A 70-year-old woman who thought she was helping her romantic partner received more than S$38,000 and transferred the money to other accounts. She has been jailed for 10 weeks for acting as a money mule.
https://cna.asia/4pmIdn8
Full Details: 70-Year-Old Jailed as Money Mule
Source: CNA (https://cna.asia/4pmIdn8) | Sentenced: 13 Jul 2026
Offender & Conviction
- Name: Christina Cheong Yoke Lin, 70
- Charge: Pleaded guilty to receiving money without verifying its source
- Sentence: 10 weeks’ imprisonment
What Happened
- In Sep 2024, she met someone on Instagram who called himself “Liam”; she believed he was her romantic partner
- He claimed he worked on an oil rig and couldn’t use local banks, asking her to help receive funds
- Between late Nov and Dec 2024, over S$38,000 went into her account; she transferred it to other accounts as told
- At least S$2,000 came from a love‑scam victim
- Her account was frozen in late Dec 2024
Background & Sentencing Notes
- She was warned in Jun 2023 for similar conduct and told not to handle suspicious funds
- She herself fell victim to a love scam before; in 2019 she got a mandatory treatment order after retaining S$50,000 from that scammer
- Prosecution sought 3.5–4.5 months; jail term was shorter because she gained no money personally and harm was limited
What’s a Money Mule
Someone who lets their bank account receive/transfer funds from criminal schemes, often without checking where the money comes from — it helps hide stolen/scam money.