CrimeAsia News Network

Scam victims in S’pore lost $633.3 million in 2021

The sum lost is almost 2.5 times the $268.4 million stolen by scammers the previous year.

The costs include a quarter of a million US dollars for Leonardo DiCaprio, a US$385,773 bar tab, US$5,000 for "model wrangling".

The loggers allegedly paid between 200,000-250,000 riel ($50-$60) to forest authorities to be allowed to remove the logs.

Using information submitted while making purchases, scammers could transfer money from victim accounts, police said.

Those arrested include three doctors, three nurses, 11 members of the public, seven agents and a clinic employee.

Such scams are elaborately designed to induce victims' sense of urgency to respond, says a psychologist.

A report, by blockchain data firm Chainalysis, revealed that US$8.6 billion of cryptocurrency was laundered last year, up by 30 per cent from 2020.

Several cases of teachers falling victim to a phishing scam are being reported, despite “safe” banking systems.

Ung Chanthouk, a former National Police two-star general, was arrested for violating the government-imposed lockdown orders.

The Indian government has said the automated facial recognition system being implemented nationwide would prevent crime.