SINGAPORE - Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam has advised the public to be vigilant in the wake of fake Instagram and Facebook accounts impersonating him.

In a Facebook post on Monday (March 18), Mr Shanmugam, who is also Law Minister, said that residents had informed him of the fake accounts.

He added: "Some of my parliamentary colleagues have also had similar issues."

Mr Shanmugam said that managing one account per social media platform "already requires time and effort" and he could not imagine how anyone can handle multiple accounts, much less fake ones.

He advised the public to stay vigilant and not to give out bank account details or personal information to anyone they do not know.

In his post, he included screenshots of two fake Instagram accounts with usernames similar to his own and which used profile pictures of Mr Shanmugam.

Fake social media accounts have affected Singaporean politicians in the past few years.

In 2017, at least 13 People's Action Party MPs, including then Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Chan Chun Sing, were affected by fake Facebook accounts.

In 2016, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development Koh Poh Koon warned about a fake account in his name promoting items on Twitter.

A police report was made in 2015 over a fake Facebook account using then Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob's name.