3-6-2023 (SINGAPORE) Two suspects have been apprehended as part of a three-week operation aimed at disrupting the activities of scam syndicates, the police announced on
Jun 3. The operation, carried out from May 8 to May 31, involved shutting down mobile phone lines and freezing bank accounts involved in illicit activities. Over 1,000 mobile phone lines were terminated, close to 50 bank accounts were frozen, and around S$210,000 (US$155,498) was seized, according to the police.
A 23-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman were arrested for their alleged involvement in fraudulent registration of postpaid SIM cards using unsuspecting customers’ details. The man, who worked as a mobile phone shop assistant, allegedly stole identification documents from his employer’s mobile device used in postpaid SIM card registration. He then pre-registered postpaid SIM cards and sold them to customers who wanted to avoid using their personal details. The woman allegedly abetted his offences by registering a shell company to procure postpaid SIM cards from a supplier.
The police seized mobile phones and postpaid SIM cards during the operation. Preliminary investigations showed that 25 men and three women, aged between 22 and 43, are assisting in the investigations, and their identities are believed to have been stolen. The police emphasised that investigations are ongoing and that it will continue to clamp down on errant mobile phone shop retailers and assistants who may be indirectly facilitating illegal activities.
The public is advised to avoid purchasing pre-registered prepaid or postpaid SIM cards and to safeguard their identification documents to prevent misuse during registration. The offence of illegally obtaining personal information carries a sentence of up to three years in jail and a fine.
The offence of unauthorised modification of computer material carries a fine of up to S$10,000, a three-year prison sentence, or both. The offence of failing to use reasonable diligence in the discharge of duties as a director carries a fine of up to S$5,000 or a jail term of up to 12 months. The police warned that fraudulently registered postpaid SIM cards can be used as an anonymous communication channel for illegal activities, including unlicensed moneylending, scams, and vice.
