A finance professional from Singapore named Jane, in her 50s, fell victim to sophisticated scammers who impersonated officials from the Singapore Police’s Anti-Scam Centre (ASC), resulting in the loss of her entire life savings, approximately Rs 7.45 crore (USD $900,000). Her experience, which lasted over two harrowing months, underscores the growing danger of impersonation scams targeting vulnerable individuals.
Jane’s ordeal began on December 11, 2024, when she received a call from someone claiming to be an officer from the Anti-Scam Centre. The caller informed her that her identity card had been misused, causing her immediate alarm. She was then connected to a man who identified himself as “Inspector Yang,” who falsely accused her of involvement in money laundering. Posing as an investigator, “Inspector Yang” demanded her bank statements and insisted she keep the matter confidential.
On December 13, the scammers intensified their tactics by sending Jane a fake police letter. This letter threatened her with money laundering charges and a potential 60-day detention if she did not comply fully. The following day, another scammer, calling himself “Inspector Chong,” instructed Jane to withdraw Rs 3.1 crore (S$500,000) from her account and deposit it into a new bank account, claiming it was essential for their “investigation.”
Overwhelmed by grief from her father’s recent death and significant work-related stress, Jane felt compelled to comply. “I was very sick and overloaded with work. I just wanted to give them whatever they wanted so they could close the case,” she shared during an interview arranged by the police on March 14.
Between December 14 and January 3, Jane transferred around Rs 1.12 crore (Singapore Dollar $180,000) to various bank accounts as instructed by the scammers. After her Chinese bank account was unexpectedly frozen on December 20, the scammers pressured her to withdraw the remaining Rs 1.98 crore (Singapore Dollar $320,000) in cash.
Jane complied and met a man posing as an investigator four times in central Singapore, ultimately giving away all her life savings.
Despite her repeated requests for a refund, the scammers falsely claimed that her case was under review by the High Court. They stopped all communication on January 24. Realizing she had been scammed, Jane reported the incident to the Singapore Pasir Ris Neighborhood Police Centre on February 6, 2025.
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