Singapore Police Seize Over S$539,000, Freeze 176 Accounts in Island-Wide Anti-Scam Operation

More than S$539,000 in suspected scam proceeds was seized and 176 individuals were placed under investigation following a 12-day island-wide enforcement operation conducted by the police in collaboration with local banks.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) said in a news release on Friday, December 12, that the operation was carried out between November 17 and 28 by officers from the Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) and the police land divisions' Scam Strike Teams.

During the operation, more than 176 bank accounts believed to be linked to scam activities were also frozen.

The crackdown targeted individuals suspected of involvement in several common scam types, including government official impersonation scams, investment scams and job scams.

These scam variants were among the top five scam categories reported in the first half of 2025, the police said.

In addition to enforcement actions against individuals, the police worked closely with industry partners such as social media companies, messaging platforms and telecommunication firms to disrupt scam infrastructure.

As a result, more than 880 online enablers were taken down and over 1,070 phone lines linked to scam operations were terminated.

Of the 176 individuals under investigation, 128 are men and 48 are women, aged between 16 and 85. The police said they are being investigated for allegedly allowing their bank accounts to be used for money laundering purposes.

Under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, individuals convicted of assisting others to retain benefits from criminal conduct may face a jail term of up to three years, a fine of up to S$50,000, or both.

Those found guilty of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material under the Computer Misuse Act may be sentenced to up to two years' imprisonment, fined up to S$5,000, or both for a first offence.

The police reminded members of the public to reject any requests to share SingPass credentials, bank accounts or mobile phone lines, as doing so could make them accomplices to criminal activities.

They also urged the public to remain vigilant against scams by adopting the ACT framework — add the ScamShield app, check for signs of scams, and tell the authorities as well as family and friends about suspected scam cases.