**Teen Admits Registering 25 SIM Cards in Exchange for Money; Two Scam Victims Lose S$35,000**

The Singapore courts have dealt a blow to a 19-year-old teenager who pleaded guilty to registering 25 SIM cards in exchange for money. The SIM cards were later used in scams that resulted in losses of over S$35,000 (US$27,140) for two unsuspecting victims.

According to the court documents, Muhammad Ritzwandy Mazli was influenced by his friends, who promised him S$120 if he registered and handed over the SIM cards. Between January and February this year, Ritzwandy used his personal information to register for the SIM cards and delivered them to his friends.

The consequences of Ritzwandy's actions were severe. Two of the SIM cards were later used by an unidentified person to facilitate scams against victims. The scams included a fake buyer phishing scam and a UnionPay impersonation scam, resulting in total losses of S$35,603 for two of the scam victims.

When questioned by District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan about why he registered so many SIM cards, Ritzwandy admitted that he was "lazy to work" and was influenced by his friends. The judge asked if it was indeed "easy money," to which Ritzwandy replied in the affirmative.

However, when confronted with the severity of his actions, Ritzwandy claimed that he had not realized the consequences of his actions at the time. He also stated that he is now taking a course in cyber security and is aware of the dangers of scamming and hacking.

Judge Shaiffudin was unsympathetic to Ritzwandy's claims, pointing out that the teenager had read reports about scam-related offences and their consequences. "People losing their life savings? Tens of hundreds, hundreds of thousands of dollars through these - and you know that people use not just bank accounts and also SIM cards, you know all that, right?" he asked Ritzwandy.

Ritzwandy's friends had told him that he would not get caught, which led to his complacency. However, Judge Shaiffudin emphasized the seriousness of the offence and stated that people who assist scammers by providing SIM cards are just as guilty as the scammers themselves.

As a result, the judge called for only a report assessing Ritzwandy's suitability for reformative training and adjourned sentencing to January. Under the law, a person can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$10,000, or both for providing SIM cards for the commission of an offence.

The case highlights the ongoing problem of scams in Singapore and the need for stricter measures to deter individuals from assisting scammers. As Judge Shaiffudin noted, "These offences are serious and have to be nipped in the bud."