Forest City, a 14-square-kilometer artificial island development near Singapore that was unveiled in 2016 as a $100 billion mega-project, has become home to significant criminal scam operations. The development, which was designed to house approximately 700,000 residents, currently houses less than 1% of that target population, with rows of vacant skyscrapers and empty apartments scattered across its landscape.
In mid-July, Malaysian police conducted raids on two alleged scam operation hubs spread across 32 premises within Forest City, resulting in the arrest of 335 individuals and the seizure of assets valued at approximately one million ringgit. The operations included 309 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesians, three Malaysians, and four Myanmar nationals. Police indicated they were working with Interpol to identify those behind the operations. The arrested individuals were accused of running cryptocurrency investment scams and romance fraud schemes targeting victims outside Malaysia, with operations spanning multiple apartments and bungalows throughout the complex.
Experience suggests these raids may represent only a portion of ongoing criminal activity in the development. Analysts note that modern scam syndicates have evolved into sophisticated enterprises resembling multinational corporations, complete with dedicated recruitment teams, IT departments, and money-laundering specialists. The operations are believed to comprise individuals displaced from Cambodia, a global center for transnational scam networks that has intensified enforcement efforts over the past year.
Forest City’s appeal to scammers stems largely from its status as a largely abandoned development. The complex offers modern infrastructure, numerous vacant properties, and international connectivity while maintaining a veneer of legitimate economic activity. This combination allows criminal organizations to operate with reduced visibility compared to traditional industrial-scale compounds. The development’s marketing as an upscale investment destination and technology hub further conceals illicit activities operating within its boundaries.
The broader scam industry has grown into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise over recent years, increasingly relying on professional criminal recruitment rather than solely on trafficked labor. Career scammers now advertise their experience through professional networks, indicating further professionalization of the criminal sector. Malaysian authorities have detected similar operations in previous years across various locations, though the scale of activity in Forest City underscores the need for continued vigilance against such criminal enterprises.
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