Student in SG, 16, made to fake kidnapping for ransom in China officials’ scam


The police advised the public to ignore calls from numbers with the ‘ ’ prefix that originate from overseas. — Photo by Hannah Wei on Unsplash

SINGAPORE: When fraudsters posing as Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers accused 16-year-old Peter (not his real name) in April of being involved in a scam, the teenager was terrified.

They said he had a mobile number in China which had been used to cheat victims in Singapore.

Unlock 30% Savings on Ad-Free Access Now!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM9.73 only

Billed as RM9.73 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month
RM8.63/month

Billed as RM103.60 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters.

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In Tech News

South Africa's Takealot grows revenue to fend off Amazon rivalry
Snowcap Compute raises $23 million for superconducting AI chips
Driverless disruption: Tech titans gird for robotaxi wars with new factory and territories
Prosus delays Indian payments firm PayU IPO to enhance business operations
Study: Trust in AI strongest in China, low-income nations
Prosus bets on tech investment, beats target with core earnings up 47%
FBI warns of hidden ‘malicious’ threats lurking in widely used devices
Would you hail a 'robotaxi'? Musk bets cabs will give Tesla a lift after boycotts and sales plunge
Music streaming service Deezer adds AI song tags in fight against fraud
Jony Ive deal removed from OpenAI site over trademark suit

Others Also Read