Tackling scams a community effort, say panellists at ST webinar

Scams are not only damaging to one's wallet, but they have also led to the loss of lives, said assistant director of the Singapore Police Force's Anti-Scam Command Aileen Yap.

She urged anyone who has fallen victim to a scam to talk to those around them.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Yap said: "Sometimes, it is good to share and talk about your problems, and seek help from all around you."

She was speaking at The Straits Times' Stop Scams webinar held yesterday, as one of three panellists.

The other two panellists were Dr Majeed Khader, chief psychologist at the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Mr Xavier Low, chief executive of the Cyber Youth Academy.

Tackling scams is a community effort and members of the public can play a part by supporting their loved ones, who may easily lose their life savings if they fall prey to scams, the panellists said.

In Singapore, more than $1 billion has been lost by scam victims since 2016. Last year, victims here lost at least $633.3 million to scams, almost 2½ times the $268.4 million stolen by scammers in 2020.

Citing the case of a foreign national who committed suicide after losing $80,000 in a tech support scam, DAC Yap said the man had been tricked into downloading TeamViewer, an application that scammers can use to remotely control victims' digital devices.

Devastated, the man hanged himself, leaving behind a nine-year-old daughter.

DAC Yap said: "This story... gives me and my team the impetus to really fight against scams."

Dr Majeed, a practising psychologist for almost 30 years, added that beyond the financial impact of a scam, victims also lose their dignity and sense of psychological safety, and can fall into depression.

He said: "We've seen people driven to the edge; there is some kind of traumatic impact. Their life changes, it must change, if you're losing your entire life savings."

He added: "My advice for potential scam victims is to slow down, take a bit of time to think, and look out for other people as well.

"You have to look out for one another. If you know a family, friend or colleague who looks very stressed out, give them some support. Apart from learning how to deal with scams ourselves, we should also help others."

Agreeing with Dr Majeed, Mr Low, a first-year informations systems student at Singapore Management University, said there is a need to humanise the issue of scams and recognise that being a scam victim is an extremely tough experience.

He added: "It's not about them being naive, or blaming them for having lost such a huge sum of money. We really have to avoid cases where they turn to suicide or harmful behaviour."

During the webinar, the speakers also discussed measures the authorities are taking to combat scams.

With the formation of the Anti-Scam Command in March, the police will strengthen its partnerships with banks, financial institutions and telecommunication companies, said DAC Yap.

Technology will also be leveraged so that potential scam victims can be warned before they lose their money.

DAC Yap also talked about how the police will continue working with overseas law enforcement agencies to bust transnational scam syndicates, given how 90 per cent of scams in Singapore originate overseas.

She added: "Everyone can be vulnerable to a scam. Fighting scams is a community effort... We need stakeholders to come together and fight scams with us."

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• The webinar is held in conjunction with the inaugural Digital for Life Festival. The Straits Times, in partnership with Singapore Pools, will be raising awareness of the recent spate of scams and ways to spot them through an exhibition at Heartbeat@Bedok on May 28 and 29.