A 19-year-old woman was arrested in Singapore after allegedly cheating a man out of S$200 through an online scam involving fake identities and threats.
According to the Singapore Police Force, officers received a report on 8 March 2024 at around 1.05am from a 26-year-old man who claimed he had been deceived online.
Investigations later led police to identify and arrest the teenage suspect on 18 March.
Authorities also recovered S$190 during the operation.
Suspect Allegedly Used Fake Online Personas
Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had allegedly created a fictitious online identity to approach the victim.
Police said the victim had befriended the person online before the suspect allegedly offered sexual services to him.
The case reportedly escalated after the woman created a second fake identity posing as the “brother” of the original persona.
Using the second account, the suspect allegedly demanded that the victim transfer S$200.
The victim was reportedly threatened that his private conversations would be exposed to the police if he refused to comply with the payment request.
Fearing the consequences, the man eventually transferred the money.
Police Arrest Suspect And Recover Most Of The Money
Following follow-up investigations, officers tracked down the suspect and arrested her roughly 10 days after the report was lodged.
Police said S$190 of the allegedly cheated amount was recovered.
The woman was expected to be charged in court with cheating offences.
Under Singapore law, cheating offences can carry a jail term of up to 10 years as well as a fine upon conviction.
Online Scam Cases Continue To Rise In Singapore
The case highlights the ongoing issue of online impersonation scams in Singapore, where scammers frequently create fake personas to manipulate victims emotionally or financially.
Authorities have repeatedly advised members of the public to exercise caution when interacting with strangers online, especially when money transfers, personal information or threats are involved.
The Singapore Police Force has also reminded the public not to give in to intimidation tactics and to report suspicious activity immediately.
Online scams remain one of Singapore’s biggest crime concerns, with cases involving social engineering, impersonation and extortion continuing to rise in recent years.