If you have applied for long-term immigration facilities such as permanent residency and received a letter and tax invoice to pay a fee, do not make any payment. In a news release on Saturday (March 28), the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said it was alerted to a fake letter and tax invoice that were received by an applicant. According to ICA, the “documents” bore its letterhead and a signature of an officer allegedly from the authority. The applicant later received the fake letter and invoice asking for a certain fee to be paid to proceed with the application. Checks by ICA revealed that the applicant had engaged a commercial entity to assist with a Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) application for a total fee of about $5,000. The authority also found that no application had been submitted on behalf of the person. Applicants should apply directly to ICAICA also revealed that they have been alerted to 12 similar cases since January.

When the police told sisters Faith and Sarah Phua in April 2025 that their 75-year-old mother wanted to transfer $67,000 to an unknown account, they were shocked.They confronted their mother, who admitted she wanted to send the money to tech billionaire Elon Musk, whom she believed needed help saving his company from ruin.They were horrified to later learn that since 2022, their mother had been fooled by scammers who used artificial intelligence to impersonate Musk to talk to her.Over three years, the elderly woman transferred $600,000 to the scammers.The sisters spoke to The Straits Times at the Police Cantonment Complex in New Bridge Road on March 24.Sarah Phua, 45, said: “My mum said Elon Musk needed her money to help his business as it was losing money. That was when we knew she had been brainwashed.”

More than 830kg of Asian pangolin scales from an estimated over 2,200 pangolins were seized in a joint operation between the National Parks Board (NParks) and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) in December last year, said Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan. Tan, who is also Minister of State for Trade and Industry, disclosed this at the World Wildlife Regional Youth Symposium held at the BCA Academy on Saturday (March 28), when he announced the publication of a new Singapore-focused compendium as part of a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen partnerships and tackle illegal wildlife trade.The compendium is tailored to Singapore's context as a major maritime hub, and underscores the importance of international cooperation and public-private partnerships in the fight against wildlife trafficking along global maritime routes.It equips maritime industry partners, including carriers, shippers and freight forwarders with guidance on at-risk routes and common red flags in wildlife trafficking, such as discrepancies in documentation, cargo value, weight and appearance.

Passengers on board a Garuda Indonesia flight bound for Jakarta, Indonesia, from Changi Airport were evacuated after a safety issue was detected on the aircraft before take-off on March 25.A safety hazard in the aircraft’s tail section that posed a potential risk to flight safety was identified by the crew on Flight GA829 during boarding that day, said the airline in a statement on March 27.Most passengers had already boarded the aircraft, which was scheduled to depart Changi at 12.55pm, it said, adding that “measured and controlled safety measures” were carried out to direct passengers back to the boarding gate.Passengers were evacuated via the aerobridge and escape slides at the rear aircraft doors to hasten the disembarkation process, said the airline.“All passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft to continue their journey to Jakarta and have also received compensation in accordance with applicable regulations,” it said.Garuda Indonesia did not reveal when the replacement flight departed or details of the safety hazard.

At least 72 cases involving scammers impersonating DBS Bank and POSB have been reported since Jan 15, with total losses amounting to at least $484,000. In a joint statement issued on Friday (March 27), the police and DBS said that in this scam variant, victims would receive emails purportedly from DBS or POSB claiming that their digital tokens have expired and need to be activated or updated. These emails would contain embedded links directing recipients to phishing websites that resemble official DBS or POSB webpages. Victims are then misled into entering their banking credentials, credit or debit card details, and one-time passwords to activate or update their digital tokens. Victims would subsequently discover unauthorised transactions, including those in foreign currencies such as euros and Saudi riyals, made on their bank accounts or cards, said the police. 

To evade Customs duties he expected to incur upon returning to Sri Lanka from his trip in Singapore, a man lied to the police that he was a victim of a snatch theft.The foreign national believed that by fabricating the incident, he would be able to avoid paying the required Customs fees.Despite his wife’s reluctance, he went ahead with his plan.On March 27, Hewa Sahabanduge Waruna Kanishka, 30, was sentenced to five months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to giving false information to a public servant and for obstruction of justice.His wife, Jayasekara Gamlath Ralalage Yehelichathurika, 29, was sentenced to two months’ jail after pleading guilty to obstructing the course of justice.Court documents show that Hewa lodged a police report at Rochor Neighbourhood Police Centre some time around March 4. This was despite his wife dissuading him from doing so and refusing to accompany him to the police station.There, he claimed he was a victim of a snatch theft that had occurred one day before in Bugis Street. He told officers that a robber had stolen his bag which had several pieces of gold jewellery, a smartphone and $400 in cash.

