SINGAPORE – Five Malaysian men aged between 19 and 36 are expected to be charged today for their alleged involvement in call scam operations that defrauded Singaporeans of more than SG$1.4 million (RM4.94 million).
The men were arrested by Malaysian police after a raid on two apartments in Johor on January 16 and subsequently extradited to Singapore a week later.
If found guilty of engaging in a conspiracy to cheat, the men could face up to 10 years in jail and a hefty fine.
Investigations found that the syndicate has been active since June last year and may be part of the 500 scam reports filed.
The syndicate gets callers to contact victims via text messages or phone calls, pretending to be their friend and asking for financial help.
The bust was a joint operation between the Johor Commercial Crime Investigation Department and Singapore’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD).
CAD director David Chew said they have been working closely with their Malaysian counterparts to cripple transnational scam syndicates. – January 24, 2024