More than $650,000 lost in Singapore to fake friend scams since April
Since April, victims have lost at least $653,000 to fake friends scams in Singapore.
At least 187 cases of this nature have been reported in that time, the police said in a press statement on May 26, marking a resurgence of this scam type.
In these cases, victims would receive unsolicited WhatsApp messages or phone calls from local mobile lines, from scammers claiming to be their friend.
The scammer would ask the victim to guess their identity, before assuming the name of the said friend, and asking the victim to update their contact details.
Subsequently, scammers would contact the victims, asking them for loans, or to help them perform a banking transaction. Victims would then be provided with a local bank account, PayNow number or QR code to transfer money to.
They would discover that they had been scammed after contacting their actual friends or acquaintances whom the scammers had impersonated, or when their loan was not returned.
The police advises members of the public to be wary of anyone who contacts them via an unknown number to ask for urgent loans, and not to accede to their request unless their identity has been adequately verified.
To learn more about scams, members of the public can visit http://www.scamshield.gov.sg/ or call the 24/7 ScamShield hotline at 1799.
Those with more information about such scams can also call the police at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at http://www.police.gov.sg/i-witness.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Straits Times
Over 200 investigated for suspected roles in scams involving more than $5.84m in losses
Those arrested were believed to be involved in more than 980 scam cases of different types. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN Over 200 investigated for suspected roles in scams involving more than $5.84m in losses SINGAPORE – More than 200 people are being investigated for their suspected roles in scams involving over $5.84 million in losses, following a two-week police operation. They are suspected of being scammers or money mules in more than 980 cases, including investment, job, e-commerce, friend or government official impersonation and rental scams. The suspects comprise 83 women and 149 men, aged between 17 and 77. The islandwide operation took place between May 23 and June 5, said the police in a statement on June 6. Scams have been on the rise in Singapore, with the number of reported cases increasing yearly since 2019. In 2024, there were 51,501 reported cases of scams involving more than $1.1 billion in losses – the first time in the Republic that over a billion dollars was lost to scammers in a year. The suspects in the latest operation are being investigated for the alleged offences of cheating, money laundering or providing payment services without a licence. If found guilty of cheating, offenders may face up to 10 years in jail and a fine. Those convicted of money laundering may be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000, or both. Anyone found guilty of providing payment services without a licence could be jailed for up to three years, fined up to $125,000, or both. For more information on scams, visit or call the ScamShield helpline on 1799. Those with information on scams may call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
Servicemen's contributions recognised at Police Day Parade
SINGAPORE – 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of Police National Service (PNS), which was conceived after a terror incident in Singapore. And PNS officers have contributed much to keeping the country safe, said Mr Edwin Tong, who was attending his first police event as the second minister for Home Affairs. He made these comments on June 3 at the Police Day observance ceremony, which took place at the Home Team Academy at Choa Chu Kang. Mr Tong, who is also the Minister for Law, thanked police officers past and present for their sacrifices . He said: 'Policing, we know, is an inherently challenging profession. Threats to our public order and security remain ever present, and your operating environment is increasingly complex and highly demanding. 'Thank you for your steadfast dedication round the clock, for putting your lives on the line to uphold and enforce our laws, to keep Singapore safe and secure.' PNS was introduced in 1975, a year after the Laju incident, in which four armed attackers targeted the oil refinery on Pulau Bukom and hijacked a ferry, called the Laju, with civilians onboard. It was Singapore's first brush with international terrorism. The hostages were released after a group of 13 'guarantors', including former President S R Nathan, boarded the vessel to take their place. Said Mr Tong: 'We recognised the urgent need to strengthen the protection of our vital installations. And so, full-time PNS was introduced — where their role was established to serve as a credible deterrent against future threats.' PNS officers now work with regular police officers to perform frontline duties such as patrolling the streets and responding to incidents. Mr Tong said that in the recent general election