Singapore police warn S$622,000 lost to phishing scams since November, 223 cases reported
At least S$622,000 was lost to phishing scams involving fake online buyers over the past two months, with police reporting 223 cases since November and warning sellers against clicking suspicious payment or delivery links.
- At least S$622,000 was lost in 223 phishing scams involving fake buyers on online platforms since 1 November.
- Scammers sent phishing links to sellers, leading to unauthorised bank and card transactions, including overseas crypto transfers.
- Police urged the public to avoid suspicious links, never share confidential details, and meet buyers in person where possible.
SINGAPORE: At least S$622,000 has been lost to phishing scams involving fake buyers on online platforms over the past two months, according to the police.
In a statement issued on 29 December, the police said at least 223 such cases have been reported since 1 November, and urged members of the public to remain vigilant.
Police said the scams typically involved victims who had listed items for sale on online platforms.
They were approached by scammers posing as interested buyers, who would later send phishing links under the pretext of arranging payment or delivery.
After clicking on these links, victims were prompted to provide personal information, including banking credentials and card details.
Victims often realised they had been scammed only after noticing unauthorised transactions on their bank cards.
These transactions included transfers to overseas cryptocurrency service providers such as Binance, BTCC and ByBit, police added.
The police advised sellers to exercise extra caution when dealing with buyers who ask for banking credentials or card details through suspicious links.
Members of the public should not disclose their banking details, card information or any other confidential data to unknown individuals.
Sellers are also strongly encouraged to meet buyers in person to complete transactions whenever possible.
According to the Singapore Police Force’s Mid-Year Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2025, phishing scams recorded the highest number of reported cases among all scam types in the first half of 2025.
A total of 3,779 cases were logged, up from 3,407 cases during the same period in 2024.
The amount lost to phishing scams also rose sharply, increasing by 134 per cent to about $30.4 million in the first half of 2025, compared with about $13.0 million over the same period last year.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit the ScamShield website.
0 Comments