A two-week operation by officers from the Central Police Division identified 12 suspects in an extortion scam which involved the use of manipulated obscene pictures. The seven men and five women, aged between 18 and 46, allegedly provided bank information and SIM cards acquired through illegal means, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (May 1). They are also suspected of assisting in unauthorised accessing of Singpass accounts. The suspects were allegedly given or promised commissions, preliminary investigations revealed. At least $115,000 in suspected criminal proceeds — some purportedly linked to other scam cases — were recovered and an array of electronic devices were seized during the operation. A 23-year-old woman is due to be charged in court on Thursday for facilitating unauthorised access to computer material, an offence that carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both. Threatening letters with manipulated photos Over 170 reports involving extortionary letters have been made between March and April, said the police. Read more