The Police would like to alert members of the public on a resurgence of fake friend scam cases, which involves scammers contacting victims through text messages (e.g. WhatsApp) or phone/WhatsApp calls impersonating someone known to the victim. Since April 2025, there were at least 187 reports and losses amounting to at least $653,000.
In these cases, victims would receive unsolicited text messages via WhatsApp or phone/WhatsApp calls using local mobile lines from scammers claiming to be their friend. The scammer would ask victims to guess his real identity in which victims would provide the name of a friend whom they believed the caller could be. The scammer would assume the identity of the said friend and ask victims to update their contact details. The scammer would subsequently contact victims for loan assistance or assistance in performing a banking transaction. Victims would then be provided with a local bank account, PayNow number or QR code to transfer the money. Victims would only discover that they had been scammed after contacting their actual friends or acquaintances whom the scammers had impersonated, or when their loan was not returned as promised.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to be wary of any persons who contact you via an unknown number and asking you for urgent loans. Always make further checks to verify their identity through other sources. Never transfer money to any persons whose identity is not adequately verified. Members of Public are encouraged to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid falling for scams
- ADD – Add the ScamShield app and set security features (e.g. set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Multifactor Authentication for banks and e-wallets, use 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, further protecting your savings from scams). Do not disclose your personal information, bank/card details and One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to 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 about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately and report any suspicious advertisements to the company or platform.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Screenshots of conversations with scammer
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
26 May 2025 @ 12:35 PM