A 19-year-old Singaporean, Amaanul Rahman, has been charged in connection with a case involving the alleged laundering of S$500,000 in criminal proceeds.
According to TODAY, Amaanul allegedly shared his Singpass account details with an unknown person through the Telegram messaging platform, under the promise of receiving S$3,000.
Authorities reported that following the transfer of his Singpass information, Amaanul’s identity was exploited to open four separate bank accounts, which were then used to facilitate the laundering of the significant amount of illicit funds.
It remains unclear whether Amaanul ever received the promised payment.
During a court appearance on Monday, Amaanul expressed his intention to plead guilty to the charges against him. His case is part of a larger crackdown by law enforcement, with 40 individuals aged between 18 and 43 anticipated to face similar charges this week for offenses linked to scam-related activities involving money mules, the report added.
From September 9 to 11, 2024, 33 men and 7 women, aged between 18 and 43, will face charges in court for new offences related to scams involving money mule activities, SPF said in its press release.
These charges stem from amendments made in 2023 to the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 (CDSA) and the Computer Misuse Act 1993 (CMA).
In 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office introduced new offences in the CDSA and the CMA to curb the facilitation of scams and the movement of criminal proceeds as well as the abuse of Singpass. These offences came into force on 8 February 2024 and target persons who hand over control of their bank accounts or disclose their Singpass credentials to others, who are then able to use these accounts and credentials to commit scams and launder scam proceeds.
Singpass serves as a vital digital gateway for Singapore residents to access personal identification and various e-services.
In a statement, the police highlighted Amaanul’s case as an example of the growing trend of individuals being conned into sharing sensitive information for quick monetary gains which is “in response to an offer for fast cash”.
They also pointed to a separate case where a bank account owner allegedly surrendered control of their account to a stranger, resulting in the laundering of over S$300,000 in criminal funds.
Members of the public are reminded that our payment and Singpass accounts are for our own use only and are encouraged to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid being an accomplice in crimes :
- Do not disclose your payment and Singpass accounts and credentials to anyone else;
- Do not let anyone else access, operate or control your payment accounts;
- Do not receive or transfer money for anyone else using your payment accounts, unless you know him/her and where he/she is;
- Do not ask for the Singpass credentials of another person; and
- Do not supply, offer to supply, transmit or make available, by any means, the Singpass credentials of another person.
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Authorities are scheduled to reconvene on Amaanul’s case in the State Courts on October 7.
In light of these incidents, the police have urged the public to take precautionary measures concerning their bank and Singpass accounts to avoid becoming unwitting accomplices in criminal activities.
