SINGAPORE - Can you tell when something smells "phishy"?
Readers can now refer to an interactive "scam detector" guide produced by The Straits Times on how to spot tricks and tactics commonly used by fraudsters.
The guide zooms in on six common scams reported in Singapore, including job, e-commerce and phishing scams, as well as the tactics used by the conmen.
It also includes a quiz that takes readers through a number of scenarios drawn from real-life examples, and tests whether they can tell if these are likely to be scams.
The project, which is part of ST's Stop Scams initiative, hopes to offer readers a comprehensive guide on how they can protect themselves against the scourge.
Victims in Singapore lost at least $633.3 million to scams last year - almost 2.5 times the $268.4 million stolen by scammers the previous year.
The "scam detector" is among a slew of ST multimedia projects aimed at telling stories and explaining issues in innovative ways to engage audiences.
These projects make use of features such as interactive graphics, data visualisation, videos and immersive technology like augmented reality (AR).
An explanatory interactive guide, for example, helps readers stay on top of developments in the Ukraine crisis by tracking key events and where the Russian attacks took place, and examining the impact on Asia and the world through ST Live video interviews with experts and ST correspondents.
Another example is an AR project launched on Thursday (March 3) that allows readers to see, right before their eyes, state gifts that were presented to Singapore by world leaders.
Readers can view an artefact up close by "placing" it on a coffee table or any flat surface.
Another project digs into Singapore's national passion - food. This interactive guide maps out the must-eats across the island, curated by ST food writers.
Mr Warren Fernandez, editor-in-chief of SPH Media Trust's English, Malay and Tamil Media Group and editor of The Straits Times, said: "As part of our ongoing push to digitalise, we are stepping up efforts to keep audiences engaged in new and interesting ways, from interactive content to videos and visuals, and also more audio efforts like podcasts.
"The response to these efforts has been encouraging. They are among our most viewed content, and engage audiences longer.
"Going by that, we aim to keep adding to and improving on these efforts, as we strive to serve our audiences better."