Scams in Singapore: Common Types, Warning Signs and What to Do

The most common scams in Singapore include government-official impersonation, job and task scams, investment scams, phishing, e-commerce scams and fake friend calls. If you think you’re being scammed, stop contact, call your bank on the hotline on the back of your card or in its app, and use its emergency freeze if your account may be compromised. Then make a police report and call the ScamShield helpline on 1799 for advice.

Scams here are run by organized groups, often from overseas, with scripts that have been refined on many people. Being targeted says nothing about your intelligence. This guide explains the main types in general terms, the signs that give them away, and the local tools that help.

The most common types of scams in Singapore

Government-official impersonation scams

A caller claims to be from a bank, a telco or a courier, then “transfers” you to someone posing as a police officer, a Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) official or another government officer. They say your identity has been linked to money laundering or another crime, and that you must move your money to a “safe account”, hand over your banking details, or keep the matter secret while they “investigate”. Some send fake warrants or show fake ID on a video call.

Singapore government officials won’t ask you to transfer money, give your banking login details or one-time passwords, or install apps over a phone call, and they won’t transfer your call to the police.

Job and task scams

You receive a message offering easy, flexible work: liking videos, rating products, reviewing hotels or “boosting” online shops. Early tasks pay small amounts to build trust. Then you’re asked to pay in to “upgrade” to higher-paying tasks or release your earnings, and the amounts keep growing. Our guide to job scams covers the wider patterns.

Investment scams

These often start with an ad showing a well-known person endorsing a platform, a tip in a chat group, or a friendly stranger who later talks about trading. The platform shows impressive returns, but withdrawing money is blocked by “taxes” or “fees”. Many use crypto. See our guides to investment scams and crypto scams.

Phishing scams

Fake messages and ads that pretend to come from a bank, a delivery company, a government agency or an online marketplace, leading to a lookalike site that asks for your login, card details or one-time password. Some variants ask you to install an app from outside the official app store, which can give scammers control of your phone and banking apps. Our DBS scam guide covers fake bank messages in more detail. Our guides to smishing and phishing emails explain the signs.

E-commerce scams

A seller on an online marketplace or social media offers concert tickets, electronics or a rental at a good price, takes payment by bank transfer or PayNow, then disappears. Other versions target sellers, with a “buyer” sending a fake payment link that harvests card details.

Fake friend call scams

A caller says “guess who” and lets you name a friend, then takes on that identity. They say they’ve changed numbers, chat for a while, then ask for a loan to handle an urgent problem. Check by calling your friend on the number you already have.

Others to know

Romance scams, WhatsApp account takeovers, fake tech support calls and parcel scams are also common. See our guides to WhatsApp scams and romance scams.

Warning signs that you’re dealing with a scam

• Urgency and secrecy. You’re told to act now and not to tell your family or bank.
• Requests for credentials. Anyone asking for your Singpass details, banking password or one-time password.
• Money to “protect” money. Moving savings to a “safe account” or paying a fee to release earnings or profits.
• Links in unexpected messages, especially ones that ask you to log in or pay.
• Apps from outside the official store. A request to download an app from a link.
• A plus sign on a “local” call. In Singapore, calls from overseas numbers display a + prefix. A caller claiming to be a local official or bank on a +-prefixed number is a major red flag.
• Unregistered SMS senders. Singapore has an SMS Sender ID Registry, and messages from unregistered senders using an alphanumeric name may be labeled as likely scams.
• Returns or pay that sound too good. Easy money for simple tasks, or high returns promised with no risk.

What to do right now if you’ve been scammed

1. Stop contact. End the call, stop replying and don’t make any more payments, including “fees” to get your money back.
2. Call your bank immediately using the hotline on the back of your card or in its official app. Ask it to block your cards and accounts and to try to stop or recall any payments.
3. Use your bank’s emergency freeze. Singapore banks offer a kill switch or similar feature that lets you quickly freeze your accounts if you suspect compromise.
4. Secure your accounts. Change passwords, starting with email, Singpass and banking. If you installed an app from a link, disconnect the phone from the internet and get help to check and reset it before using banking apps again.
5. Save evidence. Screenshots of chats, profiles, phone numbers, links and transaction references.
6. Make a police report. Our guide on how to make a police report in Singapore explains how to do it online or in person.

