A transnational money laundering syndicate operating in Hong Kong has been dismantled through a collaborative effort between the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), and INTERPOL.
The syndicate was responsible for laundering proceeds from scams, including technical support scams in Singapore and other fraudulent activities in Hong Kong.
Between January and July 2024, the SPF received 185 reports of technical support scams, resulting in losses exceeding S$ 17.9 million.
These scams involved pop-up alerts on victims’ devices, falsely claiming they were compromised by malware.
Scammers, posing as technical support from companies like Microsoft or Apple, would then manipulate victims into providing remote access to their devices, leading to unauthorised transactions from their bank accounts.
Following joint investigations and intelligence sharing between SPF’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) and HKPF, officers in Hong Kong conducted raids between 9 and 12 August 2024.
These operations led to the arrest of a syndicate mastermind, three members, and three money mules, with HK$300,000 in cash and over 60 bank cards seized.
Further investigations recovered an additional HK$1.3 million in criminal proceeds.
A 23-year-old male in Singapore has been arrested for his involvement in money laundering activities linked to the syndicate where investigations are ongoing.
The SPF emphasizes the importance of international cooperation in combating transnational crimes and urges the public to remain cautious when dealing with unsolicited technical support requests.
Authorities advise immediate action, including turning off devices and contacting banks, if individuals believe they have fallen victim to such scams.
Director of CAD, David Chew said,
“The transnational tech-support scam syndicate target unsuspecting victims in many jurisdictions, including Singapore. The false screen pop up was a ruse to phish for the victim’s internet banking credentials and the abuse of the remote access software allowed scammers to remotely control the victim’s computer to make unauthorized banking transactions.
The criminal proceeds generated by this tech-support scam were laundered through Hong Kong. Cross-border collaboration facilitated by INTERPOL was key to dismantling this foreign syndicate and deny them the fruits of their labour.”
Featured image credit: Edited from Freepik
