A 28-year-old Singaporean woman has been sentenced to 32 years and six months in jail in Taiwan for acting as a money mule in a large-scale scam syndicate that cheated victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The woman, identified as Kek Hui Ting, went to Taiwan earlier this year on a tourist visa and helped the syndicate withdraw NT$7.46 million (about S$315,000) in stolen money from various ATMs. She was arrested on 8 March when she tried to leave the country.
According to Taiwanese reports, the Changhua and Yunlin District Courts found Kek guilty of 28 offences, with individual sentences ranging from one year and one month to one year and six months, totalling 32 years and six months. After serving her sentence, Kek will be deported back to Singapore.
Found “job” online and followed syndicate’s orders
When she was caught, Kek told investigators that she had found the “job” online while in Singapore. She claimed she was following her “superior’s” instructions to go to specific ATMs and withdraw cash.
Court documents showed that members of the syndicate drove Kek to different areas across Yunlin and Changhua, including Huwei, Taixi, Erlin, and Beidou. She visited nearly 20 convenience stores and banks, withdrawing cash more than 50 times, and collected around NT$1.7 million (about S$71,800). The money was later handed over to her handlers at designated drop-off points.
Due to her suspicious movements, police officers reported her to prosecutors, who then issued a travel ban to prevent her from leaving Taiwan.
Claimed she did not receive payment
Kek admitted to the crimes but said she had not yet received her promised payment. The court noted that while she was young, had confessed, and reached settlements with some victims, the seriousness of her actions could not be ignored.
The Changhua District Court sentenced her to one year and six months in jail and fined her NT$30,000 (about S$1,267). The Yunlin District Court sentenced her to another 31 years for the remaining 25 offences. The total sentence amounts to 32 years and six months, and she may still appeal.
Joined scam group in Singapore for $300 a day
Investigations revealed that Kek joined the scam group in Singapore on 19 February, agreeing to a daily pay of S$300. She entered Taiwan two days later and, within four days, withdrew more than S$70,000 through supermarket ATMs.
The syndicate had used fake messages claiming to help victims “cancel instalment plans” or “claim prizes” to trick them into transferring money. Kek’s role was to withdraw the money and pass it to the syndicate.
The court proceedings covered her activities between 1 and 4 March, during which she withdrew NT$1.7 million in total. The rest of the transactions are still under investigation.
