The Straits Times reported that three Malaysian men were extradited from Johor to Singapore on Tuesday after a raid on a Johor apartment complex on March 20 led to their arrests.

The syndicate, which started operating early this year, is believed to have been involved in more than 40 police reports made in Singapore, with victims losing more than S$250,000 (RM831,000) in total.

The three men, aged between 18 and 27, are expected to be charged with conspiracy to cheat today. They face a jail term of up to three years and a fine, if convicted.

The report described the scam as one in which fraudsters contact victims and pretend to be their friends before asking for financial assistance.

“The Singapore police force has been working closely with the Royal Malaysia Police to detect and arrest these transnational syndicates who prey on our citizens,” it quoted Singapore police’s commercial affairs department director, David Chew, as saying.

“We will continue to take tough action against individuals who perpetuate scams, even if they are based overseas.”

Chew said while there were no reported cases of fake friend call scams in Singapore in 2020, there were 686 cases recorded in 2021 and 2,106 last year.

The scam cost victims in Singapore at least S$8.8 million (RM29.3 million) in 2022. More than 1,300 people in Singapore have lost at least S$4.33 million (RM14.4 million) to the scam this year.