Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Number of Illegal Multi-Level Marketing Schemes Referred to the Commercial Affairs Department in the Past Five Years

Question:

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of cases regarding illegal multi-level marketing schemes referred to the Commercial Affairs Department in the last five years; and (b) what are the outcomes of these investigations, including the number of individuals or organisations that are successfully prosecuted.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1.   The Police do not track the number of cases of multi-level marketing schemes referred to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD). The Police only track cases that are investigated, that is, when there is an offence disclosed.

2.   Between 2018 and 2022, CAD investigated into one case involving possible offences under the Multi-Level Marketing and Pyramid Selling (Prohibition) Act (MLM Act). Investigations are ongoing.

3.   10 individuals were convicted for offences under the MLM Act between 2018 and 2022, for investigations which took place before 2018.