Teen as young as 15 among 579 under investigation in scams linked to $18m losses

A total of 579 suspected scammers and money mules are being investigated by the police.

This follows a two-week operation conducted by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and seven Police Land Divisions between July 2 and 15.

Police said in a news release on Thursday (July 16) that the 359 men and 220 women, aged between 15 and 83, are being probed for their alleged involvement in scams.

They are believed to be linked to more than 1,469 scam cases, mainly involving e-commerce, friend impersonation, job, government official impersonation, investment and rental scams.

Victims reportedly lost about $18 million, the police said.

The investigations cover various alleged offences including cheating, money laundering, or providing payment services without a licence.

If found guilty of cheating, an individual may face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, while those convicted of money laundering may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000.

Meanwhile, carrying on a business to provide any type of payment service without a licence may result in a fine of up to $125,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.

Additionally, scammers as well as members or recruiters of scam syndicates face mandatory caning of between six and 24 strokes, as part of legislative amendments introduced by the Ministry of Home Affairs which came into effect on Dec 30, 2025.

Scam mules who enable scammers by laundering scam proceeds, providing SIM cards and sharing Singpass credentials may face up to 12 strokes of the cane.

The police stressed that those found linked to such crimes will be held accountable, and that individuals involved in mule-related offences may face restrictions to their banking services and mobile line subscriptions, to help prevent further scams from occurring.

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