Love scams are not new, yet they continue to trick the gullible into handing over their hard-earned money. In a recent transnational case, two Nigerian nationals are due to be charged in court today for their alleged involvement in online love scams committed between 2017 and 2018. According to a police release yesterday, this marks the first time that overseas-based love scam suspects have been arrested and sent to Singapore to be prosecuted.
The duo, aged 34 and 37, are believed to be part of an African internet love scam syndicate, the police said. Both are suspected to have recruited two Singaporean women as money mules to receive criminal proceeds from the scams carried out in Singapore. The females reportedly got at least S$85,700 from victims in Singapore, and laundered the money by handing over the cash to syndicate members in Malaysia.
After a joint investigation involving officers from the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force and the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) of the Royal Malaysia Police, the identities of the male suspects were unearthed. An operation on April 16 saw CCID officers arresting both men in KL.
The men were brought to Singapore yesterday to be charged in court today with the offence of abetting others to dishonestly receive stolen property. If convicted, they can be fined and face up to five years in jail.
Police said cross-border internet love scams totalled 660 reported cases last year, with victims in Singapore cheated of at least S$27.5 million.
In a follow-up this morning, TODAY said the men were remanded for further investigations. Both will return to court on May 21.
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