Mid-Year Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024

Overall Scams and Cybercrime Situation for January to June 2024

Scams and cybercrime continue to be a key concern. From January to June

2024, the number of scam and cybercrime cases increased by 18.0% to 28,751 cases,
compared to 24,367 cases in the same period in 2023.

Total
TotalScam
Scamand
and Cybercrime Cases
Cybercrime Cases
35000

30000 28,751

24,367 +18.0%
25000

20000
+68.3%
14,481
15000
+61.3%
10000 8,977
8,085 +11.0%

5000

0
1H 2020 1H 2021 1H 2022 1H 2023 1H 2024

2. Scams accounted for 92.5% of these 28,751 cases. The total number of scam
cases increased by 16.3% to 26,587 cases in the first half of 2024, from 22,853 cases
in the same period last year. The total amount lost increased by 24.6% to at least
$385.6 million in the first half of 2024, from at least $309.4 million in the same period
last year.

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 Total Scam
Series 1Cases
30000
26,587

25000 +16.3%
22,853

20000
+68.3%

15000 13,576

+75.3%
10000
7,247 7,746
+6.9%

5000

0
1H 2020 1H 2021 1H 2022 1H 2023 1H 2024

Total Amount Lost Series

to All 1Scams (in millions)
450

400 385.6

342.1
350
309.4 +24.6%
-9.6%
300
+51.7%
250 225.5

200
+129.6%
150
98.2
100

50

0
1H 2020 1H 2021 1H 2022 1H 2023 1H 2024

3. Overall, the average amount lost per scam case for all reported scam cases
has increased, by about 7.1% to $14,503 in the first half of 2024, from $13,541 in the
first half of 2023. 59.8% of scams cases in first half of 2024 have losses less than or
equal to $2,000.

4. 86.0% of total reported scams involved mostly self-effected transfers

which may be a result of deception and social engineering involving an array of
complex scam methods. In most of these cases, scammers did not gain direct control
of victims’ accounts, but manipulated victims into directly performing the monetary
transactions.

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Top Scam and Cybercrime Concerns

5. In terms of the number of scam cases, e-commerce scams, job scams and
phishing scams were the top three scam types in the first half of 2024.

Breakdown of scam types by number of cases

Others E-commerce
Fake Friend Scam
Call Scam 7,250
2,368 27.3%
8.9%

1H 2024
26,587
Cases

Investment Job Scam

Scam 5,717
3,330 Phishing Scam
3,447 21.5%
12.5%
13.0%

6. In terms of the total amount lost, investment scams, job scams and
government officials impersonation scams were the top three scam types in the
first half of 2024.

Breakdown of scam types in terms of amount lost (in millions)

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 Others

PHISHING SCAM
INVESTMENT
$13.3M
SCAM
3.4%
$133.4M
34.6%

1H 2024
$385.6M
TECH SUPPORT
SCAM
$17.8M
4.6%

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
JOB SCAM
IMPERSONATION SCAM
$86.0M
$67.5M
22.3%
17.5%

7. Among the top ten scam types in the first half of 2024 (see Annex),
government officials impersonation scams had the highest average losses at
about $116,534 per case, followed by investment scams at about $40,080 per
case. These two scam types typically involve deception and social engineering
conducted over a period of time, using an array of complex scam methods.

8. Fake friend call scam cases decreased by 38.2% to 2,368 cases in the first
half of 2024, from 3,832 cases in the same period last year, and total amount lost
also decreased by 37.2% to about $8.1 million, from at least $12.9 million in the
same period last year. Malware-enabled scam cases also decreased by 86.2% to
95 cases in the first half of 2024, from 687 cases in the same period last year, and
total amount lost decreased by 96.8% to about $295,000, from at least $9.1 million
in the same period last year.

a) E-commerce scams

i. E-commerce scams recorded the highest number of reported cases

among all scam types in the first half of 2024. There were 7,250 cases
reported and the total amount lost from e-commerce scams was at least
$8.6 million.

ii. E-commerce scams typically involve the sale of goods and services
without physical meet-ups. Generally, victims would come across
attractive deals on online marketplaces or social media platforms but
would fail to receive the goods or services after making payment. In

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 some cases, the victims could also be sellers who did not receive
payment after delivering the goods or services to scammers pretending
to be buyers. The scammers sometimes provided victims with fake
screenshots as “proof of payment”.

iii. Concert tickets were the top item involved in e-commerce scams.
Victims typically came across concert ticket listings on social media or
online marketplaces, and were asked to transfer payments. In some
cases, victims received the tickets, but only realised that they were fake
when they were unable to use them to enter the concert venue.

iv. Other items commonly featured in e-commerce scam cases were rental
of residences and electronic goods.

v. The majority of e-commerce scam victims were aged 30 to 49,

accounting for 44.3% of victims for this scam type. The most common
platforms on which e-commerce scams were conducted included
Facebook, Carousell and Telegram. The breakdown of e-commerce
scams on the various platforms are as follows:

Top five digital platforms used in e-commerce scams in first half of 2024

Others

X Facebook
394 2,801
5.4% 38.6%
1H 2024
Instagram Total: 7,250
440
6.1%

Telegram
1,113 Carousell
15.4% 1,223
16.9%

b) Job scams

i. Job scams recorded the second highest number of reported cases

among all scam types in the first half of 2024. There were 5,717 cases
reported and the total amount lost was at least $86.0 million.

ii. Job scams typically involve victims being offered online jobs that could
be performed from home. Victims would be contacted by scammers for
job offers via messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram or
be added into chatgroups or channels of these messaging platforms.

