Singapore Police Force, Hong Kong Police, and INTERPOL join forces to strike down scam syndicate following S$17.9M heist

SINGAPORE: A sophisticated transnational money laundering syndicate with its tentacles in Hong Kong has been successfully dismantled in a thrilling international operation.

This monumental achievement resulted from a collaborative effort between global police forces: the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), and INTERPOL.

Technical support scams

The syndicate was notorious for its involvement in laundering the proceeds of various scams, including the infamous technical support scams that plagued Singapore and other fraudulent activities in Hong Kong.

Between January and July 2024, the SPF received a staggering 185 reports of technical support scams, leading to losses of over S$17.9 million. These scams were ingeniously crafted, beginning with pop-up alerts on victims’ devices, falsely warning of malware infections.

The scammers, masquerading as technical support representatives from reputable companies like Microsoft or Apple, would then deceive victims into granting them remote access to their devices.

This access was exploited to carry out unauthorized transactions from the victims’ bank accounts.

Successful raids

The joint investigations and intelligence sharing between SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and HKPF culminated in a series of raids conducted in Hong Kong between 9 and 12 August 2024.

These operations resulted in the arrest of the syndicate’s mastermind, three members, and three money mules. A significant haul of HK$300,000 in cash and over 60 bank cards were seized during the raids.

Further investigations led to the recovery of an additional HK$1.3 million in criminal proceeds.

In a parallel move, a 23-year-old male in Singapore was arrested for his role in the money laundering activities linked to the syndicate. Investigations into this aspect are ongoing.

The SPF has underscored the critical importance of international cooperation in combating transnational crimes. They also advised the public to exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited technical support requests.

In the event of falling victim to such scams, authorities recommend immediate action, such as turning off devices and contacting banks.

Global police forces vs. transnational crime

David Chew, Director of CAD, highlighted the syndicate’s modus operandi and the significance of the international collaboration in this operation:

“The transnational tech-support scam syndicate targeted unsuspecting victims across various jurisdictions, including Singapore.

The false screen pop-up was a ruse to phish for the victim’s Internet banking credentials, and the abuse of remote access software allowed scammers to remotely control the victim’s computer to make unauthorized banking transactions.

The criminal proceeds generated by this tech-support scam were laundered through Hong Kong. Cross-border collaboration facilitated by INTERPOL was key to dismantling this foreign syndicate and denying them the fruits of their labor.”

This successful operation serves as a testament to the power of international cooperation in the fight against transnational crime. It also sends a strong message to criminals that their actions will not go unpunished, regardless of where they operate.