Two Malaysian men plead guilty to withdrawing S$1 million in Singapore for a syndicate, targeting victims of government impersonation and Alipay scams.
SINGAPORE: Two Malaysian men pleaded guilty in court on Wednesday to repeatedly entering Singapore to withdraw a total of S$1 million in scam proceeds for a syndicate operating via Telegram chat groups.
Chang Yang, 23, admitted to conspiring with Ivan Thong Yoong Khean, 27, to withdraw S$403,020 from 24 bank accounts between May and December 2024.
In addition to the same charge as Chang, Thong also pleaded guilty to retaining 51 ATM cards and their access cards.
On top of the initial withdrawal, Chang also took out another S$371,850, while Thong withdrew a further S$255,620.
These amounts were included in the charges taken into consideration by the court.
The two men were arrested at Takashimaya on Dec 5, 2024 with 36 ATM cards and S$34,720 on them.
Another 15 ATM cards were found in a locker.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Karl Tan said the money belonged to victims who fell prey to government official impersonation scams and Alipay scams.
“Some of whom were vulnerable and elderly,” he added.
Tan stated that harm was also caused to public confidence in Singapore’s administration.
“The scams could foster doubt in victims’ minds when they receive official communications from government officials in the future,” he said.
The two men are scheduled to return to court next month for mitigation and sentencing.