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 Victims would also chance upon “job opportunities” through social media
platforms like Instagram or Facebook or through their own internet
searches. Victims would be asked to perform simple tasks for a
commission, such as liking or following social media posts or accounts,
booking or reviewing hotels/restaurants/airlines, making advance
purchases, completing surveys, “boosting” value of cryptocurrencies,
“boosting” ratings of product listings for online merchants, or “rating”
mobile apps to improve their rankings on app stores. Another “job”
offered to victims entails transfer of funds to bank accounts provided by
the scammers, for a small commission. The scammers would
subsequently request higher amount of funds to be transferred, for
purportedly higher earnings. The victims would eventually realise that
they had been scammed when they failed to receive their commission,
when they were unable to withdraw the monies from the bank accounts,
or when the scammers could no longer be contacted.

iii. In other cases, scammers would befriend victims online and ask for
assistance in their part-time jobs or offer opportunities to earn money.
Victims would be provided legitimate e-commerce websites and asked
to screenshot specific products and make advance payments to fake
“business accounts” to receive commissions with promised refunds. This
process would be repeated several times, beginning with low-cost items,
before progressing to more expensive ones. Victims would initially
receive commissions and refunds, but the scammers would eventually
claim to have encountered issues and stop “paying” victims before
becoming uncontactable.

iv. The majority of job scam victims were aged 30 to 49, making up 44.0%
of victims for this scam type. The most common platforms which
scammers used to contact job scam victims were WhatsApp and
Telegram.

c) Phishing scams

i. There were 3,447 phishing scam cases reported in the first half of 2024,
with total amount lost of at least $13.3 million.

ii. Phishing scams involve emails, text messages, calls, or advertisements

from scammers posing as government officials, financial institutions or
businesses. Victims would be tricked into revealing sensitive
information such as usernames, passwords, banking credentials and/or
debit or credit card information by clicking malicious links or via phone
calls. Upon acquiring the victims’ information, scammers would perform
unauthorised transactions on the victims’ bank accounts or debit/credit
cards.

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iii. Some phishing scam variants include the following actions by
scammers:

• Posing as interested buyers through marketplace platforms –

Scammers would pose as potential buyers and approach victims
by expressing interest in items listed for sale on online
marketplace platforms such as Carousell and Facebook
Marketplace. Victims would receive malicious URL links or QR
codes via email or in-app messaging under the pretext of
receiving payment for items or to pay for courier services to
facilitate the delivery of the items. Upon clicking the malicious
links, victims were led to spoofed bank or delivery company
websites where victims were prompted to key in their banking
credentials, debit/credit card details and One-Time-Passwords
(OTPs).

• Impersonation of government officials through calls – Victims

would receive unsolicited phone or in-app calls allegedly from
government officials such as the Singapore Police Force (SPF),
Immigration & Checkpoints Authority and the Ministry of
Manpower (MOM). Scammers would claim that there were
issues with victims’ bank accounts or that they require the
victims’ details for purposes of investigation or further
verification. Victims would then be convinced to disclose their
banking credentials, debit/credit card details, OTPs and/or
personal details.

• Impersonation of banks through spoofed SMSes – Victims would

receive unsolicited SMSes from both overseas and local
numbers, or short codes impersonating banks. The spoofed
SMSes “warned” victims of possible unauthorised transactions
in their bank or credit card accounts, and instructed them to click
on embedded links for verification or to stop the transactions.
Victims were then directed to spoofed banking websites after
clicking on the embedded links and were misled into providing
their banking credentials, debit/credit card details or OTPs that
allowed scammers to perform unauthorised transactions.

iv. In these variants, victims would discover that they had been scammed
when they found unauthorised transactions made from their bank
accounts or debit/credit cards.

v. The majority of phishing scam victims were aged 30 to 49, comprising

44.4% of victims for this scam type. Carousell, Facebook and SMS were
the most common channels used by phishing scammers to contact
potential victims.

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d) Investment scams

i. There were 3,330 investment scam cases reported in the first half of
2024, resulting in a total loss of at least $133.4 million.

ii. Victims of investment scams usually came across “investment

opportunities” through their own internet searches or via
recommendations from online friends. Some victims also received
unsolicited messages from scammers offering “investment
opportunities”. Once they were duped or had been enticed by the false
testimonies, they transferred funds to specified bank accounts or
cryptocurrency wallets or made payments via their bank cards for their
“investments”. In some cases, the victims would receive initial small
“profits” which led them to believe that their “investments” were genuine,
enticing them to invest more money by transferring larger amounts of
monies or cryptocurrencies to the scammers. The victims might also be
deceived by the scammers’ use of “investment” websites or apps to
display their “profits” and be convinced to invest more monies. After
larger amounts of monies or cryptocurrencies were transferred to the
scammers for their “investment”, they would experience difficulties
withdrawing their earnings from their “investments” and only then realise
that they had been scammed.

iii. In another approach, scammers would add victims into chatgroups or

channels via messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram,
purportedly for “investment opportunities”. In these chatgroups or
channels, the victims were presented with multiple claims from other
members who had “profited” from their investments, convincing the
victims of the authenticity of the investments. Tempted by the promised
returns, the victims would contact the scammers. They would then share
personal information with the scammers to “set up accounts” and
transfer funds for “investment”. Before receiving the earnings from their
“investments”, the victims were instructed by the scammers to transfer
monies for various “fees” incurred for the “investment”. The victims
would realise that they had been scammed when they were unable to
withdraw their “profits” despite paying the incurred “fees” for the
“investments”.

iv. The majority of investment scam victims were aged 30 to 49, making up
44.7% of victims for this scam type. Telegram, Facebook and WhatsApp
were the most common platforms used by investment scammers to
contact potential victims.

e) Government officials impersonation scams

i. There were 580 government officials impersonation scam cases

reported in the first half of 2024, with a total amount loss of at least
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 $67.5 million. The number of government officials impersonation scam
cases increased by 58.0% from 367 cases reported in the same period
last year. The total amount lost from government officials impersonation
scams also increased by 67.1%, from at least $40.4 million in the same
period last year.

