Government official impersonation scams, where scammers pretend to be officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and China, are on the rise.Police said on Friday (Aug 14) night that they have received at least 72 reports of such cases since January this year, with losses amounting to at least $6.1 million.In these cases, the victims would receive unsolicited calls from scammers claiming to be from ICA. They are then told that their details have been misused, or that their phone numbers are linked to criminal activities, such as spreading false rumours or transmitting scam messages.Those who deny any involvement are then transferred to another scammer claiming to be a China official, who would then demand money for «investigation or bail purposes».The victims are then instructed to transfer money to bank accounts, or asked to withdraw and hand over the money to the purported China official to facilitate «investigations».They would only realise that they have been scammed when the scammers became uncontactable, or when victims seek verification from the relevant government agencies.

A 51-year-old man, who worked as an interior designer, will be charged in court on Saturday (Aug 15) for allegedly cheating clients of over $100,000 to fuel his gambling habits.Police said on Friday night that a report was filed against him on June 29.According to the victim, the man had allegedly devised a scheme offering discounts on renovation services if payment were transferred directly to him.The victim then did so, instead of making the payment to the company's account. But after collecting the money, the interior designer did not complete the renovation.After a call to the company, the victim was advised to lodge a police report, and he did so.The interior designer's identity was established by officers from Bedok Police Division through follow-up investigations.Preliminary investigations have indicated that he is believed to be involved in other similar cheating cases, with losses exceeding $100,000.He had allegedly used the monies for gambling, the police said.If found guilty of cheating, he could be jailed for up to 10 years, and fined and/or caned.

A 67-year-old male driver was taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle accident involving five cars and a motorcycle at the junction of Geylang East Central and Geylang East Avenue 2 on Friday (Aug 14). A photo shared on Threads by user diyananasir02 on the same day shows the vehicles spread across all three lanes, before a four-way junction. The motorcycle is seen lying on its side in the first lane, while three cars with damaged doors are stopped slightly ahead, surrounded by debris. Two more cars are parked further ahead, with one appearing to have rear-ended the other. An ambulance is also parked at the front of the scene, just before the traffic light.A video of the incident shared on the Telegram channel SGRoad Blocks/Traffic News by a passing motorcyclist shows a slanted lamp post, suggesting that it had been knocked loose.In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident at about 5.55pm at the junction of Geylang East Central and Geylang East Avenue 2 towards Sims Drive.

Government official impersonation scams, where scammers pretend to be officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and China, are on the rise.Police said on Friday (Aug 14) night that they have received at least 72 reports of such cases since January this year, with losses amounting to at least $6.1 million.In these cases, the victims would receive unsolicited calls from scammers claiming to be from ICA. They are then told that their details have been misused, or that their phone numbers are linked to criminal activities, such as spreading false rumours or transmitting scam messages.Those who deny any involvement are then transferred to another scammer claiming to be a China official, who would then demand money for «investigation or bail purposes».The victims are then instructed to transfer money to bank accounts, or asked to withdraw and hand over the money to the purported China official to facilitate «investigations».They would only realise that they have been scammed when the scammers became uncontactable, or when victims seek verification from the relevant government agencies.

When Charlene Tan was in secondary school during the Covid-19 pandemic, she felt isolated from her peers and uncertain about what she wanted to do with her life.As she spent hours scrolling through social media at home, the constant stream of devastating global news left her feeling helpless in the face of injustices she could do little about.The newly-minted President's Scholar told AsiaOne that while studying at Nanyang Girls' High School, it was easy to feel like «just a student stuck in Singapore» who could not make much of a difference to the sociopolitical and geopolitical tragedies unfolding around the world.That changed when she began speaking to Singapore Police Force (SPF) officers at recruitment events as a junior college student. Through those conversations, Tan realised that a career in policing could offer the opportunity to make a tangible difference.The first officer she met, named Stefan, spoke about how the SPF balances fighting crime with empathy and compassion. His perspective reinforced the SPF scholar's desire to be part of an organisation whose values aligned with her own. 

