Woman, 41, charged with impersonating police and verbally abusing a public servant

SINGAPORE: A 41-year-old woman was scheduled to be charged on Friday (March 20) for her suspected involvement in two cases of impersonating police officers as well as using abusive words towards a public servant, the Singapore Police Force said in a statement.

According to the police, they were informed on March 17 about an anonymous post in a Facebook group that contained vulgar words between a person who had allegedly impersonated a police officer and an unknown user. Officers then carried out follow-up investigations and were able to determine the identity of the person who allegedly impersonated a police officer. She was arrested on Thursday (March 19).

The police added that she is believed to be involved in a separate incident of impersonating a police officer, as well as another case where she used abusive words against a police officer during a “999” call on September 14, 2025.

For the charge of impersonating a public servant, the woman could be made to pay a fine, be jailed for a maximum of two years, or both, if she is found guilty. For abusing words towards a public servant in relation to the execution of their duty, a person who is convicted may be jailed for as long as 12 months, be made to pay a fine, or both.

“The Police take a serious view of individuals who impersonate public servants, including police officers, as such acts undermine public trust and may cause confusion or alarm. The Police also consider any form of harassment or abusive behaviour towards officers performing their duties to be serious offences.

The circulation of unverified information purporting to be from the Police on social media further compounds the severity of such acts. Offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law,” SPF added in its statement.

Cases of impersonating police officers in a way that’s similar to what the woman did are uncommon in Singapore, although impersonating officials for the sake of scamming victims has occurred more frequently over the past few years.

In the most recent case from early February, the police charged a 22-year-old Malaysian man and a 20-year-old Singaporean man for their suspected involvement in several cases of Government Official Impersonation Scam (GOIS). They victimised an elderly woman, telling her that she was under investigation for a S$2.5 million money laundering case. She was told to hand over cash, watches, and jewellery to an “investigation officer,” resulting in a large amount being lost, as her jewellery alone was worth more than S$90,000. /TISG

Read also: Victim loses over S$1.1 million to scammers impersonating MAS officials