A former Scoot cabin crew member who misappropriated nearly $40,000 from the low-cost carrier has been sentenced to seven months’ jail after he failed to make full restitution.Luqman Hakim Shahfawi, 32, had informed the court back in February that he intended to make full restitution and had managed to raise $10,000 at that point.District Judge Lau Qiuyu then granted him an adjournment so that he could raise more funds.But on March 27, Deputy Public Prosecutor Janessa Phua said that Luqman managed to raise another $1,000 only – bringing the total restitution amount to $11,000.Before he was sentenced, Luqman, who did not have legal representation, asked Judge Lau for another adjournment to allow him time to raise more funds.She replied that the court could not adjourn the case indefinitely, a stance the prosecutor agreed with.In earlier proceedings, the court heard that Luqman was a complex leader with Scoot when he misappropriated cash earnings from the sale of food and beverages on flights.He pleaded guilty in January to one count of criminal breach of trust involving more than $22,000.

Since he first kicked a ball as a toddler under the watchful eye of his father and local football icon Fandi Ahmad, Ikhsan Fandi has gone on to flourish in the sport. Today, he is the Lions’ leading No. 9.Plagued by injuries over the last few years, the 26-year-old has been on fire for his club this season, having rediscovered his smile and his love for the game.That renewed joy has unexpectedly been shaped by a different sport. When he is not chasing goals, Ikhsan now finds solace on Thailand’s lush golf courses, trading boots for clubs as he lines up his next shot.Having returned to his parent club BG Pathum United after being recalled from his loan spell with fellow Thai League 1 side Ratchaburi FC in January, he has been in fine form. In 12 matches across league and cup competitions in 2026, Ikhsan has scored 10 goals and notched an assist.He also hit a milestone with Pathum recently, bagging his 50th goal for the club on his 100th appearance, with a brace in a 3-0 win in the Thai Cup quarter-finals against second-tier Mahasarakham FC.

As motorists ring in the weekend, Shell afforded some relief, dropping its petrol prices by two cents on Friday (March 27). This is the third consecutive day that fuel companies in Singapore have dropped petrol prices, starting with Shell on Wednesday. In addition, the posted price for 95-octane petrol at Shell and SPC have now fallen back below the previous high of $3.42 per litre set in June 2022. According to records on the Consumer Association of Singapore's (Case) Price Kaki fuel prices tracker, Caltex's posted price of $3.45 for its 95-octane petrol on March 13 surpassed that record. At the peak of petrol prices on Tuesday, the posted price of 95-octane petrol ranged from $3.46 at SPC to $3.47 at Caltex, Esso, Shell and Sinopec. 

A man has been reported missing after a collision between a pleasure craft and a supply vessel off the Southern Islands on Friday (March 27).In a statement on Friday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said search-and-rescue operations are ongoing for the missing person, who was on board the pleasure craft when it collided with the supply vessel at around 4.15 am.MPA added that two other people on board the pleasure craft have been rescued and are safe.«All persons on board the supply vessel are accounted for, and no injuries have been reported,» said the authority.Patrol craft have also been deployed, along with assets from the Police Coast Guard and the SCDF Marine Division.The authority added that it is in contact with the next-of-kin of the missing person and is providing the necessary support.Navigational broadcasts have also been issued for vessels in the vicinity to keep a lookout.[[nid:727470]]xingying.koh@asiaone.com

A pregnant customer unexpectedly went into labour at a Chinatown beauty salon and gave birth there with the help of a staff member.In a TikTok video which has since gone viral, the mother is seen being brought out of the salon, named Smart Cat Head Spa, on a stretcher.A man follows behind, cradling a swaddled newborn in his arms.«My store witnessed the birth of a life,» wrote TikTok user jasonsg520.Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, a salon staff member, surnamed Zhang, said the woman had visited the shop at noon on Wednesday (March 25) for an eyelash appointment.She was feeling slightly unwell then, and told the 38-year-old beauty technician she had just seen a doctor who said all was fine.Just as Zhang finished the service, the woman's condition suddenly changed, reported the Chinese publication.«She said that she didn't feel well and she looked pale. I was also panicking and didn't know what to do,» Zhang said.The technician quickly laid out a blanket on the floor for the customer, who notified her husband about the situation. She also asked another customer to help call for an ambulance.

The parents of a 10-month-old baby born with a rare genetic disease were overwhelmed with emotion on Friday (March 27), having secured the $2.4million needed for a one-time gene therapy which is not covered by insurance or government subsidies. Speaking to AsiaOne, the boy's mother Norhaziqah Rosli, 35, said, «Reaching the target felt surreal for our family. »There were so many moments along the way where we didn’t know if we would make it, so when we finally did, it was overwhelming in the most emotional way. «We felt a deep sense of relief, gratitude, and hope.»Norhaziqah and her husband Rahman Rahim, 37, started their crowdfunding campaign on Ray of Hope with the help of a volunteer on Jan 5 for their fourth child Faziq, who was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) which causes muscles to weaken over time.[[nid:732120]]