SINGAPORE: A money mule who had almost S$4.8 million (US$3.5 million) in her company's bank account, which were suspected to be proceeds from a phishing scam in the United States, was jailed for 14 months on Wednesday (Jan 8).
Sakinah Waheeda Abdul Manan, 34, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing suspected criminal benefits, giving another person unauthorised access to a bank account, and failure to diligently discharge her duties as a company director.
Another four charges were considered in sentencing.
The court heard that Sakinah had just been released from prison and was in need of money when she got to know a person by the name of "Alan" on Telegram.
Alan told her she could earn S$60,000 a year if she gave him her SingPass account to register companies.
He also said that she would be the registered locally resident director of the companies, but the companies would be run by foreign directors, and she did not need to do anything.
This raised Sakinah's suspicions, as she was being offered a lot of money without having to do anything. But she agreed, and gave her SingPass credentials to Alan.
Alan registered two companies – Froxify and Frox Designz – using Sakinah's SingPass account, and opened a CIMB bank account in Froxify's name in July 2021.
To open the account, Sakinah had to attend an in-person interview at CIMB. Alan gave her information about Froxify's supposed business so she could answer the bank's questions.
Sakinah was told to submit documentary proof of Froxify's customers and suppliers to the bank, which she left to Alan to do.
On Oct 5, 2021, the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force was alerted by the US that money from a fraud victim had been transferred into a Singapore bank account.
The email system of the fraud victim, Home Legend LLC, was compromised in a phishing scam.
More than US$3.5 million was transferred out of Home Legend's bank account over three days in September 2021, and deposited in Froxify's CIMB account.
Froxify's account hence received more than S$1.2 million each day on Sep 20 and Sep 22, 2021, and more than S$2.3 million on Sep 23, 2021.
The money was dissipated within a day or two. When the police seized Froxify's account on Oct 7, 2021, a balance of about S$8,600 remained.
As director of Froxify between Jul 26, 2021 and Nov 19, 2021, Sakinah relinquished control of the company to Alan, allowing it to receive criminal benefits, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li said.
Sakinah did not know what business Froxify was involved in, where its office was, and that she was the sole signatory of the firm's CIMB account.
Alan also offered Sakinah S$1,500 if she opened a local bank account and handed control of it to him. She did so on Aug 21, 2021, opening an account with UOB and passing its credentials and a linked debit card to Alan.
Two days later, S$8,000 was deposited into the UOB account and transferred almost immediately to other bank accounts.
The money was deposited by a victim of a cryptocurrency investment scam in Singapore, who made a police report.
Sakinah was previously jailed in 2016 for theft and drug consumption, and in 2018 for consumption and possession of drugs.
The prosecutor asked for about 15 to 18 months' imprisonment.
Mr Li argued that a staggering amount of money was laundered, that Sakinah did not try to address her suspicions about providing Alan with her SingPass account, and that she was not a passive participant.
Defence lawyer Azeera Ali of the Public Defender's Office said that Sakinah was "a mere pawn used by the scam syndicate", which preyed upon her because of her financial vulnerability and aspirations at the time.
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Sakinah Waheeda Abdul Manan, 34, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing suspected criminal benefits, giving another person unauthorised access to a bank account, and failure to diligently discharge her duties as a company director.
Another four charges were considered in sentencing.
The court heard that Sakinah had just been released from prison and was in need of money when she got to know a person by the name of "Alan" on Telegram.
Alan told her she could earn S$60,000 a year if she gave him her SingPass account to register companies.
He also said that she would be the registered locally resident director of the companies, but the companies would be run by foreign directors, and she did not need to do anything.
This raised Sakinah's suspicions, as she was being offered a lot of money without having to do anything. But she agreed, and gave her SingPass credentials to Alan.
Alan registered two companies – Froxify and Frox Designz – using Sakinah's SingPass account, and opened a CIMB bank account in Froxify's name in July 2021.
To open the account, Sakinah had to attend an in-person interview at CIMB. Alan gave her information about Froxify's supposed business so she could answer the bank's questions.
Sakinah was told to submit documentary proof of Froxify's customers and suppliers to the bank, which she left to Alan to do.
On Oct 5, 2021, the Commercial Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force was alerted by the US that money from a fraud victim had been transferred into a Singapore bank account.
The email system of the fraud victim, Home Legend LLC, was compromised in a phishing scam.
More than US$3.5 million was transferred out of Home Legend's bank account over three days in September 2021, and deposited in Froxify's CIMB account.
Froxify's account hence received more than S$1.2 million each day on Sep 20 and Sep 22, 2021, and more than S$2.3 million on Sep 23, 2021.
The money was dissipated within a day or two. When the police seized Froxify's account on Oct 7, 2021, a balance of about S$8,600 remained.
As director of Froxify between Jul 26, 2021 and Nov 19, 2021, Sakinah relinquished control of the company to Alan, allowing it to receive criminal benefits, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li said.
Sakinah did not know what business Froxify was involved in, where its office was, and that she was the sole signatory of the firm's CIMB account.
Alan also offered Sakinah S$1,500 if she opened a local bank account and handed control of it to him. She did so on Aug 21, 2021, opening an account with UOB and passing its credentials and a linked debit card to Alan.
Two days later, S$8,000 was deposited into the UOB account and transferred almost immediately to other bank accounts.
The money was deposited by a victim of a cryptocurrency investment scam in Singapore, who made a police report.
Sakinah was previously jailed in 2016 for theft and drug consumption, and in 2018 for consumption and possession of drugs.
The prosecutor asked for about 15 to 18 months' imprisonment.
Mr Li argued that a staggering amount of money was laundered, that Sakinah did not try to address her suspicions about providing Alan with her SingPass account, and that she was not a passive participant.
Defence lawyer Azeera Ali of the Public Defender's Office said that Sakinah was "a mere pawn used by the scam syndicate", which preyed upon her because of her financial vulnerability and aspirations at the time.
Continue reading...