Two elderly Singapore residents lose $5.9 million to impersonation scam involving fake police calls and WhatsApp identification cards

Summary

Two elderly victims in Singapore lost a total of $5.9 million in December 2024 to scammers who impersonated overseas police officers. The scammers initially contacted the victims via unsolicited phone calls, pretending to be from telecommunications companies like Singtel or Starhub. They claimed the victims' phone numbers were used in foreign crimes and then transferred the calls to another scammer posing as a foreign law enforcement officer. The scammers sent a fake "police identification card" via WhatsApp and delivered forged documents to the victims’ homes to support the deception. The victims were tricked into withdrawing money and handing it to a stranger, acting as a cash mule, for "safekeeping." The scam was uncovered when the scammers became uncontactable or when the victims contacted the Singapore police.