Singapore police, FBI sign MOU to tackle money laundering, cyber scams, fraud

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SINGAPORE – Online scams, cyber-enabled fraud and money laundering cases will be the focus of the Singapore Police Force and US Federal Bureau of Investigation after they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on July 24.

SPF’s deputy commissioner of investigation and intelligence Zhang Weihan and the FBI’s assistant director for the Criminal Division Heith R. Janke inked the MOU at the US Embassy in Singapore.

“The signing of the MOU symbolises the SPF and the FBI’s shared resolve and strengthening of our partnership to interdict and to disrupt criminal syndicates targeting its citizens,” said SPF in a statement.

Both agencies have a “longstanding” relationship, SPF added, having collaborated multiple times in joint operations, information sharing, training and capacity building, and mutual assistance on transnational crimes.

Earlier in July, the SPF Cyber Command and the FBI prevented losses amounting to US$2.7 million (S$3.5 million) in the United States and $388,000 in Singapore in a joint operation targeting transantional cryptocurrency scams.

The agencies identified 54 victims and potential victims of scams in Singapore and the US through information sharing and exchange of blockchain intelligence.

Zhang said: “SPF’s partnership with the FBI reflects our shared commitment to combatting scams and money laundering, protecting victims on both sides of the world.

“These crimes are inherently borderless, and it is only through close collaboration with trusted international partners like the FBI that we can effectively disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks behind them.”

Scams are a significant problem in Singapore, having cost victims more than $4 billion since 2019.

The number of cases climbed to record highs, falling only recently for the first time in eight years.

In 2025, there were a total of 37,308 cases with $913.1 million lost. Of this sum, the police have recovered about $140.5 million.