Malaysian Jailed for Eight Months Over S$4 Million Syndicate Operation
A 28-year-old Malaysian man was sentenced to eight months in prison on October 27, 2026, for illegally accessing 17 bank accounts in Singapore that handled nearly S$4 million for a transnational syndicate, CNA reported. Tan Kian Hoa pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal conspiracy to commit unauthorized computer access under the Computer Misuse Act. Out of the S$3,996,971 that moved through the GXS Bank and MariBank accounts during his employment, over S$21,000 was traced to reported scam cases in Singapore.
Recruitment via Facebook and Telegram in Johor Bahru
Tan found the job through a Facebook advertisement in September 2025, according to Fintech Singapore. After applying, he communicated on Telegram with an unidentified person who offered him a monthly salary of RM3,500, equivalent to about S$1,090. He reported to work at an online gambling syndicate operating out of a premises in Taman Eko Botani, located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The operation moved funds from online gamblers to digital casinos and paid out customer winnings.
Preloaded Phones and the Trustpay System
The syndicate used an in-house computer platform named Trustpay to monitor funds moving from gambling customers to accounts registered under names of people Tan did not know. Tan used mobile phones assigned to him for the day, each preloaded with internet banking mobile applications and a SIM card. A sticker on the back of each phone listed the account name, account number, and login credentials. He confirmed deposits by logging into the bank web portals, took screenshots of the payments, and reported them to the syndicate via Telegram group chats. When bank transactions failed to match Trustpay figures, he contacted online customer service staff members to resolve the discrepancies.
Operation Frontier Plus III and Arrest by Authorities
The Singapore Police Force received scam reports regarding 17 MariBank and GXS bank accounts under the syndicate’s control, with individual losses ranging from S$150 to S$2,968. According to AsiaOne, the crackdown followed a joint two-month transnational scam operation named Operation Frontier+ III, launched after MariBank provided crucial information to the authorities. Malaysian authorities raided the Johor Bahru headquarters on March 17, 2026, seizing 83 phones, 45 bank tokens, and a computer. The Royal Malaysian Police arrested Tan on July 20, 2026, and handed him over to the Singapore Police Force the following day.
Legal Arguments and Separate Syndicate Sentences
During court proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jasmin Kaur requested an eight-month jail term for Tan, emphasizing the large financial volume passing through the accounts. Defence lawyer Teo Choo Kee argued that his client certainly did not know
that a portion of the funds running through the system originated from scams. The Computer Misuse Act carries a maximum penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both. In a separate case handled earlier in October, Goody Feed reported that another Malaysian man, 41-year-old Ong Toon Nong, received six years and one month in jail along with a S$6,000 fine for helping 27 money mules enter Singapore and open 107 bank accounts.
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