Singapore Sees Drop in Scam Cases but New Threats Emerge

The number of scam cases reported in Singapore has significantly decreased in the first half of 2025, marking a notable decline after several years of rising incidents. According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), there were **19,665 cases** reported between January and June, representing a **26 per cent drop** from the **26,563 cases** recorded during the same period in 2024. The total financial losses due to these scams also fell, decreasing by **12.6 per cent** to **S$456.4 million** (approximately **US$354.3 million**), down from **S$522.4 million** in the first half of 2024.

Despite this overall reduction, the police have raised concerns about emerging scam tactics, particularly those involving impersonation of government officials and new scams related to insurance services.

Top Scam Types and Trends

In the first half of 2025, phishing scams topped the list as the most prevalent type, constituting **19.2 per cent** of total scam cases. There were **3,779 reported phishing cases**, which reflects a **10.9 per cent increase** compared to the same period last year. Victims suffered losses amounting to **S$30.4 million**, a staggering **134 per cent increase** from approximately **S$13 million** in the previous year. Most victims were aged **30 to 49**, often lured by enticing deals on social media and tricked into disclosing credit card details.

The impersonation of government officials also saw a dramatic rise, with cases nearly tripling from **589** in the first half of 2024 to **1,762** in 2025. Losses related to these scams soared by **88.3 per cent** to **S$126.5 million**, making it the second-highest loss category. The police noted that victims were often pressured into withdrawing cash, purchasing gold bars, or declaring valuable possessions purportedly for investigative purposes.

While investment scams have seen a decline in the number of cases—down by **19.2 per cent**—the financial losses were still significant. Victims lost approximately **S$145.4 million**, a **10.6 per cent increase** from the previous year. Scammers typically directed victims to create new cryptocurrency wallets, enticing them with initial small profits to encourage further investments.

Emergence of Insurance Services Scams

Newly flagged this year is the insurance services scam, which has raised alarms among authorities. There were **791 cases** reported, resulting in losses of about **S$21.3 million**. Scammers impersonate insurance company employees, claiming that victims must pay for insurance packages or trial subscriptions unless canceled. Victims are often asked to verify their identity by sharing personal details and transferring money to facilitate the cancellation.

Despite the overall reduction in scam cases, e-commerce scams remained prevalent. Although there were significant drops in cases related to job scams and fake friend call scams, e-commerce scams recorded the second-highest number of reported cases, with concert tickets being the most frequently involved item.

Malware-enabled scams surged by **266.7 per cent**, with **363 cases** reported, up from **99 cases** in the same period last year. Most victims were aged **50 to 64**, and scammers exploited the Android Debug Bridge (ADB) function to gain unauthorized access to mobile devices. The police advised the public against enabling the ADB function on their Android devices to prevent such intrusions.

Ongoing Anti-Scam Initiatives

The decline in scam cases can be attributed to intensified efforts by authorities to combat these crimes. In January 2025, new legislation was passed, granting police the authority to order banks to restrict the transactions of potential scam victims. As of August 20, 2025, two restriction orders have been issued, leading to the suspension of transactions for two individuals.

In collaboration with major stakeholders like Meta, Carousell, Google, and telecommunications companies, the police have worked to disrupt online criminal activities. In the first half of 2025, they reported disrupting over **58,700 mobile lines** and **33,300 WhatsApp lines**, reflecting increases of **245 per cent** and **122 per cent**, respectively, compared to the same period last year.

While the decrease in total scam cases is encouraging, the emergence of new threats such as insurance scams highlights the need for continued vigilance and robust preventive measures in Singapore.