Follow-up actions on online scams soliciting payment for fictitious items at unconnected addresses and protecting address holders from suspicion and liability

Question:

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what follow-up actions are taken by the Police in response to reports of online scams soliciting payment for fictitious items to be collected at addresses of unconnecte d parties; and (b) what safeguards exist to ensure that persons whose addresses are misused as collection points are not exposed to suspicion or liability.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. When a Police report has been made, the Police will investigate to determine if a criminal offence has been committed. If there is reasonable suspicion that a case is scam-related, the Police can direct online service providers to restrict Singapore users’ access to the relevant online activity under the Online Criminal Harms Act.

2. The use of an address in such cases does not mean that the owner or occupier is presumed to be involved. The Police will assess the facts and circumstances of each case to determine if an offence was committed and conduct the required investigation to asc ertain whether an individual is culpable for the offence.