Three people arrested for roles in scheme that compromised work permit holders’ Singpass accounts

AI generated

SINGAPORE - Three people are set to be charged in court on Aug 8 over their suspected roles in a scheme that compromised the Singpass accounts of work permit holders.

The scheme involved offering work permit holders cash in exchange for access to their Singpass accounts.

The perpetrators would then use the compromised Singpass accounts to apply for telco or financial accounts.

Since early August, at least 23 work permit holders have reported that their Singpass accounts were locked after being offered $80 cash in exchange for access to their accounts, said the police in a statement on Aug 7.

Some of these work permit holders were told that their Singpass accounts would be used to purchase National Day Parade (NDP) tickets at a discounted price of $500. However, NDP tickets are not for sale.

After agreeing to take part in the scheme, these work permit holders were told to meet the perpetrators at locations including MRT stations, HDB residential areas and construction sites.

They would either meet the perpetrators directly or be driven to nearby locations where the perpetrators would scan their work permits and obtain their Singpass passwords, said the police.

The fraudulently obtained Singpass accounts were used to register for more than 30 accounts on cross-border payment app LiquidPay and more than 1,200 phone lines without the work permit holders’ knowledge, said the police.

Officers from the Cyber Command and Clementi Division, with support from the Singpass Trust & Safety team at the Government Technology Agency of Singapore, launched an operation on Aug 5 and 6 to establish the syndicate members’ identities and take enforcement action against them.

The operation resulted in the arrest of the three individuals – a 25-year-old man and two women, aged 29 and 38 – for their suspected involvement in obtaining the Singpass login credentials.

Further investigations identified another 136 foreign workers whose accounts were linked to the same activity.

All affected LiquidPay accounts have been frozen, and the fraudulent phone lines have been terminated, said the police.

The three individuals will be charged with the offence of obtaining the Singpass credential of another person.

If convicted, offenders can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $10,000, or both.

Investigations into the work permit holders who voluntarily gave up their Singpass credentials are ongoing, said the police.

Those who disclose their Singpass credentials can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $10,000, or both.

The police advise the public not to accept offers of quick monetary gains in exchange for their Singpass accounts or credentials.

Given that NDP tickets are not for sale, the police issued this advice: “If you are offered discounted tickets or any financial incentive that requires you to provide personal login details, verify the offer directly with the official organising body through recognised channels.”

The police also encourage the public to check the number of post-paid SIM cards they hold by visiting SIMCardHowMany (Beta).

If they spot discrepancies or suspect that the post-paid SIM cards were fraudulently registered, they should alert the relevant telcos and the police.

Anyone with information on such scams can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg, or call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799.

All information will be kept strictly confidential, said the police.