SINGAPORE — The police are investigating 100 people after a three-day island-wide operation against scammers and money mules.

The 100 suspects, comprising 57 men and 43 women, were arrested between 20 and 22 March. Aged between 15 and 64, they are suspected to be involved in 277 cases of scams involving more than S$770,000.

They will be investigated for cheating or money laundering, the police said in a statement on Friday (March 23).

The police said that criminal syndicates have been recruiting money mules, so as to make use of their personal bank accounts to receive and transfer ill-gotten gains from other victims of scams.

These criminal syndicates will usually reach out to online users by either befriending them through various dating websites and social media platforms or pretending to offer them a "fast-cash" or "work-from-home" job offer.

"Criminals have also been known to instruct people to open new bank accounts in Singapore on the pretext of various reasons such as to receive money for their business purposes," the police said.

These money mules would then be instructed to pass ATM cards, ATM PINs and bank accounts to others, allowing criminal syndicates — which are often based overseas— to control the accounts.

"The Police would like to warn the public that bank account holders are accountable for any transaction made in their accounts," added the statement.

Even if they had acted unwittingly, they will be liable for money laundering offences if their bank accounts are found to have been used to receive criminal proceeds, said the police.

"Each bank account holder will be investigated and their bank accounts will be frozen for the purpose of investigation."

The police added that in some cases, scammers may provide a copy of an Identification Card or Driver's licence to gain the trust of online users. These documents, however, may not necessarily belong to them.

The public can check the validity of the documents on ICA's iEnquiry portal at: https://ienquiry.ica.gov.sg/mobile/vCheck.do.

For cheating, a suspect may be jailed up to 10 years and fined, while the money laundering offence carries a punishment of up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine of up to S$500,000.