SINGAPORE: Police warned Thursday (April 8) that people could be unwittingly used as money mules in a new trend of scams advertising jobs with high hourly wages.
Police described how crooks would send text messages displaying bogus job ads which, in the example provided in Thursday’s press release, offered “250 per hour.”
“Members of the public are advised to beware of these elaborate scams, as they may unknowingly be used as mules to launder the proceeds of criminal conduct,” police said in a press release.
They advised the public to take precautionary measures such as not clicking on suspicious URL links, not sending money to people they don’t know or have not met in person before, and not share bank account credentials with anyone.
Police also urged the public to refuse job offers that require the use of their personal bank accounts to make money transfers for others, buy cryptocurrency on someone’s behalf. ‘other or open new bank accounts.
“The police would like to remind the public that your bank account (s) will be ‘frozen’ if they are used to aid in laundering money from criminal activity, and that you will be subject to criminal investigations,” they said. declared.
They also urged individuals not to withdraw or transfer any suspicious funds they might receive in their bank accounts and to report the matter to the bank and the police.
Police also asked the public to report any information relating to such crimes or if they suspected that a message received was a scam.
Money mules can be charged with money laundering offenses under the Law on Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits). If found guilty, they could be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to S $ 500,000, or both.
They could also be charged under the Payment Services Act, which carries a fine of up to S $ 125,000, jail time of up to three years, or both.
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