The Police would like to remind members of the public to be vigilant against impersonation scams involving WhatsApp screen sharing function. Since June 2025, there were at least 46 police reports lodged with total losses amounting to at least $3 million.
In this scam variant, victims would receive unsolicited calls from local mobile lines i.e. starting with “+65” or “8”, allegedly from firms such as NTUC Income, NTUC Union or Unionpay. The scammers would cite issues with the insurance plans that the victims had allegedly purchased. When victims denied purchasing these policies, they would be directed to a second scammer impersonating as an officer from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The scammers would inform victims that their bank accounts had been implicated in money laundering activities and the victims would be asked to transfer their monies to a “safety account” for safekeeping. Victims would then be guided to perform internet banking transfers through the WhatsApp’s screen-sharing function, thereby exposing their bank account and ibanking details. These victims would only realise that they had been scammed when the scammers became uncontactable or asked for more transfers.
We would like to remind members of the public to NEVER share your devices’ screen to unknown persons or persons whose identity you did not verify. Through the process, you may inadvertently disclose your personal banking details which could lead to unauthorized transactions and financial loss.
We would also like to remind members of the public that Singapore Government officials, including MAS, will never ask members of the public to do the following do these things over a phone call:
- Ask you to transfer money;
- Ask you to disclose banking log-in details
- Ask you to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores;
- Transfer your call to Police
Members of the public are also encouraged to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- ADD – Add the ScamShield App to block calls and filter SMSes. Set transaction limits that are adequate for daily expenses, and lower transaction notification thresholds. Alert the bank immediately of any suspicious activity in your bank account. Activate the Money Lock feature of your bank to “lock up” a portion of your money so that it cannot be transferred out digitally by anyone.
- CHECK – Check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield App. Call and check with the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
- TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends if or when you encounter scams. If you suspect that you have fallen victim to a scam, call your bank immediately to block any fraudulent transactions and make a police report.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
26 June 2025 @ 6:45 PM