The Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) has achieved continued success in combating scams in partnership with four major banks - DBS Bank, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and UOB Bank. By implementing the Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology, the ASC and the banks successfully disrupted more than 900 scams, targeting various scam types including job scams, investment scams, fake friend call scam, and e-commerce scams. The innovative and technological intervention approach enabled quick information sharing with the banks, allowing both the Police and banking partners to identify victims promptly, intervene to prevent further financial losses.
Between 1 January 2025 and 28 February 2025, the ASC officers and participating banks dispatched over 9,000 SMS messages to more than 7,000 bank customers identified as potential scam victims, averting over $58 million of potential losses. This amount would have been lost to the scammers if the victims had remained entrenched in the scams.
The Police urge members of the public to “ACT” against scams. The ACT acronym outlines how members of the public can Add security features, Check for signs, and Tell the authorities and others about scams.
- ADD – Add security features such as the ScamShield application and two-factor authentication for personal accounts, such as banks, social media, and Singpass accounts. Transaction limits for internet banking, including PayNow, could also be set up to limit the amount of funds that can be lost in the event of a scam.
- CHECK – Check for potential signs of a scam by asking questions, fact-checking requests for personal information and money transfers, and verifying the legitimacy of online listings and reviews. Take the time to pause and check. If it is too good to be true, it is probably untrue, and a scam.
- TELL – Tell the authorities and others about scam encounters by reporting to the bank, ScamShield, or by filing a Police report. Tell others about ongoing scams and preventive steps they can take. Report the fraudulent pages and/or monikers to the respective platforms.
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/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Anti-Scam Centre officer interacting with staff from the partnering banks, during the two-month joint operation
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
05 March 2025 @ 9:50 PM