A 23-YEAR-OLD Malaysian man has been charged with possessing instruments allegedly intended for forgery after fake Singapore work passes and official-looking stamping devices were found in his possession at Woodlands Checkpoint.
The Malaysian was arrested on Aug 11 after Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers referred him for further checks at the arrival bus hall of the checkpoint.
Several fake work passes bearing his photograph were found, along with stamping devices carrying the logos of Singapore’s Supreme Court and Ministry of Home Affairs.
Police said investigations found that the man had never been employed by any organisation or employer under the names stated on the work passes.
"Fake passes and stamping devices that appear to be official items are among the tactics commonly used by scammers to convince victims that they are dealing with legitimate representatives," CNA cited Singapore authorities saying in a statement yesterday.
He was charged in court today with making or possessing an instrument of forgery with the intention of committing forgery.
If convicted, he faces up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine.
The case comes as Singapore continues to grapple with a sharp rise in scams involving the impersonation of government officials.
According to Singapore Police Force annual scam and cybercrime statistics, government official impersonation scams more than doubled to 3,363 cases in 2025, from 1,504 cases in 2024.
Losses from such scams rose 60.5 per cent to about S$243 million (RM776 million), making government official impersonation scams the second-largest scam category by losses in 2025.
Overall, scam victims in Singapore lost more than S$4 billion (RM12.8 billion) between 2019 and 2025, with losses reaching S$913.1 million (RM2.9 billion) last year.
Police recovered about S$140.5 million (RM448.4 million) of the losses in 2025.
In a statement yesterday, police urged members of the public to ask as many questions as possible to understand investment opportunities being offered to them.
"If the company is unable or unwilling to answer the questions posed, members of the public are advised to take it as a red flag."
They were also advised to conduct checks on companies, their owners, directors and management to determine whether investment opportunities were genuine.
The credentials of companies and their representatives should be verified using available sources, including the Financial Institutions Directory, Representatives Register and Investor Alert List on the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) website.
The public was also advised to ensure that any mobile applications they download are legitimate and available through official app stores.
Users should check reviews and ratings before downloading an application, even when it appears legitimate and is available through an official app store.
The authenticity of court orders can be verified through the Authentic Court Orders portal using the unique QR code or access code displayed on the document.
The authenticity of court documents can also be checked through the official contact channels listed on the Singapore Courts website. - August 13, 2026
