SINGAPORE – A 24-year-old Malaysian man, Law Jian Haw, has been charged for his suspected role in a government official impersonation scam after allegedly collecting cash and valuables from a victim.
On Oct 27, Law was charged with abetment by conspiracy to assist another in retaining benefits from criminal conduct. Authorities allege that on Oct 25, he collected 34 pieces of gold jewellery worth about $80,000 and two Rolex watches valued at approximately $11,000 from a scam victim.
The court heard that Law had travelled to Singapore solely to commit the alleged offence and has no local ties. Prosecutors requested that no bail be offered, citing his suspected links to a larger scam syndicate and possible involvement in additional cases.
Law’s case has been adjourned to Nov 5.
According to police, the victim was deceived by scammers impersonating officials from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The victim was told he was implicated in a crime and instructed to surrender jewellery and more than $25,000 in cash for “investigative purposes.”
Following the report, police identified Law and arrested him at Woodlands Checkpoint. Investigations revealed that Law had collected the valuables on Oct 25, left Singapore within an hour, and handed them to an unknown accomplice in Malaysia. He was arrested upon re-entering Singapore later that day.
“The man is believed to be involved in other similar cases and was facilitating the scam syndicate to retain benefits from criminal conduct,” police said.
If convicted of abetment by conspiracy to assist another in retaining benefits from criminal conduct, Law faces up to 10 years in jail, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
In the first half of 2025, over $456 million was lost to scams in Singapore, with nearly 20,000 cases reported. Government official impersonation scams were among the top 10 scams, accounting for $126 million lost across more than 1,700 cases.
