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

A total of 11 men and one woman, aged between 17 and 40, have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the recent spate of banking-related malware scam cases, following an island-wide anti-scam enforcement operation conducted between 9 and 20 October 2023.

Over the course of two weeks, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and Police Intelligence Department (PID) mounted simultaneous island-wide operations and arrested 12 persons. Preliminary investigations revealed that the 11 men and one woman had allegedly facilitated the scam cases by relinquishing their bank accounts, Internet banking credentials and/or disclosing Singpass credentials for monetary gains.  

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 had 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 such as 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 access victims’ banking apps, add money mules as payees, raise payment limits and transfer money to money mules. The scammers could further delete SMSes and email notifications of the bank transactions to cover their tracks.

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.

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
21 October 2023 @ 12:00 PM

In the age of social media, a single video can quickly spark widespread discussions and debates. Such was the case with a recent video that emerged on the Singapore Incidents Facebook page, showing a woman picking up discarded packaged bread from a green rubbish bin outside an HDB block.

The video has ignited a heated debate among netizens over the woman’s actions, with some netizens feeling sorry for the woman and others asking if it was hygienic to do so.

Rummaging through the bin for food

• Financial Struggles and Sympathy:
  Some viewers sympathized with the woman, speculating that she might be facing financial difficulties and trying to survive by salvaging discarded bread.
  This perspective emphasizes the importance of understanding the possible reasons behind her actions and showing empathy.
• Food Rescuer Perspective:
  There was a group of people who proposed that the woman might be a “food rescuer” who aims to reduce food waste.
  They argued that her actions could be part of a broader effort to share edible items with others or feed stray animals.
  They believe that reducing food waste should be a priority and that there is nothing inherently wrong with salvaging food from the trash.
• Hygiene and Health Concerns:
  Some raised concerns about hygiene and the potential health risks associated with retrieving food from trash cans.
  They suggested that bakeries should consider alternative methods such as placing unsold bread outside the store for people to take or donating it to those in need, rather than simply discarding it.
• Freeganism Perspective:
  Members of the local Freeganism movement highlighted that people should understand the reasons for why the woman did what she did.
  They pointed out that her actions shed light on the issue of edible food being wasted and encouraged support for initiatives that aim to donate unsold food to the needy.
• Importance of Source and Caution:
  A food rescue volunteer emphasized the importance of knowing the source of discarded food. They mentioned being cautious about what’s in the trash because the origin of the food is often unknown.

@8world.news 妇女垃圾桶捡面包被网民批不卫生，食物拯救者怎么说？#8worldnews #8视界新闻网 #食物拯救 #foodrescue #dumpsterdiving #sgnews ♬ original sound – 8视界新闻网

The most cherished moments of our lives are often captured in photographs. Be it a wedding, a birthday, or a significant event, these snapshots serve as eternal reminders of the joy we experienced.

However, for Shi Hui and her husband, what was meant to be a beautiful memory turned into a nightmare. Their wedding photographer vanished, leaving them with no photos to remember their special day, according to a report by STOMP.

The couple shared about the incident on Instagram. It all began when Shi Hui and her husband discovered Alvin Yap of Mellow Pictures (which has since closed down) at a Blissful Brides event. They were drawn to his extensive portfolio and the promise of capturing their special day in a unique way.

They engaged Alvin Yap to document their wedding, which was scheduled for December 31, 2022. They wanted to bid farewell to 2022 with a celebration, surrounded by their loved ones.

Months after their wedding, there were no photographs to relive those cherished moments. The images that were meant to encapsulate their love and joy had vanished into thin air.

Alvin Yap informed the couple that their photos would be ready by March, nearly three months after the wedding. However, when they inquired again, they received devastating news.

His storage system had crashed, and their dinner photos were lost forever. There was no way to recover these precious memories. The couple was left in shock and disbelief.

Shi Hui and her husband contacted Alvin Yap multiple times, but he had seemingly disappeared. He ignored their messages and emails, leaving them in a state of distress.

The closure of Mellow Pictures seemed to leave the couple with no recourse. They had fully paid for their wedding photography, which included not only the photographs but also their evening gowns, tuxedo suits, and the emcee.

Yet, they had no memories to show for it. Even the keepsake box and promised prints remained elusive.

According to the information stated on the Mellow Picture’s website, the package that the couple presumably paid for costs about $3,290.

Here is what they said

Our Wedding Highlight of 31 Dec 2022

My all-time favorite pre-wedding photo – a memory we could have. Unfortunately, our photographer, Alvin Yap, mentioned he had a storage system crash. It’s been 10 long months, and Alvin has disappeared, ignoring our messages and emails.

Shockingly, he has yet to fulfill his end of the contract, even had the audacity to remind us not to owe money during CNY. We paid well ahead of time! Our evening gown and tuxedo suit photos, along with cherished moments with family and friends, vanished into thin air.

We are not ones to dwell on the past, but it’s time to shed light on this situation. Let’s ensure others don’t face a similar predicament. Share this post far and wide to warn fellow couples, family, and friends who are planning their special day. Together, we can prevent others from falling victim to such irresponsibility.

PS: Our friends and family urged us to warn other couples who are planning to get married or are planning to engage wedding photographer alvindicate @beinspiredbyalvin@alvinyap.allureweddings

We tried finding CASE, lawyer that MP @baeyyamkeng recommend but seems that we are at the losing end as his company has closed down. This was unexpected from a photographer which we trusted and gotten to know from Blissful Brides event for our big day. Please feel free to share with your loved ones and treasured friends

So sorry to ALL of our favourite family and friends who took the time and effort to participate on our supposed memorable once in a lifetime event, the memory will be etched in our hearts

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shi Hui (@shihui_shervonne)