SINGAPORE – A 66-year-old man, Christopher Moh, was sentenced to 21 months in prison on October 16 after he pleaded guilty to charges related to sharing his bank account details with individuals he met online. Despite receiving multiple warnings from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), Moh’s accounts were later used to facilitate scam activities.
Moh’s actions began following the death of his wife in May 2021. Seven months later, he met a woman named “Jenny Cheng Ling” on Facebook. She claimed to be from Australia and the two started communicating regularly. She expressed affection for Moh and told him she wanted to visit Singapore. In February 2022, “Jenny” informed him she had arrived but needed to quarantine for a week. During this time, she asked Moh to transfer $1,000 to an unknown account, which he did.
Later, “Jenny” asked for Moh’s assistance in opening a bank account in Singapore for business purposes. Moh complied by opening an account with Maybank and sharing its details. When the account was frozen, Moh opened another with DBS Bank and provided similar details. In April 2022, he also gave “Jenny” access to his personal POSB account, which was subsequently used to process $4,000 in scam proceeds. Following an investigation by CAD, Moh reoffended soon after.
In early 2022, Moh also met “Alicia Jee Joon” on Facebook. She claimed to live in Amsterdam and operate a chemical engineering business. Moh developed feelings for Alicia, even hoping to marry her when she visited Singapore. On December 13, 2022, she asked him to assist with an online transaction, prompting Moh to provide access to his OCBC Bank account. Alicia transferred $17,000 into the account, which she later instructed him to withdraw and use to purchase iTunes gift cards. After Moh complied, the OCBC account was frozen, and CAD launched another investigation.
In June 2023, Moh began communicating with another individual named “Angelica,” who asked him to open a new UOB account. Moh provided her and “Alicia” with the account details, which were used to transfer more than $49,000 into the account. Of that amount, $14,800 was found to be part of a love scam.
Despite receiving two warnings from the CAD, Moh continued to share his bank details with people he never met in person. CAD had cautioned him in May and December 2022 that sharing his account information with online individuals would facilitate criminal activity. Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang emphasized that Moh knowingly allowed his accounts to be used for illegal purposes.
Moh’s bail was set at $10,000 on October 16, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on November 1.