ii. Government officials impersonation scams typically involve scammers

impersonating local government officers [e.g. SPF, Immigration &
Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)],
bank staff (e.g. DBS, UOB) or China government officials (e.g. China
Police). The two variants include the following actions by scammers:

• Impersonation of bank staff and local government officials

through calls – Victims would receive unsolicited calls from
scammers impersonating bank staff (e.g. DBS, UOB) seeking
verification on banking transactions allegedly conducted by
victims. When victims deny making such transactions or
possessing such bank cards, the first scammer would transfer
the call to a second scammer claiming to be a government official
(e.g. SPF, MAS). This second scammer would accuse victims of
being involved in criminal activities (e.g. money laundering). In
some cases, victims were transferred to a third scammer for
“further investigations”. Under various pretexts (e.g.
investigation, to verify or safekeep funds), scammers would
instruct victims to transfer money to bank accounts supposedly
designated by the SPF, MAS or other authorities.

• Impersonation of China government officials (e.g. China Police)

and bank staff/local government officials through calls – Victims
typically received unsolicited calls from scammers impersonating
government officials (e.g. ICA, Ministry of Health) or bank staff
(e.g. DBS), who would allege that victims had applied for credit
cards, bank accounts or phone numbers that were eventually
involved in criminal activities. In some case, scammers alleged
that victims were involved in spreading false rumours/
information, had parcels under their names containing prohibited
good, or had made illegal purchases. When victims denied being
involved, the first scammer would transfer the call to a second
scammer claiming to be a China government official (e.g. China
Police), who would accuse victims of being involved in criminal
activities (e.g. money laundering). Under various pretexts (e.g.
investigation, to verify or safekeep funds, bail payment),
scammers would instruct victims to transfer money to bank
accounts supposedly designated by China authorities.

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 iii. The majority of government officials impersonation scam victims were
aged 65 and above, comprising 28.9% of victims for this scam type.
Phone calls and WhatsApp were the most common channels used by
government officials impersonation scammers to contact potential
victims.

Top Contact Methods

9. Scammers commonly reach out to victims through messaging platforms, social

media, online shopping platforms, phone calls and other websites. These methods
constitute the top five contact methods used by scammers.

10. Three products from Meta – Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram – remain
particularly concerning, consistently being over-represented among the
platforms exploited by scammers to contact potential victims and conduct their
scams. In addition, there was a spike in scam cases involving Telegram in the
first half of 2024.

Breakdown of Cases based on Top Contact Methods

8,336
Messaging Platforms 6,555
7,737
Social Media 5,937
2,949
Online Shopping Platforms 2,400
2,761
Phone Calls 3,895
984
Other Websites 765
733
SMSes 921
684
Dating Apps / Dating Websites 840
281
Emails 376
201
Classified Ads 138
128
Online Delivery Platforms 16

Jan-Jun 2024 Jan-Jun 2023

11. In the first half of 2024, the number of scam cases where scammers contacted
victims via messaging platforms increased to 8,336 from 6,555 in the same period last
year. Approximately 50.2% of the cases were conducted via WhatsApp, and 45.0%
via Telegram.

Page 10 of 28
 Messaging Platforms Used to Contact Victims
Others
Wechat 1.6%
3.1%

WhatsApp
50.2%

Telegram
45.0%

12. Among the scam cases where scammers contacted victims via WhatsApp,
56.8% were job scams, 10.8% were phishing scams and 10.6% were fake friend call
scams.

13. The number of scam cases perpetrated on Telegram saw an increase of

about 137.5% in the first half of 2024, from the same period in 2023. Among the
scam cases where scammers contacted victims via Telegram, 38.6% were investment
scams, 29.6% were e-commerce scams and 25.0% were job scams.

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 Types of Scam Cases via Telegram
Others
6.8%

Investment Scam
38.6%
Job Scam
25.0%

E-commerce Scam
29.6%

14. The number of scam cases where scammers contacted victims via social media
increased to 7,737 in the first half of 2024, from 5,937 in the same period last year,
with about 64.4% on Facebook and 18.6% on Instagram.

Social Media Platforms Used to Contact Victims

Xiaohongshu Others
X 3.2% 1.0%
5.7%

Tiktok
7.1%

Instagram Facebook
18.6% 64.4%

15. Among the scam cases where scammers contacted victims via Facebook,
50.9% were e-commerce scams, 14.8% were job scams, and 10.1% were investment
scams.
Page 12 of 28
 Type of Scam Cases via Facebook
Others
12.9%
Loan Scam
4.5%

Phishing Scam
6.8%

E-commerce
Scam
50.9%

Investment
Scam
10.1%

Job Scam
14.8%

16. Online shopping platforms is a contact method of concern. The number of scam
cases perpetrated via online shopping platforms increased to 2,949 in the first half of
2024, from 2,400 in the same period last year. 78.1% of these cases occurred on
Carousell and 15.9% on Facebook.

Online Shopping Platforms Used to Contact Victims

Xiaohongshu Lazada
0.3% Others
1.2%
Shopee 1.4%
3.1%

Facebook
15.9%

Carousell
78.1%

Page 13 of 28
17. Among the scam cases which victims encountered scammers via Carousell,
53.1% were e-commerce scams and 45.8% were phishing scams.

