On 13 August 2026, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said 270 people are under investigation for their suspected roles as scammers and money mules, following a two-week islandwide enforcement operation. According to the police statement, the operation ran from 30 July to 12 August 2026 and covered more than 660 cases of scams involving about S$5.4 million in total victim losses.
Who was investigated
The 270 people assisting with investigations, 185 men and 85 women aged between 15 and 80, are linked to scams that the police say spanned from e-commerce, phishing and job scams to government-official impersonation, bogus investment schemes and fake lucky draws. Investigators are looking at both those suspected of cheating victims directly and the money mules who enable them by laundering scam proceeds, providing SIM cards and handing over Singpass credentials.
The offences and the law
Three offences frame the operation, and the SPF set out what each can carry. A cheating charge under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871 can be punished by up to a decade in jail, together with a fine. Where money laundering is made out under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992, the ceiling is ten years, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both. Operating a payment-service business without a licence, an offence under Section 5 of the Payment Services Act 2019, can bring up to three years behind bars, a fine of up to S$125,000, or both.
Caning for scammers and mules
The SPF also set out the physical penalties attached to these cases. Scammers, along with anyone who joins or recruits for a scam syndicate, face mandatory caning of no fewer than six strokes and as many as 24. Mules who grease the operation, whether by laundering proceeds, surrendering SIM cards or handing over Singpass logins, face discretionary caning of up to 12 strokes.
Why it matters for compliance
For banks and payment firms, the operation is a reminder that the mule layer sits directly on their rails. Bank accounts, SIM cards and Singpass identities relinquished to syndicates are the mechanism by which stolen funds are moved and cashed out, which puts weight on onboarding checks, transaction monitoring tuned for mule-account behaviour, and rapid response when victims report. The inclusion of unlicensed payment-service offences also signals continued scrutiny of value-transfer activity operating outside the Payment Services Act.
The police urged the public to reject requests to use their bank accounts, Singpass or SIM cards for others, warning that account holders will be held accountable if their details are used in crime. Anyone with information can call the Police Hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit it via the SPF i-witness portal, and scam advice is available at ScamShield or on the ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