Where to report a scam in Singapore

Where	What it’s for
Your bank	First call if money moved or you shared banking details. Your bank is best placed to block your accounts and try to stop a payment.
Singapore Police Force	File a police report online through SPF e-services, or at a Neighbourhood Police Centre. Call 999 in emergencies.
ScamShield helpline (1799)	Advice on suspicious calls and messages and on what to do next.
ScamShield app and website	Report and check scam messages and calls. See our guide to ScamShield.
The platform	Report the profile, listing, ad or group on the app or marketplace where the scam happened.

If the scam involved someone overseas, our hub on how to report a scammer lists the main reporting routes in other countries.

Getting money back: an honest picture

Recovery depends mostly on how you paid and how quickly you acted. Card payments can sometimes be disputed through your card issuer. Bank transfers and PayNow payments can sometimes be frozen if the police and banks act before the money leaves the receiving account, but scam money usually moves fast. Crypto and cash handed over in person are very hard to recover.

Singapore also has a Shared Responsibility Framework for certain phishing scams, which sets out duties for banks and telcos and when they may be expected to share losses if they fell short. It covers specific phishing situations; it generally doesn’t cover payments you were tricked into making yourself. Ask your bank how it applies to your case.

Be very wary of anyone who contacts you offering to recover your money for a fee, including people claiming to be lawyers, investigators or officials. That’s almost always a second scam. Our guide to recovery scams explains the signs.

A worked example

This is an illustrative scenario, not a real client. A young accountant sees a message offering part-time work rating hotels. The first few tasks pay small sums into her account. Then she’s told to deposit money to reach a “premium” task set, and later to pay a “tax” before withdrawing.

1. She notices the pattern: she’s paying more to get paid. She stops replying.
2. She calls her bank on the number in its app and reports the transfers as a scam.
3. She screenshots the chat, the task platform and the payment receipts, and files an online police report.
4. She reports the account and chat group to the messaging app, and checks her banking app for any new payees she didn’t set up.
5. When a “recovery agent” messages her a week later, she doesn’t respond and adds it to her police report.

How to protect yourself

• Install ScamShield to help filter scam calls and messages, and use its tools to check suspicious messages.
• Use your bank’s money lock feature. Several Singapore banks let you lock part of your savings so it can’t be transferred out digitally; releasing the money usually needs extra verification, which slows scammers down.
• Set low transaction limits and turn on alerts for every transfer and card payment.
• Never share one-time passwords or Singpass details, and never approve a Singpass or bank login you didn’t start.
• Only install apps from the official app store, and keep your phone updated.
• Call back on numbers you look up yourself. Hang up on callers who transfer you between “departments” or “agencies”.
• Talk to older relatives about government-official impersonation and fake friend calls.

Protecting your personal data helps too, as scammers use leaked details to sound convincing. Our guide to the PDPA in Singapore explains your rights over how organizations handle your data.

Common mistakes

• Feeling too embarrassed to call the bank. Fraud teams deal with this every day, and speed matters more than anything.
• Paying one more fee to “release” money. It never ends the requests.
• Trusting caller ID or a professional-looking website. Both can be faked.
• Posting a scammer’s photo or name publicly. The profile may use a real person’s stolen identity, and accusations can backfire. Report it instead. If scammers are using your identity, see our guide to online impersonation.

If scam complaints or fake profiles using your name are showing up in search results, our personal reputation management team can look at what can realistically be done. If the loss is weighing on you, talk to someone you trust; our help resources page lists support options.

Frequently asked questions

How do I report a scam in Singapore?

Call your bank first if money moved. Then make a police report online through SPF e-services or at a Neighbourhood Police Centre, and use the ScamShield helpline on 1799 for advice. Report the scam account on the platform where it happened.

What is the ScamShield helpline number?

The ScamShield helpline is 1799. It gives advice on suspicious calls and messages and on what to do if you think you’ve been scammed.

Will a Singapore government officer ever ask me to transfer money?

No. Government officials won’t ask you to transfer money, share banking login details or install apps over a phone call, and they won’t transfer your call to the police. Hang up and call the agency on a number you look up yourself.

Can I get my money back after a scam in Singapore?

Sometimes, if you act fast and the money can be frozen before it moves on, or if you paid by card and can dispute it. Often it isn’t possible. Anyone who promises recovery for a fee is likely running another scam.