SINGAPORE – Scams are a significant problem in Singapore, having cost victims over $4 billion since 2019.
The number of cases also climbed to record highs, falling only recently for the first time in eight years.
In 2025, there were a total of
37,308 cases with $913.1 million
lost.
Of this sum, the police have recovered about $140.5 million.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
There were more than 2,800 cases of scams reported in January 2026, with victims losing over $47.4 million.
Over 185 of these cases were phishing scams involving fake buyers on online platforms, in which victims have lost more than $825,000.
ST GRAPHIC: BILLY KER
Scammers would approach victims on Carousell or Facebook Marketplace, indicating interest in items being sold.
They would then impersonate either the platform itself or an intermediary like Lalamove, sending fake messages or emails with phishing links, supposedly to confirm the sale of the items.
Victims clicked on the links and provided their banking or card credentials, thinking it would be used to receive the proceeds of the sale.
They only realised they were scammed after finding unauthorised transactions on their cards and accounts.
The police reminded people to never provide their banking log-in details to anyone. They should also check the links of websites carefully, and report fraudulent transactions to the bank immediately.
First launched as an app in 2020, ScamShield has become a core initiative in Singapore’s fight against scams.
It was relaunched in 2024 as the ScamShield Suite, bringing together anti-scam resources from the National Crime Prevention Council and police, with support from Open Government Products, a division of the Government Technology Agency.
The suite includes the ScamShield app, helpline and website.
People are encouraged to download the ScamShield app on their mobile devices to check for suspicious calls, websites, and messages to know if they are scams. The app is available on both iPhone and Android.
They can also visit
www.scamshield.gov.sg
to find out more about the latest scam trends.
Anyone who has fallen for a scam should immediately make a police report and inform their relevant financial institutions.
If in doubt, call the 24/7 ScamShield helpline on 1799.
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