SINGAPORE — Tan Ming Chuan, 40, was arrested for his involvement in a government official impersonation scam that saw a victim lose approximately $150,000 in cash and jewellery.
Police received a report of the scam on July 11 involving a fake official from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The victim was instructed to leave valuables at a designated location, where Tan collected them and passed them on to the scammers.
Following extensive investigations, officers from the Anti-Scam Command arrested Tan on July 12. He was charged on July 14 with assisting another person to retain benefits from criminal conduct.
Preliminary findings suggest Tan may have participated in other similar scams, acting as a courier to collect cash and valuables from victims and handing them over to unknown individuals.
Tan is currently held at the Central Police Division and is scheduled for another court appearance on July 21. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $500,000.
Government official impersonation scams have surged recently, with victims losing over $151 million in 2024 alone. In June, at least 80 cases totaling $6.7 million were reported.
Scammers commonly impersonate officials from banks like DBS and Maybank, government agencies, and financial institutions, accusing victims of crimes such as money laundering. Victims are often pressured to withdraw money, purchase gold bars, or hand over valuables for “investigation.”
Police urge the public to never hand money or valuables to unknown individuals or persons whose identity they have not verified.