Type of Scam Cases via Carousell

Others
1.1%

Phishing Scam
45.8% E-commerce
Scam
53.1%

Scam Victim Profile

18. 74.2% of scam victims were youths, young adults and adults aged below
50 in the first half of 2024. However, the average amount lost per elderly victim
is the highest. The breakdown of scam victims by age group is as follows:

a) Youths, aged 19 and below, made up 7.2% of the scam victims. 44.2% fell prey
to e-commerce scams, while 23.1% fell prey to job scams and 12.0% fell prey
to phishing scams. Scammers tend to contact youths via Telegram, Carousell
and WhatsApp.

b) Young adults, aged 20 to 29, made up 25.6% of scam victims. 37.1% fell prey
to e-commerce scams, while 25.8% fell prey to job scams and 10.8% fell prey
to phishing scams. Scammers tend to contact young adults via Telegram,
WhatsApp and Facebook.

c) Adults, aged 30 to 49, made up 41.4% of scam victims. 29.9% fell prey to e-
commerce scams, while 22.6% fell prey to job scams and 14.1% fell prey to
phishing scams. Scammers tend to contact this victim group via Facebook,
WhatsApp and Telegram.

d) Young seniors, aged 50 to 64, made up 18.6% of scam victims. 18.9% fell prey
to investment scams, while 17.8% fell prey to fake friend call scams and 16.9%

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 fell prey to job scams. Scammers tend to contact this victim group via
Facebook, phone calls and WhatsApp.

e) The elderly, aged 65 and above, made up 7.2% of scam victims. 24.4% of
victims fell prey to fake friend call scams, while 19.5% fell prey to investment
scams and 14.6% fell prey to phishing scams. Scammers tend to reach out to
the elderly via phone calls, WhatsApp and Facebook. While the elderly made
up one of the smallest age group of scam victims, the average amount
lost per elderly victim is the highest when compared to victims of the
other age groups. This is a concern as the elderly may potentially lose their
entire life savings to scams and are unlikely to recover financially.

Scam Victim Age Profile (1H 2024)

Elderly
7.2% Youths
7.2%

Young Seniors
18.6%
Young Adults
25.6%

Adults
41.4%

Police’s Efforts to Fight Scams and Cybercrimes

Enforcement

Maintaining strong public-private partnership

19. The Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) has expanded its partnerships to more
than 110 institutions, including financial institutions, card security groups, fintech
companies, cryptocurrency houses, remittance service providers, and overseas law
enforcement agencies from countries such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and Australia to
facilitate the swift freezing of accounts and recovery of funds to mitigate victim losses.
This is achieved through establishing point-of contact and direct communication
channels with these partners. The ASCom has further strengthened the close working
relationships with them, leading to the co-location of staff from six banks and
Government Technology Agency (GovTech) within the ASCom. In the first half of

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2024, the ASCom froze more than 10,300 bank accounts based on reports referred to
the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) and recovered more than $54 million.

Collaboration with e-commerce platforms to take down scam-related online

monikers and advertisements

20. The co-location initiative was expanded to include the co-location of Carousell
and Shopee staff within the ASCom. This initiative was instrumental in supporting the
ASCom in its swift intervention in scam cases on these platforms. In the first half of
2024, ASCom worked with Carousell, Shopee and other online platforms’ staff to
identify and take down 2,700 scam-tainted online monikers and suspicious
advertisements. We encourage more online platforms, including social media
platforms and e-commerce platforms, to work with the SPF and co-locate their staff at
the ASCom, so as to boost our collective efforts to combat scams.

Collaboration with local telecommunication companies to terminate phone lines

related to scams

21. The ASC works closely with other stakeholders such as local
telecommunication companies and e-commerce platforms to act against conduits
used for scams. In the first half of 2024, more than 10,300 mobile lines and more than
14,800 WhatsApp lines which were believed to be used in scams, were submitted for
termination.

Other law enforcement interventions and operations

Enforcement operations targeting local scammers and money mules

22. In the first half of 2024, the ASCom, together with the Scam Strike Teams in
the seven Police Land Divisions, conducted 13 island-wide anti-scam enforcement
operations, leading to the investigation of more than 4,000 money mules and
scammers. Police have also stepped up our enforcement with more than 300 money
mules charged in Court.

Upstream anti-scam measures to combat malware-enabled scams

23. Malware-enabled scams recorded a decrease of 86.2% in number of cases,

with a 96.8% decrease in losses in the first half 2024, compared to the same period in
2023. This can be attributed to MAS’ and SPF’s collaboration with the banks to
implement anti-malware measures for banking apps. The banking apps would restrict
users’ access if they detected sideloaded apps with accessibility granted or screen-
sharing. Customers will then receive a pop-up message to uninstall the said apps
before they can login to the banking apps. In February 2024, the Cyber Security
Agency (CSA) worked with Google to block sideloading of potentially malicious
Android apps. To tackle the scam scourge, Police conducted intensive enforcement
operations, arresting more than 140 subjects involved in malware-enabled scams and
charged over 30 of them between June and October 2023.

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Collaboration with GovTech and HTX (Home Team Science and Technology
Agency) to detect and disrupt scam-related websites

24. Scam Analytics and Tactical Intervention System (SATIS) was developed in
collaboration with GovTech and HTX. SATIS is a customised dashboard that will
leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning to triage, assess and disrupt scam
websites swiftly. With SATIS, SPF worked with local Internet Service Providers to
identify and disrupt over 18,000 scam-related websites in the first half of 2024. To stay
ahead of scammers, the SPF will continue working with GovTech and HTX to enhance
and expand the capabilities of SATIS.

Suspension of bank accounts of ex-work permit holders who have left

Singapore

25. As part of the Government’s efforts to tackle scams and money laundering, the
SPF, MOM and the MAS are working with the banks progressively to suspend the
bank accounts of ex-work permit holders who have left Singapore (e.g. those whose
work pass has been cancelled or has expired, and do not have any other valid pass
to work or reside in Singapore) to prevent their accounts from being misused by
criminal syndicates.

26. For instance, in June 2021, the Police stopped two male subjects during a
police roadblock and found the subjects in possession of a large number of bank cards
and handphones, and a large amount of cash. Further investigations revealed that
about half of the bank cards seized belonged to migrant workers. About one-third of
those bank accounts belonged to migrant workers and were used for money
laundering after the account holders left Singapore. In total, the bank accounts
belonging to migrant workers who had left Singapore were used to receive more than
$900,000 in criminal proceeds.

