A 22-year-old man got himself into hot water on 15 Aug 2025. He tried to deposit a fake Singapore S$10,000 note at a bank on Clementi Avenue 3.
The drama unfolded around 2:00pm. The man walked up to a bank counter and handed over the counterfeit note. He asked staff to deposit it into his account.
Bank staff weren’t born yesterday. The counter employee spotted something fishy about the note right away. The staff member called the bank manager over. Police arrived shortly after. Officers arrested the man on the spot.
Police seized the fake S$10,000 note as evidence.
Court Date Set, Heavy Penalties Await
The man faces court on 4 Sep 2025. He’ll be charged with using counterfeit currency notes as genuine.
The punishment packs a serious punch. Offenders can get up to 20 years behind bars plus a fine.
Police don’t mess around with fake money crimes. Anyone caught forging or counterfeiting currency gets the same 20-year maximum sentence and fine. Making tools for counterfeiting also carries identical penalties.
Even just holding fake notes can land you in trouble. Possession charges bring up to 15 years in prison and a fine.
Police Issue Public Warning
Officers warned people about scammers with a common trick. Fraudsters approach strangers offering money to help convert fake S$10,000 notes into smaller genuine bills.
Banks and financial institutions also see these attempts regularly. People should stay alert.
Anyone who spots suspected counterfeit notes should call 999 immediately. Take note of the person’s appearance – gender, race, age, height, build, clothes, and language spoken.
Car details matter too. Write down registration numbers and vehicle descriptions.
Handle suspected fake notes as little as possible. Put them in an envelope or fold them in paper. Hand them over to police right away.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore stopped printing S$10,000 notes in 2014. Existing S$10,000 notes still work as legal tender for purchases.
