12 under investigation for manipulating obscene photos in extortion scam

A two-week operation by officers from the Central Police Division identified 12 suspects in an extortion scam which involved the use of manipulated obscene pictures.

The seven men and five women, aged between 18 and 46, allegedly provided bank information and SIM cards acquired through illegal means, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (May 1).

They are also suspected of assisting in unauthorised accessing of Singpass accounts.

The suspects were allegedly given or promised commissions, preliminary investigations revealed.

At least $115,000 in suspected criminal proceeds — some purportedly linked to other scam cases — were recovered and an array of electronic devices were seized during the operation.

A 23-year-old woman is due to be charged in court on Thursday for facilitating unauthorised access to computer material, an offence that carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.

Threatening letters with manipulated photos

Over 170 reports involving extortionary letters have been made between March and April, said the police.

Victims would receive photographs of their faces superimposed onto the bodies of a man and a woman purportedly in an "intimate and compromising position" via post, along with a note warning them of "threatening consequences" unless they contact the email address provided.

A 50-year-old victim claimed he lost $20,000 after responding to the email address given and transferring the money to the bank account provided.

A Straits Times report in April said several politicians were sent such letters. Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan as well as MPs Edward Chia and Tan Wu Meng posted on social media on April 20 saying that they filed police reports.

The suspects could also be facing the offences of cheating, money laundering and carrying on an unlicensed business of providing payment services.

For more information on scams, visit scamalert.sg or call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688.

Anyone with information on scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com