27. All work permit holders whose employment in Singapore has ended are
therefore advised to close their bank accounts and transfer or remit the money to their
accounts in their home country before leaving Singapore. Work permit holders who
require assistance in transferring or remitting money after their bank accounts have
been suspended should approach their banks for advice.

Collaboration with foreign law enforcement agencies

28. While most online scams are perpetrated by scammers based outside of
Singapore and such cases are difficult to investigate and prosecute, SPF continues to
work closely with foreign counterparts and partners such as the Royal Malaysia Police
and INTERPOL by exchanging information and conducting joint investigations and
operations against transnational scams.

Takedown of scam syndicates through collaboration with overseas law

enforcement agencies

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29. In the first half of 2024, the close collaboration between SPF and overseas law
enforcement agencies resulted in the successful takedown of nine transnational scam
syndicates comprising three fake friend call syndicates, four suspected money
laundering cells, one phishing scam syndicate and one investment scam syndicate.
More than 100 persons based overseas who were responsible for more than 320
transnational scam cases, were arrested.

30. Fake friend call scams recorded a decrease of 38.2% in number of cases, with
a 37.2% decrease in losses in the first half of 2024, compared to the same period in
2023. This can be attributed to the collaboration between the SPF and the Royal
Malaysia Police to dismantle three fake friend call scam syndicates operating from
Johor Bahru, Malaysia, leading to the arrest of 19 overseas syndicate members.
Between late December 2023 and early January 2024, three Malaysians were
convicted and were sentenced to between 30 and 42 months’ imprisonment for their
involvement in fake friend call scams. In a separate operation in January 2024, the
SPF successfully extradited five syndicate members to Singapore and charged them
in court. The arrests and convictions of these syndicate members helped deter other
like-minded criminals.

Participation in internationally coordinated scam operations

31. SPF also participates in internationally coordinated operations against scams.

In the first half of 2024 from 20 March to 20 May 2024, SPF participated in the
INTERPOL’s Operation First Light, which involved more than 70 countries. During the
operation, more than 1,100 persons were investigated and over 3,500 bank accounts
were frozen in Singapore, leading to the recovery of more than $16.7 million. Over
$203,000 of virtual assets were also blocked by SPF.

Engagement

Project A.S.T.R.O. – Leveraging mass distribution of SMSes to alert scam

victims

32. To complement enforcement, the ASCom also focused on upstream

interventions to identify and alert victims and leveraged technology to strengthen its
sense-making capabilities. Through the ‘Automation of Scam-fighting Tactics &
Reaching Out’, also known as Project A.S.T.R.O., the ASCom works with banks such
as OCBC, UOB and DBS in automating information-sharing, information-processing
and mass distribution of SMS alerts to scam victims. Many of these victims only
realised that they had fallen prey to scams after receiving SMS alerts from the Police
advising them to immediately cease any further monetary transfers. Through three
joint operations in the first half of 2024, more than 46,400 SMSes were sent to alert
more than 33,600 victims. This proactive victim-centric approach averted over $204
million of potential losses.

Proactive interventions with potential scam victims

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33. To amplify SPF’s reach to the community on scam intervention, the ASCom
and the Community Policing Units (CPUs) of the Police Land Divisions regularly
conduct joint proactive interventions with potential scam victims. These victims were
referred by the banks as they attempted monetary transfers observed to be suspicious.
In the first half of 2024, more than 140 joint interventions were successfully conducted,
further averting more than $36.5 million of potential losses.

International Cooperation and Partnerships

34. Since January 2024, the SPF hosted 36 visits to the ASCom, including visits by
overseas law enforcement agencies such as the Royal Malaysia Police, Hong Kong
Police Force, Victoria Police and New Zealand Police. The SPF was also invited to
present on its anti-scam strategies, particularly the ASC model at 10 international
platforms such as the Global Anti Scam Summit in Belgium and the Technical
Dialogue on Combating Cyber Scams in Thailand.

Education

35. SPF continues to focus on public education efforts to encourage individuals to

proactively adopt anti-scam measures to safeguard themselves and those around
them from scams. SPF will also continue to make it easier for members of the public
to find information on scams and to seek help.

Availability of anti-scam information and resources via various platforms

“I can ACT against Scams” campaign

36. SPF, supported by the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), will
continue to work on the “I can ACT against Scams” campaign. The main objective of
the campaign is to encourage people to take protective actions to enhance their scam
resilience. The campaign promotes three simple anti-scam actions – ADD, CHECK,
TELL. In 2023, the campaign promoted the “ADD” part of the framework, encouraging
the adoption of security features that helps strengthen the resilience of our devices
and online accounts. Key initiatives promoted under the “ADD” phase included adding
the ScamShield app, anti-virus app, Money Lock and international call blocking option.
For 2024, the campaign will focus on the “CHECK” part of the framework. The key
desired behaviour that the campaign seeks to encourage is for individuals to “Stop
and Check” before making decisions. This serves as a cognitive break, which will
potentially help any individual to better identify the scam situation he or she is in. The
campaign will also promote key official resources that the public can check with when
they are uncertain if something is a scam.

37. The campaign utilises both out-of-home publicity channels, especially targeting
areas with high footfall, as well as digital channels to raise awareness and
engagement to the campaign. To further amplify the outreach of the campaign, NCPC
has been actively working with various stakeholders such as banks, supermarkets,
town councils, and tertiary institutions to disseminate the relevant messages to the

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community. NCPC has also been using its social media channels such as Facebook,
TikTok, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram channels, to reach out to different
segments of the society. As of June 2024, NCPC’s ScamAlert WhatsApp and
Telegram channels have over 35,000 subscribers. The ScamShield app promoted by
the “I can ACT against Scams” campaign has reached over 950,000 downloads and
users have submitted over 17 million suspected scam SMSes via the app since its
launch.

