8 arrested for suspected involvement in banking-related malware crimes
A photo showing cash seized by the police as case exhibits.
SINGAPORE — Four men and four women have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a recent spate of banking-related malware incidents.
The police said in a press statement on Thursday (June 15) that they had received multiple reports since March regarding malware that was used to compromise mobile devices.
Unauthorised transactions were subsequently made from victims’ bank accounts even when they did not divulge their one-time passwords (OTP) to anyone.
The suspects, who are aged between 19 and 35, are believed to be involved in the reported incidents and were arrested during an islandwide operation conducted from June 13 to 14, the police said.
Cash amounting to S$3,800, a cashier’s order of S$9,912.56 and two mobile phones were seized as case exhibits.
Two of the men will be charged in court on Thursday for acquiring benefits from criminal conduct. If convicted, they will face up to 10 years’ jail, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both.
Police investigations are ongoing against the other six suspects for the alleged offences of acquiring benefits from criminal conduct and unauthorised disclosure of access codes.
The public is reminded not to download any suspicious Android Package Kit (APK) from unknown sources as they may contain malware. APKs are used to distribute and install applications on Android mobile phones.
“To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes,” the police said.
The police also said that they will continue to track down cyber criminals who are responsible for banking-related malware incidents and will continue to take tough action to ensure offenders face the full brunt of the law.
