Government official impersonation scam: Syndicate received gold bars worth $500k, cash from victims

Three men, aged 24, 28 and 30, will be taken to court on Friday (June 6) for their suspected involvement in a Government official impersonation scam.

The police said in a news release on June 5 that a 68-year-old man who fell for the scam had lodged a report on June 3.

Scammers had posed as staff from the Monetary Authority of Singapore and convinced the elderly victim that he had been implicated in an offence and needed to surrender 27 pieces of 100g gold bars for investigations.

Officers from the police's Anti-Scam Command subsequently arrested the two men, aged 24 and 28, as well as a 29-year-old woman on June 4.

The 28-year-old man is believed to have collected the gold bars from the victim on behalf of the scam syndicate with assistance from the other two.

Following the arrests of the trio, police officers nabbed two more men, aged 29 and 30, at Woodlands Checkpoint before they attempted to leave Singapore.

The 30-year-old man is believed to have worked with the earlier arrested persons in facilitating the scam syndicate to retain benefits from criminal conduct, said the police.

Further investigations found that the three men, aged 24, 28 and 30, are also believed to have received gold bars valued at approximately $500,000 from a 61-year-old victim and at least $21,000 of cash from a 36-year-old victim in separate scam cases.

The police seized $22,000 in cash and at least six mobile phones as case exhibits.

The three men will be charged in court with the offence of abetment by conspiracy to assist another to retain benefits from criminal conduct, according to the police.

If convicted, they may face a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

Investigations against the 29-year-old woman and the 29-year-old man are also ongoing.

The police said members of the public should always reject requests by others to use their bank accounts or Singpass accounts, to avoid being implicated in criminal activity

They warned that any person who allows their personal bank accounts to be used to receive and transfer money for others will be held accountable if the transactions are linked to crimes.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com