SINGAPORE – The police are investigating 115 people for their suspected involvement in scams after a five-day operation last week.

The suspects are believed to be involved in 214 cases of scams, mostly in the area of e-commerce. The total amount cheated was more than $253,000, police said on Saturday (Aug 24).

The 64 men and 51 women, aged between 14 and 52, are being investigated for cheating or money laundering.

The operation was carried out from Aug 19 to 23 by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven police land divisions.

Anyone found guilty of cheating may be fined and jailed for up to 10 years.

Anyone found guilty of money laundering faces a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

The police advised members of the public to avoid being an accomplice to crimes by rejecting requests by others to use their bank accounts or mobile lines, as they will be held accountable if these accounts are linked to illegal transactions.

The police also said that people can avoid falling for online purchase scams by being wary of online advertisements of items at cheap prices that sound too good to be true and reading reviews of these items before buying them.

Members of the public should also be wary of scammers even if they use a local bank account or provide a copy of their identification such as their NRIC or driver’s licence.

The police said buyers should avoid making payments or deposits in advance, and arrange for the money to be released to the seller only after they receive the item.

For scam-related advice, call the anti-scam helpline on 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg

Those who wish to provide information on scams may call the police on 1800-255-0000, or send the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness

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