Singapore-led anti-scam operation arrests over 3,000 suspects linked to $963 million in losses

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and law enforcement agencies from nine other jurisdictions have completed a major cross-border anti-scam operation that resulted in more than 3,000 arrests linked to global scam losses of around US$752 million (S$963 million).

Operation FRONTIER+ III, conducted between March and May 2026, involved authorities from Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macau, South Korea, Brunei, the Maldives and Canada. The crackdown targeted investment scams, impersonation scams, job scams and e-commerce fraud.

Authorities investigated more than 7,500 individuals connected to over 138,000 scam cases, while nearly 102,000 scam-linked bank accounts were frozen and more than US$161 million in illicit funds seized.

In Singapore alone, over 130 individuals were arrested and more than S$34.9 million was seized. The operation also uncovered several business e-mail compromise and impersonation scams involving large cross-border fund transfers.

In one case, scammers posing as a company chairman convinced a Singapore-based CEO to transfer US$36.3 million for a fake acquisition project. Singapore and Hong Kong authorities managed to freeze and recover part of the funds, while investigations led to the arrest of two Singaporeans linked to the laundering operation.

The SPF also worked with Malaysian authorities to dismantle scam syndicates operating money mule networks and government impersonation scams targeting Singapore victims.

The FRONTIER+ initiative currently connects anti-scam agencies across 14 jurisdictions to facilitate real-time intelligence sharing, coordinated raids and fund recovery efforts against transnational scam networks.