What to Do If I'm Scammed in Singapore

Immediate Actions

1. Stop all communication with the scammer immediately.
2. Contact your bank or financial institution if you've shared financial information or made any transactions. This is crucial to prevent further losses.
3. Notify all your contacts and service providers if your online account is compromised. This can help prevent the scam from spreading further.
4. Change passwords and secure all your online accounts, especially those linked to financial services. Enable two or multi-factor authentication for added security.
5. Document all information related to the scam, including screenshots, messages, and transaction details. This will be useful when reporting the scam.
6. If you've shared your Singpass credentials, reset your password immediately and contact the Singpass helpdesk.
7. Stay alert for repeated scam attempts. Scammers may try to target you again, sometimes even impersonating the Police or other government authorities.
8. Seek support from family and friends. Being a victim of a scam can be distressing, and it's important to have emotional support.

Inform Contacts and Secure Accounts

If your online account (e.g. email or social media) is compromised, promptly inform all your contacts and report the incident to the relevant email service provider or social media platform.

If you still have access to your account, immediately change your password. Also consider turning on two-factor or multi-factor authentication if you have not already done so.

Report to Platform Administrators

For e-commerce related scams, apart from filing a police report, it is important to also report the incident to the platform administrators. This lets the platform swiftly take action against the fraudulent seller’s account. When making the police report, include as much information as possible, such as the scammers’ WhatsApp numbers and account details, along with information and screenshots of the fraudulent posts (e.g. Instagram/Facebook/TikTok advertisements or listings/Instagram stories).

Remain vigilant against repeated advances from scammers. Some may exploit their victims' vulnerabilities by impersonating authorities in an attempt to scam them again.

Report the Scam

Reporting scams helps authorities track and stop scammers, while also warning others about current threats. In Singapore, you have multiple options to report a scam:

Protect Yourself from Future Scams

• Install and use the ScamShield app to block potential scam calls and messages.
• Add an Anti-Virus App to your mobile phone(s) to protect against malware.
• Be cautious of unsolicited messages and calls, especially those claiming to be from government agencies or banks.
• Verify the legitimacy of websites and companies before making any transactions.
• Enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts, including your Singpass.
• Stay informed about the latest scam trends by following official channels like scam.sg and scamshield.gov.sg.
• Use the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry (SSIR) to verify legitimate SMS sender IDs.

Legal and Financial Support

Singapore has implemented several measures to support scam victims:

• The Shared Responsibility Framework (SRF) mandates that financial institutions and telcos share responsibility for losses from phishing scams under certain conditions.
• Banks offer features like “Money Lock“ to protect funds from unauthorized transfers.
• The Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) works to freeze bank accounts and recover lost funds where possible.
• Refer to Scam.SG for updated latest scam news and singapore anti-scam measures etc.

Contact your bank immediately to explore options for recovering your funds or limiting your losses.