MOM charges employers over ‘phantom worker’ CPF declarations used to get work passes
· Keith Kwai
MOM said on 16 October that seven employers and an administrative assistant were charged on 8 October for allegedly declaring CPF contributions for local staff who never actually worked for their companies, a practice used to inflate foreign worker quotas and obtain work passes; three of those so-called phantom workers will also face financial penalties. In a separate case, two people running an Ayurvedic centre were found guilty of paying two Employment Pass holders far below their declared salaries. A false declaration can bring a fine of up to $20,000, up to two years’ jail or both, and MOM said it has stepped up investigations.
This is not the first case: WorkRightSG, a sister site, covers the earlier phantom-worker CPF fraud arrests and what the penalties are.
Source: Ministry of Manpower, 16 Oct 2026 — Read the original