News Summary: Singapore Anti-Scam Centre saves S$900,000 from scams.

Summary: Swift intervention by the anti-scam centre and partner banks prevented scam losses of more than S$900,000 in 2 scam cases. 

 

According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, in 2024, the total amount lost to scams amounted to a minimum of S$1.1 billion. This was a drastic increase from S$651.8 million in 2023. Scams are a growing threat in Singapore, and their impacts are substantial. However, there have been vital anti-scam efforts ongoing to protect citizens from scams.

 

The rise of scams in Singapore poses a growing threat. However, these cases go to show the importance of collaboration between law enforcement, banks and the public in scam prevention in Singapore. By leveraging tools like the Scamshield app and real-time bank monitoring, Singapore is setting a global standard in fraud prevention. 

 

In February 2025, the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) worked with partner banks to prevent scam losses of more than S$900,000 in two scam cases. Learn how the ASC partnered with banks to protect victims. Discover practical tips as well to stay safe from those scams with Scam.SG. 

 

Case Study #1: DBS Bank helped prevent S$52,000 in scam losses from a Government Official Impersonation Scam in Singapore 

 

How This Scam Worked 

 

On 15 February 2025, a 57-year-old woman received contact from a purported “insurance agent” to pay insurance premiums for an insurance policy purchased under her name. When the victim denied purchasing this insurance policy, she was referred to another scammer impersonating as an officer from the “Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)” to assist in investigations. This “officer” claimed that her personal particulars had been leaked, and that an investigation would be conducted. 

 

As part of the “investigation”, the scammer requested the woman to transfer money from her existing bank accounts to a bank account provided by the scammer, in the name of protecting her funds. On 17 February 2025, the victim attempted to transfer S$52,000 from her DBS bank account to the scammer’s bank account. 

 

How This Scam Was Prevented 

 

This transfer was detected by the DBS’s anti-scam team. They found this transaction suspicious and escalated this to the ASC. Officers from the ASC swiftly liaised with the victim to understand the situation. After recognising and highlighting the potential red flags to the victim, she realised that she had fallen prey to a government official impersonation scam in Singapore. 

 

The quick-thinking and swift intervention efforts from the ASC and DBS’s Anti-Scam Team helped to prevent a loss of S$52,000 to the victim. Learn more about government impersonation scams in Singapore with Scam.SG. 

 

Case Study #2: OCBC Bank helped prevent S$850,000 in scam losses from a Job Scam in Singapore 

 

How This Scam Worked 

 

Sometime in January 2025, a man was introduced to a job opportunity by a friend he had made on a social media platform. The job required him to create a merchant shop on a fraudulent e-commerce website. He was then required to fulfil “sale” orders by making payments to various bank accounts provided by the scammer. Between 3 and 17 February, the victim had already deposited more than S$580,000 into the online e-commerce business account to complete his assigned job “tasks”. He had then planned to deposit another S$350,000 into the scammer’s bank account to continue fulfilling the “job” orders. As the victim did not have enough capital, he wanted to borrow S$500,000 from his friend, a 72-year-old woman. 

 

How This Scam Was Prevented 

 

This transfer of S$500,000 by the woman was noticed by OCBC Bank staff. When enquired by the staff, the woman explained that she was lending money to a friend to pay for a job opportunity. The OCBC bank staff suspected that she had fallen into a scam ruse and promptly informed the ASC for assistance. Officers from ASC engaged with the woman to find out about the “job” scheme and managed to stop the transfers from both the woman and the man. 

 

The prompt escalation by OCBC staff and the timely intervention from officers of the ASC managed to prevent further losses of S$500,000 by the woman and S$350,000 by the man. Learn more about job scams in Singapore with Scam.SG. 

Stay Safe From Scams in Singapore With ACT 

 

1. ADD - Add the Scamshield app. Set security features on your internet banking transactions, such as transaction limits. Enable multi-factor authentication on personal accounts such as banks and e-wallets.  

 

2. CHECK - For scam signs with official sources such as Scamshield helpline (1799) or with Scam.SG. Use the Scamshield app or visit the website www.scamshield.gov.sg to check the legitimacy of phone numbers, suspicious messages or website links. Check for company trustworthiness with Scam.SG’s TrustScore. Learn more about the different types of scams in Singapore with Scam.SG. 

 

3. TELL - Tell the authorities if you face a scam. Inform family and friends about scam trends. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank’s anti-scam hotline immediately. If there were no losses, report the scam to Scam.SG to help others learn from your experience.  

DBS Bank Staff and ASC Officer intervening in Case 1

Zulkarnain A. Hamid (left), DBS Singapore’s Anti-Scam Command Ops Team Lead, and ASP Winston Li (right), Senior Investigation Officer from the SPF Anti-Scam Centre.

OCBC Bank Staff and ASC Officer involved in Case 2

From left to right: Chan Chuan Sean (Customer Service Manager, OCBC Harbourfront Branch), Hu Weixiang (Investigator, OCBC Anti-Scam Unit), Catherine Poon Mei Yee (Service Officer, OCBC Harbourfront Branch), ASP Eileen Tok (Senior Investigation Officer, SPF Anti-Scam Centre), Priscilla Low (Customer Service Manager, OCBC Harbourfront Branch) and Patrick Liau (Service Officer, OCBC Harbourfront Branch)

 

All pictures are courtesy of the Singapore Police Force.

Impersonation Scams 

 

Impersonation scams are fraudulent schemes where scammers pretend to be someone trusted to get victims to transfer money or leak sensitive personal information such as bank details. Government official impersonation scams are one of the more common types of impersonation scams in Singapore. Scammers pretend to be government officers or bank staff to steal money and personal information. 

 

According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, government official impersonation scams in Singapore amounted to S$151.3 million in losses in 2024 alone. The impact of impersonation fraud cannot be underestimated, and it is important to know how to spot and avoid such scams. 

 

In Case 1, the scammers impersonated officers from the MAS to get the victim to transfer money into the scammers’ bank accounts. Victims who are not vigilant might not spot such scams for fear of the law. 

 

Besides impersonating government officials, scammers can also impersonate family and friends. It is important to know how to spot the red flags of impersonation fraud and how to avoid these scams. Learn more about impersonation scams in Singapore with Scam.SG. Discover warning signs and prevention tips. 

Job Scams 

 

Job scams are fraudulent schemes where scammers trick victims with fake job offers to steal money or personal information. Job scams in Singapore can also include task scams, where victims are required to pay for tasks to receive a commission. 

 

According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, job scams amounted to a whopping S$156.2 million in 2024, compared to S$135.7 million in 2023. Job scams continue to be one of the most dangerous scams in Singapore, hurting citizens both financially and emotionally. 

 

In Case 2, the scammers convinced the man to deposit more than S$580,000 into the e-commerce account to complete his “tasks”. Often, job scammers target people who are desperate for jobs or in need of money. This desperation might blind victims to the red flags of job scams. 

 

Learn more about job scams and their warning signs with Scam.SG. Discover how to spot and avoid job scams in Singapore. 


Source: https://www.police.gov.sg/media-room/news/20250324_swift_intervention_by_anti_scam_centre_and_partner_banks