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SINGAPORE – At least 246 people have fallen victim to phishing scams involving fraudulent social media advertisements since July, losing at least $1.4 million. According to police, the ads lured victims with deals on cheap food, fashion, and household products.
Victims who clicked on the advertisements were redirected to phishing websites, where they were asked to enter their card details or internet banking credentials. Some victims also provided one-time passwords or authorised digital tokens to complete what they believed were legitimate transactions.
The victims only realised they had been scammed after unauthorised transactions were made to their cards or bank accounts. Police noted a surge in such cases and advised the public to follow the “ACT” framework – Add security features, Check for signs, and Tell the authorities and others about scams.
For more information, the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24-hour ScamShield Helpline on 1799. Police mid-year statistics showed that $410.6 million was lost to scams in the first six months of 2026, down from $500.2 million in the same period in 2025.
The number of scam cases also fell by about 14 per cent, from 19,644 cases in the first half of 2025 to 16,821 cases in the first half of 2026. Despite the decline, Singapore has lost more than $4 billion to scams since 2019.
Police urged the public to be cautious of deals that appear too good to be true, to verify advertisements before entering financial details, and to report suspicious ads. They also reminded victims and witnesses to act quickly by telling authorities and alerting others to prevent further losses.
