PUBLISHED ONFebruary 01, 2026 4:32 AMBYSean LerA total of 24 persons will be charged in court in the coming week for allegedly acting as money mules in various scams.
The 16 men and eight women, aged between 16 and 51, are suspected of perpetuating scams such as government officials impersonation scams, job scams, e-commerce scams, investment scams, internet love scams and sexual services scams.
Police said in a media release on Sunday (Feb 1) that more than $3.1 million were lost in these scams.
They are accused of facilitating scam activities by relinquishing or selling their bank accounts, assisting to receive or transfer funds or collecting cash from scam victims and enabled criminal syndicates to commit money laundering.
Some allegedly tricked banks into opening personal accounts before handing over their internet banking credentials to unknown people.
Examples of their alleged offences include: disclosing Singpass credentials unlawfully thereby enabling criminal syndicates to misuse his identity in the opening of bank account; and assisting criminal syndicates to register SIM cards in return for promised monetary rewards.
The 24 persons will be charged in court between Feb 2 and 6.
Those convicted of acquiring another person's benefit from criminal proceeds can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined, or both.
Anyone found guilty of assisting another person to retain the benefits from criminal conduct or cheating can be jailed for up to three years, fined or both.
If convicted of cheating, the suspects can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.
The offence of facilitating unlawful access to computer material and illegally disclosing password or access code carries a penalty of two years and three years' jail respectively. Those convicted of these offences can also be fined, or both.
Those convicted of knowingly providing a fraudulently registered SIM card to another person to facilitate a crime for any gain can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.
The police also warned that they will take a serious stance against any person found to be involved in scams, or to have perpetuated such acts.
Caning for scams and scams-related offences — which were among amendments to the Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill passed on Nov 30 — came into effect on Dec 30.
Scammers and members/recruiters of scam syndicates now face mandatory caning of at least six strokes, up to a maximum of 24 strokes.
Meanwhile, mules who enable scammers by laundering their proceeds, providing SIM cards or providing Singpass credentials will face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
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