Enforcement action: the Singapore Police Force (SPF), 22 October 2026.
In a two-week operation between 8 and 21 October 2026, 186 men and 91 women, aged 15 to 76, came under investigation for their suspected involvement in more than 883 scam cases, in which victims reportedly lost around $6.1 million.
The police set out what the offences carry. Cheating under section 420 of the Penal Code carries imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine. Offences under section 5 of the Payment Services Act 2019 carry a fine of up to $125,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both. Scammers and scam-syndicate recruiters face mandatory caning of at least six strokes; mules who launder proceeds or hand over SIM cards or Singpass credentials face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes, Singpass offences falling under the Computer Misuse Act. Anyone linked to such crimes can also face restrictions on banking services and mobile line subscriptions.
What this means for a Singapore SME
Money mules are recruited through ordinary accounts: a bank account, a Singpass login, a mobile line handed to someone else. For an employer, that reaches the business in two places. Staff who lend their own accounts risk prosecution and restrictions on banking services and mobile lines. And a business that lets anyone else use its corporate account, payment service or Singpass is lending the same tools. The police ask anyone with information on such scams to call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000.