never allow their Singpass credentials or bank accounts to be used to receive or transfer money on behalf of others.
Scam-related losses in Singapore hit a record high in 2024, with victims losing a total of S$1.1 billion.
Nearly 25 per cent of these losses involved cryptocurrency, a sharp increase from 6.8 per cent in 2023.
A total of 51,501 scam cases were reported in 2024, up from 46,563 the year before.
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