Title: Re: Singapore Police Force (SPF)
Post by: ainat on February 01, 2022, 01:34:40 PM
Project ICONS (2021)
Subtitles extracted from the above video:
"Since the formation of the anti-scam division in march 2021 we have embarked on project ICONS which stands for International Cooperation On Negating Scams this project focuses on intensive intelligence sharing with our overseas law enforcement agencies through protracted collaboration we have successfully busted existing syndicates which leads to the arrest of 230 syndicate members this is unprecedented and can be considered as a very big breakthrough as police officers our major is to protect life and properties and whenever we receive a report our main responsibility is to investigate the criminal offence that is being disclosed we also strive to recover the losses that the victim have but that is always not the main the main thing will always be to ensure uh criminal justice is being served and if we can recover the money it will be a bonus for the victims itself once the money is out of singapore it would be very difficult for the police to recover while we have built strong links with overseas law enforcement agencies recovery can be still very challenging because different jurisdictions have different legislation hence we would like to urge members of the public that once they suspect that they have been scammed they should alert the bank and lodge a police report at the soonest so as to mitigate losses the biggest challenge uh wherever we face with uh scam victims is that to gain their trust there was a case that that we responded to uh whereby the vic elderly victim uh she was granny that actually lost a substantial amount of her life savings so after letting her know that hey we are the real police and she has been scammed she's naturally distorted by the fact that she's been cheated and also she lost so much money so we continue to talk to her to update her about the processes and the status of her case but we also offer her emotional support because she was clearly in distress about it and throughout the conversation we start to realize that hey there were times she displayed suicidal tendencies and that's where then we offer her more victim care support and walk her through that process from the many victims that we can't contact with at first look they will not be victims of scam but unfortunately maybe at times of vulnerability sometimes they lose their objectivity because the scammers that's what the scammers are good at is to expect the vulnerability and to build on that trust it's really a shared responsibility uh that we have to protect ourselves against scams we have to be mindful of scams and we have to be mindful of scams not only just for ourselves but also for our friends our families to ensure that uh they do not fall for scamstar so if they're not in the situation in the first place then they will not suffer any losses."
Title: Re: Singapore Police Force (SPF)
Post by: greentara on February 19, 2022, 09:18:02 PM
Police rescue suicidal victims, work with telcos and foreign counterparts to stop scams Jessie Lim | 17 Feb 2022
SINGAPORE - Concerned that a scam victim in her 50s was not taking his calls, senior investigation officer (SIO) Quek Kee Boon visited her home last month and noticed the distinct smell of gas coming from her apartment.
SIO Quek, who is from the police’s Anti-Scam Division (ASD), said the woman was so weak from inhaling the gas that she was lying on the floor when she opened the door.
She said she wanted to end her life because she was distraught over losing her life savings of $100,000 to scammers.
SIO Quek was relating the incident at a police media briefing on Monday (Feb 14) to explain how the police are tackling scams.
The ASD, which comes under the Commercial Affairs Department, coordinates the police's anti-scam investigations and enforcement.
The woman was duped in a China officials impersonation scam.
SIO Quek said the woman had transferred the money while under stress as the scammers had claimed she was being investigated by the police in China over money laundering offences.
To prove her innocence, she was told she had to transfer all her savings into one of her accounts for investigation purposes. She was also instructed by the scammers to take a bank loan of $72,500.
It was a significant sum to the unemployed mother of two.
After instructing the victim to relinquish her one-time password, the scammer seized control of her bank account.
Recounting his visit to the woman's home, SIO Quek recalled knocking persistently on her door until she finally opened it.
"She was lying on the ground, using a wooden pole to open the door. When I asked her what happened, she said she had turned on the gas (stove) to try to commit suicide," he said.
The police contacted her family members about the incident and also offered her care support when she was discharged from hospital.
Since then, the police have recovered at least $70,000 and returned the money to her. Her condition has also stabilised.
SIO Quek said: "In extreme cases, scam victims can resort to ending their lives. I'm glad I could save her at that point in time."
In 2021, there were 23,931 scams reported, a 52.9 per cent increase from the 15,651 cases in 2020.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Aileen Yap said: "This is a life we saved but we are not sure how many we did not save."
Between September 2021 and November 2021, the police conducted three islandwide anti-scam operations targeting money mules linked to job scams, which last year were the most reported scam type.
The operations led to the arrests of 135 individuals.
Another 141 were investigated for selling their bank accounts or relinquishing their Singpass credentials so syndicates could open bank accounts to siphon monies stolen in scams.
Last year, the police froze more than 12,600 bank accounts, recovering more than $102 million stolen in scams.
As part of enforcement efforts, the police also worked with telecommunication companies and online marketplaces to terminate more than 3,300 mobile lines and reported more than 17,300 WhatsApp lines involved in suspected scams.
The police also used technology to fight scams, launching Project Awakenings last December to identify and warn potential victims of investment scams by sending them targeted SMS advisories.
They also worked with foreign law enforcement agencies and raise awareness of scams among the public.
Police said scams last year constituted 51.8 per cent of overall crime, up from 42 per cent in 2020.
DAC Yap said the ease of online payment methods has made it more convenient for scammers to transfer money quickly.
She said: "Singapore has really become more vulnerable (to scams) with digital payments and enhanced communication channels such as Telegram and WhatsApp.
"It is extremely important for us to work together with various key stakeholders to halt the flow of money, whether it's from a bank account, e-wallet or cryptocurrency account.
"We cannot emphasise enough that fighting scams is a community effort."
Helplines
• Anti-Scam Hotline: 1800-722-6688 (9am - 5pm) • National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868 (8am - 12am)
Mental well-being • Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours) • Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 (24 hours) /1-767 (24 hours) • Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 • Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928 • Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 and www.tinklefriend.sg • Community Health Assessment Team: 6493-6500/1 and www.chat.mentalhealth.sg
Counselling • TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 • TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers): 6804-6555 • Care Corner Counselling Centre: 1800-353-5800 Online resources • mindline.sg • My Mental Health • Fei Yue’s Online Counselling Service • Tinkle Friend • Community Health Assessment Team