more than 8,000 PNS officers were recalled and deployed at rallies, polling stations and counting centres to control crowds and ensure public safety. Two batches of NSCOs have been deployed to the Anti-Scam Command and Cybercrime Command. NSCOs detect and disrupt cybercrimes and scams, including operating the ScamShield dashboard to review user-reported scams. Said Mr Tong: 'They are at the forefront of safeguarding Singapore's digital space as our new generation of cyber defenders.' Scams and cybercrimes account for the majority of crime in Singapore. A record $1.1 billion was lost here to scams in 2024. To commemorate the 50 years of PNS, Mr Tong announced that SPF will be holding a series of events including the launch of a PNS50 time capsule, and a graduation parade for the 200th PNSF intake. Said Mr Tong: 'To our PNS officers, both past and present, thank you very much for stepping up to serve the nation, taking your training seriously, and discharging your duties with the utmost professionalism. 'You have played an invaluable role in keeping Singapore safe and secure. To your families and employers, thank you too for your support as our PNSmen perform their duties.' Police day also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) band. Established in 1925, it is the oldest uniformed band in Singapore, consisting of more than 60 officers. In recognition of their achievements in 2024, the police Central Division was lauded as the Best Land Division during the ceremony. It is the second time it has received the award, after winning it in 2018. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Wong Keng Hoe, commander of the Police Central Division, received the award from Mr Tong during the ceremony. DAC Wong told the media in an interview on June 2 that the award was due to the efforts of his predecessors and his officers on the ground. In 2024, the Central Division was responsible for ensuring the safety of the public during the Marina Bay Countdown 2025 and taking down scam syndicates who were trying to cheat retailers of electronic devices and jewellery. The runners-up for the Best Land Division were Clementi Police Division and Jurong Police Division. Tanglin Police Division was named Best NS Operationally Ready Unit, with Jurong Police Division and Woodlands Police Division achieving second and third place respectively. The award recognises national service divisions for their management of NS men in fitness, operations and recall rates. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
29-05-2025
- AsiaOne
DBS staff, police stop 2 victims from losing $820k to government official impersonation scams, Singapore News
DBS staff helped an elderly woman from being scammed twice and referred the case to the police. The police said in a news release on Thursday (May 29) that the 77-year-old woman had tried withdrawing $200,000 in cash at DBS' Holland Village branch on April 2. When asked about the transaction, she said the money was for her nephew's wedding, even though she had already withdrawn $160,000 the day before. Suspicious, the staff referred her to the DBS Bank Anti-Scam team, who sought assistance from the police's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC). ACS officers engaged the elderly woman and learnt that she had been contacted by an unknown caller claiming to be "telecommunications company staff' who transferred her to scammers posing as the "Hong Kong police" and "staff" from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The "Hong Kong police" had told the victim that she was under investigation for money laundering and instructed her to withdraw $620,000 and hand it over to the "MAS staff" for investigation. Thanks to DBS' escalation of the case and intervention by ASC, the woman was prevented from losing $620,000. Suspicious activities detected in scammers' bank account In a separate government official impersonation scam case, the police said a 44-year-old man had been contacted by a caller claiming to be a "Citibank staff" on April 2 and told him that a credit card that he applied for was used to purchase cryptocurrency. When the man denied applying for the credit card, the "Citibank staff" referred him to a scammer impersonating a "MAS staff". The "MAS staff" then told the man that he was under investigation for money laundering and needed to transfer $200,000 to a DBS bank account provided by the scammer for investigation purposes. The man was also asked by the scammer to share his screen via WhatsApp while making the transfer. Fortunately, the transfer was intercepted by DBS' Anti-Mule Team, which detected suspicious activities in the scammers' bank account because of anti-scam measures implemented by ASC and the Singpass Anti-Fraud Team. The police advised the public to take precautions to avoid falling for scams by using the ACT (Add, Check, Tell) framework. This involves adding the ScamShield app and setting security features like banking transaction limits. The public can also call the ScamShield helpline at 1799 for more information on scams and check the legitimacy of suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or website. [[nid:718334]]
