Singapore Extradites Suspected Cybercrime Scammers from Malaysia

Singapore police scored a win with the arrests of two men accused of operating servers that enabled cybercrimes against Singaporeans and the dismantling of their supporting infrastructure.

In 2023, nearly 2,000 victims in Singapore downloaded malicious Android applications that allowed the scammers to steal device data, including bank information, according to a statement from the Singapore police.

Following a deep analysis of the malware by cybersecurity officials in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, where the arrests were made, police were able to track the entire organization behind the attacks, including a syndicate accused of operating a fraudulent customer service center in Taiwan.

"In addition, the HKPF (Hong Kong Police Force) successfully took down 52 malware-controlling servers in Hong Kong and arrested 14 money mules who had allegedly facilitated the malware-enabled scam cases by relinquishing the use of their bank accounts to the scammers for monetary reward," the Singapore police added.

The two arrests included a 26-year-old man who faces up to seven years in prison. The other, a 47-year-old man, will stand trial for the same crimes, plus an additional charge carrying up to 10 years in prison, police said.