A teenager studying in Singapore and allegedly kidnapped in Malaysia is believed to have been following the instructions of scammers who claimed she was being investigated for money laundering offences.
The girl, a Chinese national, received a call on Oct 12 from scammers pretending to be immigration officers, telling her to keep silent. They induced fear and uncertainty of what was happening. This was a 15-year-old girl who was young, didn't know the legal processes and was not allowed to talk to her family.
They told her that if she did, she would be jailed.
On Nov 24, they told her to travel to Malaysia to resolve supposed bail matters and assist them with investigations.
She contacted a cross-border taxi service that took her from Woodlands to Johor Bahru, where she met Chinese national Huang Xiaonan, 22, outside a hotel room.
This story is from the December 07, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the December 07, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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