Regular dissemination of information on latest and trending scam types

38. As the scams landscape changes quickly, SPF also ensures a regular cadence
of communications on trending scam types and variants to raise public awareness.
When there are new scam variants, a Police News Release will be issued. SPF also
regularly disseminate scams bulletin and bite-sized videos through social channels
such as NCPC’s WhatsApp and Telegram channels. Additionally, SPF has been
working with SPH on a bi-weekly anti-scam column space which goes out in different
vernacular languages.

Harmonising scam-related channels and resources

39. The SPF is also working with partners to make scam related channels and
resources more accessible to members of the public, by improving public recall,
increase ease in finding information on them, and to encourage greater usage of these
resources.

40. In partnership with NCPC and Open Government Products (OGP), the various
agencies are working on harmonising the different anti-scam resources under the
“ScamShield” brand. The aim is for public’s attention to be concentrated on recalling
just one brand when it comes to obtaining scam-related information. The ScamShield
app was developed to block scam calls and detect scam SMSes. Going forward, the
ScamShield brand will be expanded into a suite of anti-scam products, including a new
website, an anti-scam helpline (1799), as well as social channels on WhatsApp and
Telegram. More details on the harmonisation plans and the new ScamShield suite will
be announced in the third quarter of 2024.

SPF Anti-Scam Resource Guide

41. SPF also developed an Anti-Scam Resource Guide which can be found on the
SPF website in four vernacular languages. It is also offered to all complainants/victims
who lodge scam related reports at Neighbourhood Police Centre counters. The
resource guide offers information to frequently asked questions relating to police
investigations into scams-related offences and avenues to seek support. The resource
guide would be progressively mailed to all Singapore households from the third quarter
of 2024.

Rallying the community to fight against scams

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42. SPF has been rallying community partners to play a more proactive role in the
fight against scams. In collaboration with NCPC and MOM, SPF organised a TikTok
challenge in late-2023 to engage migrant workers and migrant domestic workers on
scams. Participants from migrant worker communities were challenged to produce
creative TikTok videos that helps to raise awareness about scams and scam
prevention strategies.

43. SPF has also been engaging industry partners to help amplify public education
on scams, in particular for scam types that require targeted outreach. This includes
partnering Microsoft on tech support scams, Lalamove on parcel delivery scams,
Carousell and ticketing platforms (e.g. TicketMaster, SISTIC and Tickeket) for concert
ticket scams. SPF is also working with partners to co-create anti-scam content. For
example, SPF partnered META to develop anti-scam content for users of their
platforms as well as outreach to youths. Additionally, SPF worked with CirclesLife,
StarHub and SingTel to develop anti-scam materials to educate their subscribers.

‘Cyber Guardians on Watch’ interest group of the Community Watch Scheme

44. The ‘Cyber Guardians on Watch’ was launched during the Police Workplan
Seminar on 24 May 2024 as a holistic effort to tackle a broad range of cybercrimes
beyond e-commerce scams. Members of the ‘Cyber Guardians on Watch’ come from
all walks of life and are educated to be SPF’s eyes and ears to report any suspicious
activity and safeguard our cyberspace. Members will also receive targeted
cybercrime-related information, alerts and advisories from the Police through the
Police@SG app. They could help to amplify the alert messages by sharing such
information with their family and friends. As of 30 June 2024, there were more than
12,000 CWS members in the Cyber Guardians on Watch interest group.

Community Watch Scheme Brunch and Learn

45. The SPF organised the inaugural Community Watch Scheme (CWS) Brunch
and Learn event on 24 February 2024. This event brought existing Community Alert
System (CAS) subscribers and CWS members together to learn about the latest safety
and security concerns. Participants were engaged meaningfully through a mini
exhibition, presentations on topics of concern as well as an interactive skit.

Cyber Crime Prevention Ambassador Programme

46. To strengthen its efforts against cybercrime and scams and galvanise
individuals to take a more active role in safeguarding themselves, NCPC also
launched the Cyber Crime Prevention Ambassador (Cyber CPA) programme in May
2024. This group of volunteers have undergone training and are deployed at
roadshows and community events to disseminate cybercrime prevention messages.
Currently, NCPC has more than 30 Cyber CPAs.

E-commerce Marketplace Transaction Safety Ratings (“TSR”)

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47. The E-commerce Marketplace TSR was launched in May 2022 to educate
consumers on the extent to which different e-commerce marketplaces have put in
place safety features in place to protect them from scams.

48. During the latest refresh of the TSR in April 2024, Shopee’s rating was
upgraded from three ticks to the full four ticks. Similar to other marketplaces which
were awarded the full four ticks (i.e., Amazon, Lazada and Qoo10), Shopee has
implemented all the safety features deemed critical by MHA. In particular, Shopee has
fully implemented user verification against Government-issued documentation for all
sellers. The number of reported e-commerce scams on their platform reduced by 65%,
from 311 cases in 2022 to 109 cases in 2023.

49. MHA encourages all e-commerce marketplaces to put in place the

recommended safeguards, specifically user verification against Government-issued
documentation and secure payment options, to protect their users from scams.

WOG Efforts to Fight Scams

Anti-scam measures by the Monetary Authority of Singapore

50. MAS continues to work closely with the financial industry, the Police and other
government agencies in the fight against scams. Over the past few years, the banks
have implemented a suite of measures to make it harder for scammers to perform
unauthorized transactions. Recent measures include:

a. Banks are progressively removing the use of One-Time Passwords (OTP)

for bank account login for digital token users to reduce phishing risk.

b. All major retail banks offer a Money Lock feature that allows customers to
set aside funds that cannot be digitally accessed. As of 31 July, more than
114,000 customers have utilised Money Lock across major retail banks, with
over $9.0 billion of savings set aside.

c. The Association of Banks in Singapore, individual banks and MAS continue

to conduct public awareness and education campaigns on scams, to
complement national campaigns.

