Another Malaysian Nabbed for Helping Scam Syndicates; 17th Arrested Since March A 34-year-old Malaysian man was arrested in Singapore on April 24, 2026, for his suspected involvement in a scam, marking the 17th Malaysian national apprehended in the country since March for assisting scam syndicates, according to The Straits Times. The arrest follows a report filed on April 14 by a victim who said she received a call from an unknown person claiming to be from telecommunications provider M1. The caller stated she had been enrolled in a two-year mobile line contract and would be charged accordingly. When she denied signing up for the plan, the call was transferred to two individuals posing as Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) officers. These imposters falsely informed the victim that she was under investigation for money laundering, creating a sense of urgency and fear. They then instructed her to hand over S$21,000 in cash for investigation later that day. After realizing she had been deceived, the victim made a police report. The suspect is scheduled to be charged on April 25, 2026, with assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine not exceeding S$500,000, or both. Police reiterated their warning to the public: never transfer cash, jewellery, or other valuables to anyone whose identity cannot be verified, and avoid leaving such items at locations to facilitate future collection. They emphasized that legitimate government officials will never request money transfers or bank login details over the phone.
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