SINGAPORE, March 27 (CNA) - Islandwide raids saw 35 people arrested as part of a four-day enforcement operation against scams, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Sunday (Mar 27).
The 35 people, comprising 29 men and six women aged between 16 and 66, were arrested by officers from the Commercial Affairs Department and the seven police land divisions, SPF said in a news release.
"A total of 255 individuals are currently assisting with investigations for their suspected involvement in more than 1,200 cases involving more than S$31 million," the police added.
The enforcement operation, conducted between Mar 22 and Mar 25 by SPF's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) together with five banks - DBS, UOB, OCBC, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank - "successfully intervened" in more than 150 cases of investment and job scams, the police said.
In investment scams, the scammers would claim to be financial professionals and cultivate victims via social media platforms, the police said.
Once lured, the victims would be introduced to "investment experts" who claim to be sharing "sure-win tips".
"Victims would be enticed by the promise of easy earnings and transfer their money to bank accounts," said SPF.
"In many instances, victims would earn a small profit from the ‘investment’ at the initial stage, leading them to believe that the scheme was legitimate and lucrative."
The victims may have then be asked to pay administrative fees, legal fees or taxes in order to encash their profits, the police said.
Once these sums were deposited into designated bank accounts, the scammers would then become uncontactable, they added.