11 PERSONS ARRESTED FOR SUSPECTED INVOLVEMENT IN BANKING-RELATED MALWARE SCAM CASES

A total of eight men and two women, aged between 17 and 57, and a 16-year-old teenager have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the recent spate of banking-related malware scam cases.

Another five men and a woman, aged between 21 and 41, are assisting in the investigations, following an island-wide anti-scam enforcement operations conducted between 11 and 22 September 2023.

Over the course of two weeks, officers from Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and Police Intelligence Department (PID) mounted simultaneous island-wide operations and arrested the 11 persons.

Preliminary investigations revealed that seven men and two women, and the teenager, had allegedly facilitated the scam cases by relinquishing their bank accounts, Internet banking credentials and/or disclosing Singpass credentials for monetary gains.

A 28-year-old man is believed to have withdrawn money from his bank account and handed the money to an unknown person.

Modus Operandi

Since January 2023, the Police have received increasing number of reports of malware being used to compromise Android mobile devices, resulting in unauthorised transactions made from the victims’ bank accounts, even when they have not divulged their Internet banking credentials, One-Time-Passwords (OTPs) or Singpass credentials to anyone.

In these cases, the victims responded to advertisements (e.g., on cleaning services, pet grooming, food items such as seafood and groceries, etc.) on social media platforms like Facebook.

They were then instructed by the scammers to download Android Package Kit (APK) from non-official app stores to facilitate the purchase, which led to malware being installed on their mobile devices.

Subsequently, the scammers convinced the victims via phone calls or text messages to turn on accessibility services on their Android phones. This weakened the phones’ security, allowing scammers to take full control of the victims’ phones.

As a result, the scammers could log every keystroke, steal banking credentials stored on the phones, remotely log access victims’ banking apps, add money mules as payees, raise payment limits and transfer money to money mules. The scammers can further delete SMSes and email notifications related to these bank transfers to cover their tracks.

Potential penalties

Police investigations are ongoing. The offence of acquiring benefits from criminal conduct under Section 54(5)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, carries an imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.

For deceiving the banks into opening bank accounts that were not meant for their own use and relinquishing their bank account login details, they are liable under Section 417 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code 1871 and Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 respectively.

The offence of cheating under Section 417 of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, or with a fine, or both, while the offence under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries a fine of up to $5,000, or an imprisonment term of up to two years, or both.

For disclosing their Singpass credentials under Section 8 of the Computer Misuse Act 1993, they are liable to an imprisonment term not exceeding three years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

Police advisory

Advisory Against Downloading of Malicious Apps

The Police would like to remind members of the public that they should not click on suspicious links, scan unknown QR codes, or download mobile apps from third-party websites or unknown sources. These unverified apps may contain malware, which can severely compromise the security of mobile devices. Instead, members of the public are reminded to only download apps from official app stores. Before downloading any app, check the number of downloads and user reviews. Always be wary of any requests for Singpass and banking credentials or money transfers and attractive offers that sound too good to be true. Lastly, members of the public are advised to turn on security settings, such as disallowing installation of apps from unknown sources, to help protect their devices.

The Police will spare no effort to track down cybercriminals responsible for banking-related malware incidents and will continue to take tough enforcement actions against those who flout the law. To avoid being an accomplice in these crimes, members of the public should always reject seemingly attractive money-making opportunities promising fast and easy pay-outs for the use of their Singpass accounts, bank accounts, or for allowing their personal bank accounts to be used to receive and transfer money for others. The Police would like to remind members of the public that individuals will be held accountable if they are found to be linked to such crimes.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
23 September 2023 @ 2:25 PM

In the realm of controversial Malaysian influencers, none have captured the attention of the digital world quite like Siew Pui Yi, who goes by the moniker MsPuiyi.

