Singaporean-led scam syndicate evades Cambodian raid after tip-off, believed to have fled to Myanmar

A Singaporean-led scam syndicate operating out of Cambodia is believed to have evaded authorities following a coordinated raid on 9 September 2025, according to a report by state media The Straits Times.

The group, allegedly headed by Ng Wei Liang, 32, reportedly received a tip-off before the Cambodian National Police (CNP) launched its operation.

The raid, conducted by the CNP’s Anti-Cyber Crime Department, targeted a house and warehouse in Phnom Penh suspected to be the group’s operations base.

While 27 Singaporeans and seven Malaysians managed to escape the crackdown, at least one Malaysian was arrested upon returning to the capital.

Simultaneous arrests in Singapore

In coordination with Cambodian authorities, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) executed simultaneous raids across Singapore on the same day.

These included searches of several apartments and hotel rooms, leading to the arrest of 15 individuals linked to the same operation.

According to SPF, 12 Singaporeans, two Malaysians, and a Filipina have been formally charged under the Organised Crime Act and denied bail. Several suspects had allegedly returned from Cambodia after acting as callers for the scam syndicate.

SPF also issued warrants of arrest for 34 individuals who remain at large.

Multi-million-dollar scam operation

Investigations indicate that the syndicate was involved in large-scale government impersonation scams from mid-2024.

Victims were duped into believing they were communicating with representatives from the SPF or the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

These scams reportedly led to losses of at least S$41 million across 438 cases in Singapore alone.

The gang operated from a mansion in Phnom Penh, allegedly paying local officials protection money to avoid interference.

Members reportedly rented nearby apartments and frequently travelled between Cambodia and Singapore, often gambling in local casinos during weekends.

Recruitment through deceptive job postings

As the syndicate expanded, it sought to recruit additional Singaporeans using deceptive job advertisements.

Earlier, an online post on Reddit raised concerns about such recruitment, after it found that a Singapore-based company, Changting Network Technology, had lured jobseekers with roles allegedly located in Singapore.

However, these roles were actually tied to the Koh Kong Resort in Cambodia — a site sanctioned by the United States for involvement in labour exploitation at online scam centres.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also cited the resort in reports relating to transnational scam operations.

The link between the firm’s recruitment efforts and Ng’s syndicate remains under investigation.

Sophisticated communications and seized evidence

The group reportedly coordinated its activities through Telegram, exploiting the platform’s encrypted messaging features to avoid detection.

During the September raids, the CNP seized electronic devices, scripts, and more than US$2.5 million in bank and cryptocurrency assets believed to be proceeds from the scams.

Authorities stated that the materials recovered may provide critical leads on the syndicate’s wider network and its financial operations in Cambodia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Wider crackdown on regional scam networks

The Cambodian authorities have intensified anti-scam efforts in collaboration with regional police forces.

In October 2025, Cambodian police, acting on intelligence from South Korea, arrested more than 60 South Korean nationals suspected of involvement in “pig butchering” scams — a term describing schemes that build victim trust over time before stealing funds.

The operation followed reports that many foreign nationals were trafficked into scam compounds under false job offers. One case involved a 22-year-old South Korean student who was tortured and killed after being forced to work for such a syndicate.

Law enforcement agencies in both Singapore and Cambodia continue to track Ng Wei Liang and the other suspects believed to have fled to Myanmar, amid growing concerns about transnational organised crime across Southeast Asia.

Scam losses in Singapore hit S$456 million in first half of 2025 despite drop from 2024

According to figures released by SPF on 30 August, scams in Singapore caused losses of S$456.4 million between January and June 2025, with 19,964 cases reported.

This represents a decline from the S$522.4 million lost during the same period in 2024. However, the number of cases involving losses above S$100,000 rose significantly.

The police said nearly 1,000 people lost at least S$100,000 in the first half of 2025, up from around 700 during the same period in 2024.

While smaller scams made up the majority—about 70 per cent of cases involved losses under S$5,000—the median loss remained substantial at approximately S$1,500 per case.

Government official impersonation scams more than tripled, from 589 cases in the first half of 2024 to 1,762 in the same period in 2025.

Losses from these scams reached S$126.5 million—an 88 per cent increase from the S$67.2 million recorded a year earlier.