The cops say they won’t let scammers who swiped millions get through their fingers.
The Singapore Police Force last night said that 13 people have been arrested, seven of whom were charged with suspected involvement in the recent spate of SMS-phishing scams targeting OCBC Bank holders. None was identified.
“The Police will spare no effort to track down any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with firmly and in accordance with the law,” the police said.
Of the 13 arrested last week, nine were men and four were women aged 19 to 22. Their mobile devices, bank cards, SIM cards, cash amounting to S$2,760, and two Rolex watches with a combined worth of S$35,600 were seized.
The seven men were charged Friday with money laundering offenses. If found guilty, they face up to 10 years in jail and a S$500,000 fine.
Investigation of the other six suspects is ongoing.
Singapore banks to boost security after customers phished for S$8.5M
OCBC said last month that at least 790 customers were conned, with losses amounting to S$13.7 million, up from the S$8.5 million from 469 customers reported in December.
Unauthorized transactions were charged to customers’ accounts after they keyed in their personal details in a fake bank alert that was sent to them.
OCBC said they have issued “full goodwill payouts” to affected customers.
Always reject requests to access bank accounts or mobile lines and share tips to prevent scams with family and friends, the police have encouraged the public.
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