51. As banks continue to tighten anti-scam measures, customers should be

prepared for some inconvenience for better security in digital banking and payments.
For example, as banks enhance their fraud surveillance capabilities, the rule-based
and machine learning algorithms used in fraud surveillance are not precise and may
result in more notifications and checks on customers’ legitimate transactions.

Anti-scam measures by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore

52. CSA partnered Google to pilot a new enhanced protection feature within
Google Play Protect in February 2024. This feature automatically blocks the
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installation of potentially malicious apps from Internet-sideloading sources that use
sensitive runtime permissions. The pilot has since been rolled out to all Android
devices registered with Google Play Store in Singapore, blocking close to 900,000
high-risk app installations attempts from Internet-sideloading sources on over 200,000
devices. This prevented more than 11,000 apps from potentially being misused for
financial fraud and scams, such as impersonating popular messaging, gaming, and e-
commerce apps.

53. In March 2024, CSA issued an advisory on how to spot and protect oneself
from deepfakes. CSA worked with the SPF and the National Library Board to promote
these tips in the SPF’s ‘Scam or Scram!’ mini-video series and the
Source.Understand.Research.Evaluate. (S.U.R.E.) festival roadshows, respectively.

54. Since the revamped Be Cyber Safe Pop-Up with interactive games and the Be
Cyber Safe Awareness Skit were rolled out to primary and secondary school students
in January 2024, they have been staged at 48 primary schools and 47 secondary
schools.

55. To reach out to seniors, Be Cyber Safe workshops were held in March and July
2024. These workshops aim to teach seniors how to use digital apps safely via one-
on-one guided tutorials by students as well as volunteers from community networks.
Workshop partners include banks, Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB), GovTech,
the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and People’s Association. CSA,
Singapore Press Holdings (Limited) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic will continue to
collaborate on the ‘Youth Help Seniors Go Digital’ workshops, with accompanying
advertorials providing cybersecurity and scam tips running in vernacular publications.
The next edition will run from October 2024 onwards.

56. As part of CSA’s ‘Unseen Enemy’ campaign, two roadshows were held in Toa
Payoh Hub and Heartbeat@Bedok in February and April 2024 respectively. CSA also
engaged Lazada to create a dedicated microsite on their app platform and website to
amplify CSA’s cybersecurity tips and feature relevant cybersecurity products. In May
2024, CSA also worked with the National Council of Social Service to kickstart a series
of talks on cybersecurity and scam awareness for employees and volunteers from over
20 social services agencies.

Anti-scam measures by the Open Government Products

Consolidated single gov.sg SMS Sender ID across government agencies,

ministries, statutory boards, and services

57. Since 1 July 2024, the Government has introduced a single SMS Sender ID,
gov.sg, which will be used by all government agencies, ministries, statutory boards,
and services. Developed by OGP, this consolidation of SMS communications under a
single gov.sg SMS Sender ID is a significant step in the government’s efforts to protect
the public from government official impersonation scams. By using a single gov.sg
SMS Sender ID consistently across government agencies, the public can now easily

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identify official messages from the government and protect themselves more
effectively against government official impersonation scams. This new measure,
driven by public feedback on recognizing legitimate government communications, is
intended to empower citizens to verify messages from the Government more
confidently.

Re-launch of an enhanced ScamShield App

58. Launched on 20 November 2020, the ScamShield mobile application (app) was
developed by OGP in collaboration with the SPF and the NCPC. Since its inception,
the ScamShield app has had over 950,000 downloads across iOS and Android mobile
devices and blocked over 178,000 entities believed to be used for scam calls or
SMSes. In a significant stride towards safeguarding the community from a fast-
evolving scam landscape, OGP has since enhanced the ScamShield app, which
brings together advanced features and functionality for checking, filtering and blocking
scam messages and calls, plus scam reporting, to give residents a better way to
safeguard themselves against scams. The enhanced ScamShield app can now
identify and alert users to potential scam threats across WhatsApp, Telegram and
weblinks as well, which offers an added layer of protection from the earlier version of
the app that works across calls and SMS only.

Anti-scam measures by the Infocomm Media Development Authority

Working with Telcos to implement anti-scam measures

59. As part of multi-layered measures to protect the public from scams, the IMDA
continues to work closely with Telcos to implement anti-scam measures that
strengthen safeguards for SMS and calls to Singapore users. Telcos have introduced
the international call and SMS blocking features, which provide subscribers with the
choice to block both incoming calls and SMSes from international numbers on their
mobile phones.

60. By opting in to the feature(s), all incoming calls and/or SMSes made from
international numbers will be blocked. Calls and/or SMSes made from Singapore
numbers, including users who are roaming overseas, will still be received as per
normal. Subscribers can enable and disable the respective features based on their
needs.

61. To safeguard against the illicit use of local SIM cards, each individual is only
allowed to purchase a maximum of three pre-paid SIM cards today, which is sufficient
to meet the needs of genuine users’ who are mainly foreign visitors, tourists and
contract workers. The SPF and IMDA have observed signs that post-paid SIM cards,
predominantly purchased by locals, are increasingly being misused for scams.
Therefore, a limit of 10 post-paid SIM cards per individual is imposed. A higher cap is
adopted to cater to the needs of legitimate users who may register SIM cards for family
members, while limiting illicit usage.

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62. This measure took effect from 15 April 2024 and it only applies to new
registrations. Subscribers who currently have more than 10 post-paid SIM cards are
not affected. However, they will not be able to register additional SIM cards. IMDA will
review the post-paid SIM cards limit over time to ensure that it continues to be relevant.

