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Victims in S’pore lost a total of $126.5m to this scam type in 6 months
In first half of 2025, the number of government officials impersonation scam cases spiked by 199.2 per cent, say the police
In government official impersonation scams, victims would be tricked into believing that their bank accounts were used for money laundering.
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Kareyst Lin, Brand Newsroom
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Ms Jacqueline Leong’s fortnightly meals with her in-laws are more than occasions for family bonding; it’s time spent keeping them safe and savvy.
The 40-year-old marketer makes it a point to update family members, including her in-laws, who are in their 70s and live by themselves, on the latest scam tactics she comes across in the news.
One of her biggest worries? Government officials impersonation scams, where scammers pose as officials from agencies such as the police, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Scammers would trick victims into believing that their bank accounts were used for money laundering. Victims are then asked to surrender funds in their bank accounts by transferring to a “safety account” for investigation purposes, or physically hand over cash or gold bars to strangers
The number of government officials impersonation scam cases spiked by 199.2 per cent to 1,762 in the first half of 2025, compared with the same period last year.
Victims lost about $126.5 million in total – an increase of 88.3 per cent.
The figures come from the 2025 mid-year scam and cybercrime report released by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Aug 30.
Ms Leong explains that her in-laws, like many seniors, can get anxious when they receive unexpected calls about “official matters”.
It can be “very scary”, she says, “especially when (scammers have) information such as full names, or when (scammers tell them) their details were being used for illegal activities.”
This fear is exactly what scammers count on.
Scams are designed to catch us off guard, says Mr Jeffery Chin, deputy director of the Scam Public Education Office, SPF. “Scammers evoke strong emotions, such as fear or excitement, and use effective persuasion tactics that exploit our basic tendencies as humans.”
In these emotional moments, says Mr Chin, “we are less likely to scrutinise the situation in detail and tend to comply with scammers’ requests.”
That’s why no one is immune, he stresses; even those who consider themselves digitally savvy remain vulnerable to scams.
First line of defence
SPF’s report noted that the total number of scam cases fell from 26,563 in the first half of 2024 to 19,665 over the same period in 2025. Total scam losses also dropped from $522.4 million to about $456.4 million.
Despite the overall decline in cases and total amount lost, “the scam situation remains concerning”, says Mr Chin.
He points out that the majority of the scam cases (78.8 per cent) involve self-effected transfers, where victims are manipulated into transferring their money to scammers.
“The Government remains committed to this fight (against scams),” adds Mr Chin.
“But combating scams involves the whole of society; (members of the public should also) take personal responsibility to protect yourself and your loved ones.”
Mr Chin adds that some digital natives may have the misconception that they are “too savvy” to be scammed – a mindset that can make them complacent.
This complacency can lead them to underestimate the effectiveness of scammers’ tactics, making them less vigilant and less likely to take protective measures.
Highlighting the need to “proactively adopt the right mindset and protective measures” to guard against such risks, Mr Chin says: “(This can help us) increase our collective resilience against scams.”
This is part of a series titled “ Act against scams
