Thousands lose $16M in Singapore ‘fake friend’ scams

SINGAPORE: More than 6,300 people fell victim to “fake friend” scams in Singapore last year and collectively lost an equivalent of nearly $16 million, police said.

Such scams involve contacting victims, pretending to be someone they know, and asking for financial assistance.

The wealthy Southeast Asian city-state has been hit with a surge in scams in recent years, with authorities issuing frequent warnings to the public against fresh schemes from criminals.

In a statement on Tuesday, police said the scams had cost victims SG$21.1 million ($15.7 million) in losses between January and November last year.

In the latest case, five Malaysians were extradited on Tuesday to Singapore over “fake friend” scam calls involving over $1 million in lost funds, they added.

Malaysian and Singaporean police raided two apartments in Malaysia’s Johor state, which borders the city-state, in a joint operation earlier this month.

They arrested the five men, ages between 19 and 36, for suspected involvement in scams targeting Singaporeans.

The men were extradited to Singapore on Tuesday and would be charged for conspiracy to cheat on Wednesday, police said.

Police believe the syndicate to be responsible for over 500 police reports and losses amounting to over SG$1.4 million since June of last year.

The five men face up to 10 years in jail and a fine if convicted of conspiracy to cheat.

“The Singapore Police Force has been working closely with the Royal Malaysia Police to detect and cripple these transnational scam syndicates who prey on our citizens,” said David Chew, director of the force’s Commercial Affairs Department.