(Dec 11): Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp, Singapore’s second-largest lender, told some international clients to show proof of residence in the city state to avoid having their accounts shut, a signal of heightened scrutiny in the wake of a spate of money-laundering cases.

OCBC gave clients a deadline to confirm they are Singapore residents with verified addresses, or face service restrictions that could lead to account closures, according to notices sent by consumer financial services. A spokesperson for the bank verified the authenticity of the documents.

“For customers outside Singapore who are coming here to live, work or study, they can open their Singapore accounts remotely,” the spokesperson said. “Documentary proof of this residential status is therefore required.”

OCBC is among several banks caught in Singapore’s largest money-laundering case where some S$3 billion (US$2.2 billion or RM9.89 billion) in assets were seized from more than two dozens of Chinese people who resided in the city-state for years. Local authorities are bolstering measures to combat illicit flows that also include non-bank players from property agents to traders of precious stones and metals.

Two copies of the letter seen by Bloomberg News are in simplified Chinese characters — typically used in mainland China. One of the letters indicated a deadline of Dec 15, while the other showed Dec 31. Another copy is in English. The documents addressed customers who had previously told the bank the accounts would be used for their work, study or residential purposes in Singapore.

“Once the account is closed, any financial arrangement related to the this account will also be cancelled,” OCBC told clients in the Chinese version.

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