Her journey on the platform OnlyFans has been a rollercoaster ride, filled with twists and turns that have left her followers both stunned and elated

The Exit that Left Fans Devastated

When MsPuiyi decided to bid farewell to OnlyFans in December, it was a decision that sent shockwaves through her dedicated fan base. Her departure was fueled by her desire to pursue a career as a music DJ.

However, she has since announced that she will be returning to the platform because a lot of her fans have been asking her to come back.

MsPuiyi recently made an announcement on Instagram on September 20, she posted a picture of herself holding a cake that read “Welcome back to OnlyFans,” accompanied by the caption, “Baby girl is back on the fans.”

The Motivation Behind the Return

MsPuiyi’s decision to rejoin OnlyFans wasn’t driven solely by personal desires; it was a heartfelt response to her fans’ pleas. In her own words, she revealed, “There’s a lot of fans asking me if there’s any platforms that I can talk to my fans instead of posts or something.”

While MsPuiyi is making areturn, there is a noticeable change in the direction of her content. She’s chosen to adopt a safer and more toned-down approach.

Her content is now “safe for work” and free to everyone, making it a departure from the more explicit content she was previously known for.

In her own words, MsPuiyi reassures her followers, saying, “It’s safe for work, and it’s free. I will be able to talk to you guys daily there.”

Making all her content “safe”

MsPuiyi’s transformation extends beyond OnlyFans. She is determined to make all her social media platforms safer spaces.

In a recent Instagram post, she emphasized her commitment to clean content, stating, “The platform is being used only to talk to fans, and again, the messages from fans aren’t what you guys think of it.”

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A post shared by Siew Pui Yi 🤍 (@ms_puiyi)

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A post shared by Siew Pui Yi 🤍 (@ms_puiyi)

A 38-year-old nurse at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, Yong Pei Yoong, pleaded guilty to three counts of cheating and one count of theft in dwelling, and she was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment on Thursday (21 September).

She had stolen her colleagues’ debit cards from inside a changing room for staff members, and used the cards to spend on things such as bird’s nest and dining at a hotpot restaurant, according to The Straits Times.

The Debit Card Theft

The story begins on March 24 when a medical sales representative from Johnson & Johnson visited Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital.

She entered a female changing room to prepare for her duties in the operating theatre, a place generally reserved for hospital staff.

As the visiting representative was not assigned a locker in the changing room, she left her bag containing her wallet in an open cupboard.

It was at this moment that Yong Pei Yoong spotted the unattended bag and seized the opportunity and discreetly took a debit card from the wallet.

A Chain of Deceit

Later that evening, Yong used the stolen card to make a purchase, buying three bottles of bird’s nest with ginseng, totaling $138.

Two days later, she repeated her illicit act, this time buying various food items worth $101.57 at a hotpot restaurant. To avoid detection, she eventually discarded the debit card in a rubbish bin.

The saga didn’t end there. On April 5, Yong struck again, this time taking a debit card belonging to another nurse from the same changing room.

Once more, she used it to purchase bird’s nest with ginseng, this time worth $158.40. As before, she disposed of the stolen card after her transaction.

Caught in the Act

Both victims eventually discovered that their debit cards were missing and that unauthorized transactions had been made. Understandably alarmed, they promptly reported the thefts to the police, setting the wheels of justice in motion.

35-year-old Dheeraj Prem Khiatani, a doctor and director at several firms that includes Stark Medical Innovations, was charged with molesting a woman on 25 June at about 3am, at the Avenue Lounge in Marina Bay Sands.

He is among 6 people charged with molestation yesterday (22 September), including a masseuse who allegedly a woman at a massage parlour in Rochor, according to The Straits Times.

The legal proceedings for this case have been adjourned to October 25.

The Accused Parties

Dheeraj Prem Khiatani, who is represented by lawyers Sunil Sudheesan, Diana Ngiam, and Joyce Khoo from Quahe Woo & Palmer, is among 6 people charged with molestation in separate cases yesterday.

