SINGAPORE: A joint operation between the police and six banks in Singapore helped prevent the loss of millions of dollars to scammers, and also stopped a suicide attempt by a victim who lost more than S$5,000.
The four-day operation was conducted by the Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Centre and six banks – CIMB, DBS, HSBC, OCBC, Standard Chartered Bank and UOB, the police said in a news release on Saturday (Nov 19).
The police and the banks prevented losses of more than S$5.1 million from more than 1,100 victims during the operation from Nov 14 to Nov 17.
Officers from the Anti-Scam Centre and the staff from the six banks conducted live interventions by analysing the fund flows of more than 90 bank accounts, which were surfaced in investment and job scam reports.
Seven Police Land Divisions, along with the Anti-Scam Centre and the six banks, worked together to engage unsuspecting victims who were transferring money into the “scam-tainted” bank accounts, said the police.
The victims were alerted that they could have fallen prey to scams, and were also advised to stop any further monetary transfers.
The police said many of the victims only realised they were scammed after the authorities engaged and convinced them.
Scam proceeds of more than S$1.5 million were seized, and the police further prevented losses amounting to more than S$5.1 million.
SUICIDE ATTEMPT PREVENTED
The police also prevented a suicide attempt by a victim who was cheated in a…
