4 days ago
At least S$379,000 lost to scammers impersonating MOM officers since May
SINGAPORE: At least S$379,000 has been lost to scammers impersonating officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) since May, the police reported on 3 June.
The losses are linked to at least six cases.
The scam typically begins when victims receive unsolicited calls from individuals pretending to be MOM officers.
The scammers inform the victims that they employ workers involved in criminal activities or immigration-related issues, such as money laundering, overstaying in the country, or having an expired work permit or visa.
When victims deny any knowledge of employing such workers, the call is transferred to another person claiming to be an officer from a different agency, such as the police or the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).
This second scammer then accuses the victims of being involved in criminal activities.
Victims are coerced into making bank transfers or handing over cash for 'investigation' and 'safekeeping.'
In some instances, they are told to declare their financial assets, report to the scammers daily, and avoid speaking to anyone about the ongoing situation.
The scam is typically discovered when victims are unable to contact the scammers or verify their situation with the police through official channels.
In some cases, scammers have told victims that they could use the Singapore Government Directory (SGDI) to verify the identity of public officers.
However, the police clarified that the SGDI is not a valid tool for verifying officials.
They also emphasised that government officials will never ask people to transfer money, disclose banking details, install mobile apps from unofficial stores, or transfer calls to the police.
According to the Singapore Police Force's Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024, there were 1,504 reported cases of government officials impersonation scams in 2024, amounting to at least S$151.3 million in losses.
The majority of victims were aged between 50 and 64, comprising 28.6% of the cases. Scammers predominantly used phone and WhatsApp to contact victims.
For more information or if in doubt, individuals are advised to call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or dial 999 for urgent police assistance.
An official report can also be submitted online at
