PUBLISHED ONMay 04, 2026 12:50 AMBYSean LerA 29-year-old Malaysian man will be charged in court on Monday (May 4) over his alleged role in a scam involving impersonation of government officials.
Following his arrest on Saturday, the number of Malaysians caught in Singapore for allegedly helping scam syndicates to collect cash and valuables since March this year now stands at 22.
The police said they received a report on April 30 from a female victim who had received a call from an unknown person claiming to be from Singtel.
This woman was told her information may have been used to purchase an iPhone with a contract and that she would be liable for charges.
She was then directed to contact an "investigation officer" who accused her of money laundering involving a syndicate in Cambodia, according to a news release on Sunday.
Believing that she could prove her innocence if she followed their instructions, the female victim purchased a Rolex watch at Far East Plaza, worth over $108,000, and handed it over to the 29-year-old to prove her innocence.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the man had been tasked by unknown individuals, believed to be members of a transnational crime syndicate, to collect the Rolex watch from the victim before bringing it back to Malaysia.
The police said they arrested the Malaysian man on Saturday, after officers from the Anti-Scam Command the the Police Operations Command Centre conducted extensive ground enquiries and follow-up investigations.
If found guilty of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, the 29-year-old Malaysian man could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $100,000, or both.
On April 28, two Malaysians, aged 27 and 34, were charged in court for the same offence.
The police said they have continued to observe an increasing trend of Malaysians travelling to Singapore to assist scam syndicates in collecting cash, gold and valuables from victims.
They reminded would-be perpetrators that anyone involved in scams will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Members of the public are also reminded that government officials will never ask anyone to transfer money over the phone, request bank details, transfer a call to the police, or instruct anyone to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores.
If in doubt, they may call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
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