In a statement, Singapore police said Johor’s commercial crime investigation department arrested the five Malaysians during a raid on two apartments in the southern state on Jan 16.

The five men, aged between 19 and 36, were extradited to Singapore yesterday.

They are to be charged in court today for conspiracy to cheat, which is punishable with imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate started their operations last June.

The scam involves fraudsters contacting victims and pretending to be their friends before asking for financial assistance.

Singapore police believe that more than 500 reports had been lodged against the group, that was said to have scammed Singaporeans out of more than S$1.4 million (RM4.9 million).

David Chew, the director of Singapore police’s commercial affairs department, said Singapore police had been working closely with their Malaysian counterparts to detect and cripple transnational scam syndicates which preyed on Singaporeans.

“We will continue to take tough action against individuals who perpetuate online scams, even if they are based overseas,” he said in the statement.

He also thanked Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman Mamat and his officers from the Johor commercial crime investigation department for their support and commitment in tackling transnational syndicates.

More than 6,300 victims have fallen prey to “fake friend” call scams in Singapore from January to November 2023, with total losses amounting to at least S$21.1 million (RM74.6 million).