The five men charged are as follows:

1. Butt Muhammad Abdullah (22): A Pakistani national.
2. Hardiran Singh Randhawa (29): Details about the location of his alleged crime have been redacted from court documents.
3. Melvinder Singh Gurmit Singh (31): Accused of two counts of molestation, allegedly committed in either 2012 or 2013.
4. Wang Shitao (49): A Chinese national facing three molestation charges.
5. Spencer Tan Peng Chua (58): Tan faced the most charges among all the men, including molestation and assault allegations.

The Specific Allegations

The allegations against these individuals vary in terms of time, location, and severity.

Spencer Tan Peng Chua

Spencer Tan Peng Chua is facing 6 charges which include molest and assault, he is accused of striking a woman’s face with his elbow at a bus stop near Tanjong Katong Complex on November 1, 2022.

He is also alleged to have molested a woman in Sam Leong Road near Jalan Besar at around 5.30 pm on March 28, 2023, although it wasn’t made known if the molest and assault victim(s) is(are) the same person because the victim’s identity had been redacted.

Wang Shitao

In Wang Shitao’s case, he faces three molestation charges related to his work as a masseur at Wan Lin Healthcare Centre at the Fu Lu Shou Complex shopping mall.

One of these alleged incidents occurred during a massage session with a 29-year-old woman between 3.45 pm and 4.30 pm on February 1, 2023.

Melvinder Singh Gurmit Singh

Melvinder Singh Gurmit Singh, on the other hand, is accused of two counts of molestation that supposedly took place in either 2012 or 2013. The exact details of these incidents have not been disclosed.

Muhammad Abdullah

Butt Muhammad Abdullah stands accused of molesting a 30-year-old woman on 2 September at about 3am, at Marquee Singapore, a nightclub at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.

Images source: Google Maps (images used for illustration purposes only)

Recap

54-year-old Mohamed Mohamed Jalil, who was a senior station inspector with the Singapore Police Force, was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to three counts of criminal breach of trust by misappropriation as a public servant.

He had taken about $43,000 worth of money meant as restitution to a victim, whose case he was investigating at the time, and used the money to fund his holidays in the Philippines, his rental payments and maintenance payments to his ex-wife, according to The Straits Times.

The Background

Mohamed Mohamed Jalil, who had been a part of the SPF since May 1989, was attached to the investigation branch of Tanglin Division when these incidents occurred.

The case revolves around a woman, identified as ‘D,’ who made a police report in March 2012, alleging that her housemate, ‘T,’ had pawned jewelry that D had entrusted her to clean. Furthermore, D claimed that T had also misused the money that D had given her for investment opportunities.

Mohamed Mohamed Jalil was the investigation officer assigned to this case.

From April 2012 to March 2013, he informed T to make restitution of approximately $80,000 for the jewelry and the money she had received from D, without obtaining approval from SPF management or the Attorney-General’s Chambers, which is required for arranging restitution payments.

It is essential to note that Mohamed was well aware of the necessity for approval before making such arrangements. Despite this knowledge, he moved forward with his actions.

Trust and the Misappropriation

T, trusting Mohamed as the investigation officer, agreed to make the restitution payment. From March 2013 and November 2017, Mohamed collected a total of $43,000 from T and her husband under the pretext that this money would restituted to D.

Initially, he received the cash directly from the couple at Tanglin Division. However, he later collected the money from them at different locations outside of the police station and devised methods to divert the money for his personal use.

He used the ill-gotten gains to make rental payments, fulfill maintenance obligations to his former wife, and even for his holidays in the Philippines.

The discovery of Mohamed’s transgressions occurred in 2020 when D’s daughter reported to the SPF that some of the misappropriated jewelry had been returned to her family without proper documentation and she revealed that her mother had been unable to contact Mohamed since 2019 to follow up.

Consequently, Mohamed was suspended from the SPF in July 2020, marking the end of his lengthy career in law enforcement.