Image credits - Dimsum Daily
A 23-year-old Singaporean is among eight individuals arrested for their connections to a transnational money laundering syndicate operating in Hong Kong. The Singapore Police Force, in collaboration with Hong Kong authorities and Interpol, dismantled the network, which was involved in laundering funds from technical support scams in Singapore and other fraudulent activities in Hong Kong.
The syndicate’s scams involved deceptive pop-ups on victims’ devices, falsely claiming malware infections and impersonating tech support from companies like Microsoft or Apple. Victims were tricked into logging into their online banking accounts under the guise of fixing security issues, allowing scammers to access their banking details and perform unauthorized transactions. In some cases, victims were also directed to create cryptocurrency accounts to further facilitate the laundering of stolen funds.
The joint operation between August 9 and August 12 led to raids on three locations in Hong Kong, where authorities seized more than 60 bank cards and HK$300,000 (approximately S$50,800) in cash. The operation also recovered an additional HK$1.3 million in crime proceeds through follow-up investigations.
David Chew, Director of the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) at the Singapore Police Force, emphasized the critical role of international cooperation facilitated by Interpol in dismantling the syndicate. The investigation uncovered that the network not only targeted Singaporean victims but also operated across multiple jurisdictions.
The Singapore Police Force urges the public to remain vigilant against unsolicited messages and technical support scams. Victims are advised to turn off their computers, uninstall any software installed by scammers, run a full anti-virus scan, and report the incident to their bank and the authorities. Since January, Singapore has seen 185 reports of technical support scams, resulting in losses totaling at least $17.9 million.