Singapore police have arrested three people, aged 16 to 31, for their suspected involvement in a series of fake bulk order scams. The scammers were found to be impersonating personnel from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).
Since September 4, at least five of these scams have been reported, leading to total losses of at least S$32,000. The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) had also issued a warning, stating it was aware of several fake bulk orders made by individuals claiming to be SAF staff.
Businesses affected by these scams included Breaditation Bakery, Kiki Florist, and a hawker stall at Tiong Bahru Market. The hawker stall, for example, had prepared a large order of 150 packets of chicken and mutton briyani before discovering the order was a hoax.
Following the reports, police officers conducted raids near Middle Road, Woodlands Street 81, and Cantonment Road. These operations resulted in the arrest of the three suspects and the seizure of several electronic devices and prepaid cards.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that the three individuals were allegedly acting under instructions from a scam syndicate. A 16-year-old male and a 22-year-old woman are believed to have given their bank accounts to the syndicate for financial gain. Separately, a 31-year-old man assisted in subscribing to phone lines, some of which were linked to the scams.
The 22-year-old woman is scheduled to be charged in court for relinquishing her bank account. If convicted of facilitating unauthorized access to computer material, she could face up to two years in jail, a fine, or both. Investigations into the other two suspects are ongoing.
The police have issued a strong warning to the public. They emphasize a serious stance against anyone involved in scams and state that perpetrators will be dealt with severely. The police advised the public to “always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes.”