From supporting children with chronic illnesses to engaging migrant workers through community football, the two President's Scholarship recipients for 2026 share a common mission: to make a tangible difference.Charlene Tan, 20, and Samuel Poh, 19, both turned their passion for community service and football respectively into a greater calling to serve the community.Tan is Singapore's first female Singapore Police Force scholar to receive the President's Scholarship, while Poh is also a double scholarship recipient of both the President's Scholarship and the Singapore Armed Forces Scholarship.Both of them received their scholarship awards from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a ceremony held at The Istana on Friday (Aug 14).About 70 guests were in attendance, including Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence, Chan Chun Sing and Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Goh Pei Ming.

The funeral wake of Physics teacher Lau Chu Beng was attended by «a few hundred» people, including former students from nearly 30 years ago and old classmates who had lost contact with him.Many young students and ex-students who came to pay their respects also wrote farewell notes and placed it on the casket, a gesture which deeply touched Lau's family.The 55-year-old lead teacher at Yusof Ishak Secondary School (YISS) died on Aug 6, and the wake was held till Aug 10.Online tributes described Lau as a caring, friendly and inspirational teacher and mentor.When Lau's younger brother, who declined to be named, reached out to AsiaOne in the days after, he said the family wished to thank the numerous visitors to the wake.«I really lost count (of the number of mourners),» he told AsiaOne on Friday (Aug 14), recounting how current students, ex-students, parents, ex-colleagues and friends had steadily streamed in over the five-day wake.

A Singapore employer was left disappointed after her domestic helper allegedly became uncontactable after reaching the airport for her flight home to Myanmar to visit her sick mother.In a social media post on Friday (Aug 7), the woman, who goes by the name Angeline Lim on her account, said the helper had worked for her family for five months before asking to return home.«It wasn't a life threatening emergency, but I understood that she wanted to be with her family — so I said yes,» said the mother of three. Lim added that before buying the flight ticket, she had also checked with the helper on whether she intended to return to Singapore, and was told that she would come back.Trusting her, Lim, 37, bought a two-way flight ticket costing $437 to Yangon.However, things took a different turn on the day of the flight, when Lim claimed that the helper stopped responding after informing her that she had reached the airport. Despite sending multiple messages, Lim wrote that she was disappointed that the helper had not been honest about her intentions. 

The Government will adjust its housing plans for Gillman Barracks and Sunset Way to keep a larger percentage of greenery, Minister of State for National Development Alvin Tan said on Friday (Aug 14).«We will work out exactly how much more, but we will have to accept that this means we can build fewer homes on both sites for fellow Singaporeans,» he said.The new plans are developed in consultation with local nature groups who had submitted feedback on the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) conducted for the two sites.There have been calls for the forested land near Gillman Barracks as well as Maju Forest in the Sunset Way area to be preserved after HDB announced redevelopment plans there.Even though the formal consultation period for the EIA ended on Aug 6, Tan said on Friday that they have continued engaging Singaporeans on the matter.

Goh Hock Siang, the chairman of Goh Joo Hin, died on Thursday (Aug 13) at the age of 87.He was the second-generation chairman of the company, a local brand known for its distribution of New Moon, including abalone, its flagship product.According to obituaries published on Friday, he passed away peacefully, leaving behind four sons and a daughter.Other prominent brands under Goh Joo Hin's portfolio include Mili, Skippy, Sony and GP Batteries, with a market presence in at least 17 other countries.The company was bought over by his father, Goh Yeow Gek, in the 1940s.Currently, the company is being led by one of his sons, Goh Kai Kui, the third-generation CEO.Goh Hock Siang was known to be a philanthropist, reported Chinese publication Lianhe Zaobao, adding that he used to be a sponsor of the Joo Chiat Community Club management committee.In 2024, he was awarded the National Day Public Service Medal.Besides community service, he was also actively involved in Teochew organisations such as the Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, where he served as president.

SINGAPORE – Singapore and dozens of other countries are at risk of being used by Chinese exporters to avoid US tariffs, President Donald Trump’s administration said on Aug 13.A report issued by the White House, titled “The Great Transshipment Scam”, frames the routing of Chinese goods through an intermediate lower-tariffed country by concealing the true origin.It also said the administration will use an artificial intelligence-powered “Detective Border”, among other initiatives, to help crack down on illegal transshipments.“The message to the world is simple. The age of untraceable illegal transshipment is over,” the report said.The report does not say what immediate action will follow. In August 2025, the US announced an additional 40 per cent tariff specifically on goods determined to have been illegally transshipped to evade duties.Using estimates from government and private-sector studies, the report estimates that tariff-evading transshipments may have robbed the US of customs revenue in the range of US$40 billion (S$51.2 billion) to US$303 billion.

