Chinese official impersonation scam: 18-year-old nabbed for allegedly cheating elderly woman out of $290k

An 18-year-old woman has been arrested for her suspected involvement in a Chinese officials impersonation scam, the police said on Tuesday (Jan 7).

On Jan 5 at about 11am, the police was alerted to the scam by the victim, an elderly woman.

She suffered losses amounting to $290,000 after she was deceived by scammers who posed as Chinese officials and claimed her identity had been misused in China.

Officers from the Anti-Scam Command, Woodlands Police Division and Police Operations Command Centre established the identity of the 18-year-old woman involved in the scam through follow-up investigations and arrested her within eight hours of the report.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, a student on social visit pass, had fallen victim to the same scam.

She was believed to have been manipulated into travelling to Singapore and assisting in the scam operations under the false belief that she was helping with official investigations, said the police.

[[nid:712548]]

The suspect is being investigated for the alleged offence of cheating. If found guilty, she may face a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The police said that they take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

They also encouraged members of the public to avoid letting others use their bank accounts or mobile lines as they could held accountable if these are linked to crimes.

Those who wish to learn more about scams can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799, the police added.

Anyone with information on such scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit  a report online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

[[nid:712480]]

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com