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The Police have arrested two men, both aged 27, for their suspected involvement in a series of phishing scams targeting WhatsApp users. 

In October 2025, the Police received several reports where victims would receive unsolicited SMSes informing them of issues with their WhatsApp account due to prolonged lack of verification. They would then be prompted to verify their accounts through a phishing link that leads to a fake WhatsApp webpage. When victims entered their mobile number and verification code on the fake WhatsApp webpage, their WhatsApp account would be taken over by scammers, who would then send fraudulent loan requests to the victims’ contacts. Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they were logged out of their WhatsApp accounts, discovered unknown devices linked to their accounts, or when they were notified by their contacts on the fraudulent loan requests. One victim had fallen prey to this scam variant, suffering a total loss of about $1,823.

Between 18 and 19 November 2025, officers from the Police Intelligence Department and Commercial Affairs Department conducted an island wide operation and arrested two men, who were suspected to be part of a transnational syndicate perpetrating WhatsApp phishing scams in Singapore. Preliminary investigations revealed that the two men were allegedly involved in sending mass SMSes to more than 7,000 random phone users in Singapore to deceive victims into providing their mobile number and verification code on the fake WhatsApp webpage. The fraudulently obtained WhatsApp accounts were then used to solicit fraudulent loan requests. During the operations, the Police seized multiple network-related telecommunication devices, mobile phones and a Malaysia-registered car. 

The two men will be charged in court on 20 November 2025 with the offence of abetment to facilitating unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1) read with Section 12 of the Computer Misuse Act 1993. The offence carries a fine of up to $5,000, or imprisonment term of up to two years, or both, for first-time offenders.

The Police take a serious stance against any person who may be involved in scams, and perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law. To avoid being an accomplice to crimes, members of the public should always reject requests by others to use your bank account or mobile lines as you will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes.

Users who suspect that their WhatsApp account has been compromised should contact WhatsApp1 for recovery of their accounts. Members of the public are advised to adopt the following precautionary measures:

1. ADD – ScamShield app to block scam calls and filter scam messages. Set up security features (e.g. ‘Two-Step Verification’ feature on WhatsApp through ‘Settings’ > ‘Account’ > ‘Two-Step verification’ > ‘Turn on’). For information on additional security features on WhatsApp, visit https://www.whatsapp.com/security.
   
   
2. CHECK – authenticity of the clickable link and webpage address for discrepancy via the ScamShield app. Beware of unusual requests received over WhatsApp, even if they were sent by your WhatsApp contacts. Always verify with the sender by calling them via non-WhatsApp calls to ensure that their WhatsApp accounts were not compromised. Check your linked devices regularly by going to 'Settings' > 'Linked Devices' to review all devices linked to your account. To remove a linked device which you do not recognise, select the device > 'Log out'.
   
   
3. TELL – 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. Report the phishing websites to your internet browser service providers (e.g. Google for Chrome, Apple for Safari).

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Photos of Arrests

Photos of exhibits 

Photo of car seized