Unofficial campus tours of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are being advertised online, against university regulations.AsiaOne found listings for such tours, conducted by Chinese firms Trip2EU and Dalian Leixiang Technology, ranging from $63 to $165 per person on GetYourGuide, a third-party booking platform.The listings include a bilingual «2-hour expert-guided tour», which are purported to be «led by experienced professionals providing meticulous and attentive service».Posts on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu were also found advertising NUS and NTU campus tours, though pricing was not revealed.An NTU spokesperson said that such listings are «not part of NTU's official campus tour programme and are not authorised to conduct tours on behalf of the university», in response to queries from CNA.«NTU does not position or market its campus as a tourist destination, nor does it work with any operator to conduct such tours,» the spokesperson told CNA, adding that the school is reviewing its options to address such unauthorised listings.

Andre Low from Workers' Party has decried scalping of the upcoming Singapore-Thailand football match this weekend.«More than 4,000 home-supporter tickets for the Lions' sold out in a short time,» Low wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday (Aug 13).Citing The Straits Times, he highlighted that a pair of tickets for the match had reportedly been listed for $1,500.«Is it finally time to reconsider regulating ticket resale, scalpers, and bots?» the non-constituency MP asked.Tickets for the first leg of the Lions' Asean Championship semi-final against Thailand at the Jalan Besar Stadium sold out just 30 minutes after sales opened.«Scalping is parasitic. It creates nothing. It contributes nothing,» Low said. «It exploits genuine supporters and drives prices beyond their reach.»While it is unclear if bots were involved in the shortage of tickets for fans, Low felt that it «would not be unusual» if they were.

A total of eight men and three women, aged between 18 and 77, were arrested on Wednesday (Aug 12) for their alleged involvement in supporting an unlicensed moneylending syndicate.Police said in a news release on Thursday (Aug 13) that the syndicate is believed to be responsible for at least 25,500 ScamShield reports and at least 1,509 police reports, of which 883 were related to unlicensed moneylending.During an islandwide enforcement operation on Wednesday, more than 100 officers conducted simultaneous raids at multiple locations.The raids, involving officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, Police Intelligence Department and Special Operations Command, targeted people suspected of being involved in the syndicate.The operation also targeted mobile phone retailers suspected of fraudulently registering postpaid SIM cards that were later used by the syndicate for unlicensed moneylending activities.During the operation, over $410,000 in cash, two laptops, 22 mobile phones, 14 SIM cards and 24 bank cards were seized as case exhibits.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday (Aug 12) for his alleged involvement in a case of loanshark harassment in Jurong West.Police said in a news release on Thursday that they were alerted to the case at a residential unit along Jurong West Street 41 on Tuesday morning, where the main gate was splashed with red paint.The suspect was detained by the house occupants until officers from Jurong Police Division arrived and arrested him at the scene.He is believed to be involved in other similar cases of loanshark harassment islandwide, preliminary investigations revealed.The man will be charged with the offence of loanshark harassment on Friday.If found guilty, he could be fined between $5,000 and $50,000, jailed for up to five years, and receive up to six strokes of the cane.The police said they have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities.«Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance and disrupt public safety, peace and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law,» the police added.[[nid:742618]]editor@asiaone.com 

The police are appealing for information on the whereabouts of a 14-year-old girl, Sarah Fitriyana Abdullah, who was last seen in Serangoon.Police said on Thursday (Aug 13) night that she was last seen at about 1.25pm on July 24 at NEX shopping mall, wearing a purple top and light blue shorts.She has been missing for about three weeks now.Anyone with information is urged to contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.All information will be kept strictly confidential.[[nid:735166]]editor@asiaone.com 

Two people, who were spotted riding a personal mobility device (PMD) and speeding down the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) tunnel at high speed on July 12, have been tracked down by Land Transport Authority (LTA) officers.Dashcam footage of the incident shared with Facebook page SG Road Vigilante showed the duo weaving between cars and travelling at speeds higher than vehicles around them. Their actions even triggered a speed camera in the tunnel.