Eight arrested over suspected bank scam
Eight foreign visitors were arrested yesterday on suspicion of trying to cheat Nanyang Commercial Bank in Central with two suspected bogus cashier’s orders with a combined face value of US$4 billion.
The eight men – a 68-year-old Australian, a Singaporean, four Indonesians and two from Brunei – were arrested on suspicion of uttering forged documents.
The two suspected fake cashier’s orders are being examined.
Last night, the eight men, aged from 34 to 73, were being detained at Central police station for questioning and none of them had been charged.
The eight men approached a bank manager in the head office of Nanyang Commercial, in Des Voeux Road Central, at about 10am. They together requested to set up a bank account, police said.
“Initial investigation showed they presented two suspected bogus cashier’s orders – each with a face value of US$2 billion – in an attempt to deposit the money into the account,” a police officer said.
The 47-year-old bank manager suspected the cashier’s orders were forgeries, and he alerted police at 10.50am. Police arrested the eight foreign visitors in the bank.
“It appears their plot is not a smart move because the two documents involve such a huge amount and must be examined carefully by bank staff,” a police officer said.
He said bank employees were capable of distinguishing forged bank documents.
“Police are investigating the source of the suspected forged documents and are looking into the backgrounds of all the suspects,” he said.
A Nanyang Commercial Bank spokeswoman said it was not appropriate to comment as police were investigating the case.
Crime-squad officers from Central police station are investigating.