Anti-scam measures by the Central Provident Fund Boad

63. In November 2023, the CPFB introduced a default Daily Withdrawal Limit
(DWL) of $2,000 for online CPF withdrawals, for all CPF members aged 55 and above.
CPF members who prefer a different DWL could adjust their DWL to any amount from
$0 to $200,000, with DWL increases subject to enhanced authentication and a 12-
hour cooling period. With effect from 25 September 2024, the maximum DWL will be
lowered from $200,000 to $50,000 as part of CPFB’s ongoing efforts to strengthen
safeguards against scams. This will provide more friction against scams without
inconveniencing the majority of members making legitimate withdrawals today.

64. This move is in addition to CPFB’s existing safeguards. In December 2023,

CPFB introduced enhanced authentication and a 12-hour cooling period when
members update their registered bank account with CPFB. Since 29 May 2024, CPF
members applying to receive their CPF withdrawals via PayNow will need to set
PayNow NRIC-linked bank account as their registered bank account with CPFB.

65. While we seek to strengthen our safeguards, the public continues to play a
crucial role in combating scams. This is why CPFB actively engages members through
various touchpoints, particularly members reaching withdrawal age of 55 and above,
to remind them to stay vigilant and to encourage them to activate the CPF Withdrawal
Lock if they have no intention to withdraw their CPF savings soon. For more details
on CPF’s anti-scam security measures, please visit cpf.gov.sg/antiscammeasures.

Strengthening legislative levers

The Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits)
Act (CDSA) and the Computer Misuse Act (CMA)

66. The Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of
Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Computer Misuse Act (CMA) were amended in May
2023 and new offences were introduced to make it easier for the SPF to make out a
money laundering offence and allow the SPF to deal with individuals who abuse their
Singpass credentials. The amendments took effect on 8 February 2024 and the
Sentencing Advisory Panel Guidelines for the new offences were published on 21
August 2024, which may be accessed at sentencingpanel.gov.sg/guidelines-for-
scams-related-offences.

Amendments to Miscellaneous Offences Act to criminalise the misuse of local SIM

cards

67. Criminal syndicates are increasingly using local SIM cards to perpetrate scams,
including to receive scam monies (e.g., via PayNow) and to set up messaging
accounts (e.g., WhatsApp/Telegram). The number of local mobile lines involved in

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scams and other cybercrimes quadrupled from 5,867 in 2021, to 23,519 in 2023, while
losses almost tripled, from $137 million to $384 million.

68. To address this problem, the Law Enforcement and Other Matters (LEOM) Bill
was passed in Parliament on 2 April 2024 to amend the Miscellaneous Offences Act,
to enhance our abilities to enforce against criminals who abuse local SIM cards to
perpetrate scams. These include, among others:

a. Registering for a SIM card and selling it for gain;

b. Possessing a large number of unregistered SIM cards for no legitimate

reason; and

c. Buying or selling SIM cards registered in another person’s particulars.

69. The offences will carry a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment of up to three

years, or both. For (b) and (c), the penalty for a second or subsequent offence will be
a fine of up to $20,000 or imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

Progressive operationalisation of the Online Criminal Harms Act

70. The Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), which has been progressively
operationalised since 1 February 2024, allows the authorities to direct online service
providers or other entities to disable access to online criminal content or accounts,
including scams.

71. Under OCHA, two Code(s) of Practice (COP) took effect on 26 June 2024, one
for Online Communication Services and another for E-Commerce Services1. Providers
of designated online services, which present the highest risk of scams to Singapore
users, are required to put in place upstream measures to proactively prevent and
disrupt scams (e.g. user verification against Government-issued records to tackle e-
commerce scams). SPF will work closely with the providers of designated online
services and monitor their compliance to the COPs.

Upcoming measures to better protect scam victims

72. MHA is studying measures to better protect scam victims, particularly those
who do not believe that they are being scammed. These could be victims of love
scams or investment scams who have invested their emotions or significant amounts
of monies, making it difficult for them to extricate themselves from the situation.

73. Specifically, MHA is considering to empower Police officers to restrict the

banking transactions of scam victims and targets of ongoing scams, if there is
reasonable belief that they will make money transfers to scammers. The restriction will
be time-limited, as the intent is to give the Police time to convince the victims that they

1 This includes online services that facilitate e-commerce activities.

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are being scammed. MHA intends to conduct public consultations on our proposals.
More details will be released when ready.

Everyone Plays a Part in Fighting Scams

74. Everyone has a part to play in keeping Singapore safe and secure. Individuals
should proactively adopt anti-scam measures to safeguard themselves and those
around them from scam. SPF will continue to work with government agencies and
community partners to engage and educate the public in building the community’s
vigilance and resilience towards scams. In addition, business operators, particularly
banks, online marketplaces and telcos, also have a responsibility to prevent, deter and
detect crimes committed through their platforms. Putting in place anti-scam measures
and precautions will help keep their customers safe.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
22 AUGUST 2024 @ 3PM

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 Annex

Top 10 Scam Types in Singapore

(Based on number of reported cases)

Total amount lost Average

Cases reported
(at least) amount lost in
Types of Scams first half of
Jan - Jun 2024 Jan - Jun 2023 Jan - Jun 2024 Jan -Jun 2023 2024

E-commerce
7,250 4,496 $8.6M $7.3M $1,191
Scams

Job Scams 5,717 5,723 $86.0M $78.3M $15,055

Phishing Scams 3,447 2,948 $13.3M $7.3M $3,868

Investment Scams 3,330 1,577 $133.4M $80.4M $40,080

Fake Friend Call

2,368 3,832 $8.1M $12.9M $3,426
Scams

Government
Officials
580 367 $67.5M $40.4M $116,534
Impersonation
Scams

Loan Scams 571 426 $2.5M $2.5M $4,459

Internet Love
418 435 $12.5M $25.7M $29,969
Scams

Offer Sexual
410 168 $1.9M $439K $4,780
Services Scams

Social Media
Impersonation 347 508 $1.8M $4.4M $5,454
Scams

Top 10 scams 24,438 20,480 $336.1M $260.2M $13,754

Note: Total amount cheated may not tally due to rounding.

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