A 15-year-old secondary school student studying in Singapore was reportedly kidnapped in Malaysia after being manipulated by scammers who falsely claimed she was under investigation for money laundering offenses.
According to the ST, the alarming incident began on October 12, when the girl received a call from individuals impersonating immigration officers from Singapore and police from China.
The scammers informed her that there were issues with her student pass and that her personal information may have been leaked, implicating her in a larger money laundering investigation. Out of fear, the teenager complied with their demands, which included monitoring her through a constant video call, even while she slept.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Kor Ching Kiat, who oversees the Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Command, addressed the media on December 6, revealing that the girl was isolated from her family and friends. The scammers instilled fear in her, warning that any communication with her loved ones could lead to her imprisonment.
“They induced fear and uncertainty of what was happening,” DSP Kor stated.
“This was a 15-year-old girl who was young, didn’t know the legal processes, and was not allowed to talk to her family.”
“They told her that if she did, she would be jailed.”
On November 24, the scammers instructed her to travel to Malaysia to resolve supposed bail matters.
Following their guidance, she contacted a cross-border taxi service that transported her from Woodlands to Johor Bahru. There, she encountered Huang Xiaonan, a 22-year-old Chinese national studying at a different institution in Singapore, who was also believed to be acting under the scammers’ instructions.
DSP Kor noted that the two did not know each other prior to this meeting. Huang allegedly confiscated her phone, providing her with a different device before subsequently leaving.
The following day, November 25, the teenager failed to attend an exam, prompting her school to reach out to her friends and guardian in Singapore. Concerned for her safety, her guardian filed a missing person’s report, which led to her father in China filing police reports in both Singapore and Malaysia.
Authorities from Singapore and Malaysia collaborated to locate the girl, who was found alongside Huang in Kuantan, Pahang, on the evening of November 26. Huang has since been arrested and charged with kidnapping, and he has pleaded not guilty.
“This is an attempt by scammers to frustrate our efforts to trace victims, and parents tend to be anxious when they can’t find or contact their children,” he explained to the media.
“In previous cases, we have seen scammers asking for ransom from these desperate parents.”
Photo via LIANHE ZAOBAO
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