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Between 2016 and 2020, the number of scam cases reported to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has increased three-fold, from about 5,400 to approximately 16,000 cases.

This was one of the statistics revealed by Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan, who spoke at the inaugural webinar 'Scaminar! The Fight Against Scams' earlier today (Aug. 25).

Increasing number of scams over the years

In his speech, Tan cited the National Prevalence Survey of Scams conducted by the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre (HTBSC).

It was found that approximately six in 10 respondents had encountered scams from Aug. 2019 to Sep. 2020, and seven in 100 respondents reported that they had fallen victim to scams.

Among these scam victims, 45 per cent had been scammed more than once.

In 2020 alone, scams accounted for 42 per cent of all crime cases in Singapore, and with losses estimated to about S$265 million.

Tan added:

"Besides financial losses, we all know the emotional trauma and the consequences of being scammed can be very serious.

For example, in my community work, we often come across victims of our residents to share about how they became affected or depressed after losing tens of thousands of dollars to scams."

Government's efforts to prevent scam crimes

Anti-Scam Division

To combat the increasing number of scam cases, Tan explained that the Singapore government created the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams (IMCS) in 2020.

In March 2021, the IMCS set up the Anti-Scam Division (ASD) in the SPF for investigating scam-related cases, focusing on detection, disruption, as well as loss mitigation.

The Anti-Scam Centre, which is under the ambit of the ASD, recovered close to S$66 million for the first half of 2021, said Tan.

Enhanced laws

The IMCS have also strengthened and enhanced laws in Singapore.

For example, the Payment Services Act was introduced in 2019, making it easier to prosecute money mules who assist scammers in transferring the proceeds of their crimes.

"We will continue to strengthen and look at legislative levers to secure our digital space in the fight against scams," Tan added.

ScamShield app

In addition, the IMCS has tapped on technology to prevent scams. The ScamShield application is one example.

The app, which was launched in November 2020, uses artificial intelligence to identify as well as to filter scam messages and block phone calls.

Since its launch in November 2020, ScamShield has been downloaded over 200,000 times, said Tan.

Working with others

Tan added that the Singapore government has also been working closely together with industry partners such as telcos, banks, social media platforms and e-commerce platforms to protect Singaporeans against scams.

He said: "We will continue to work with our stakeholders to ensure our solutions remain effective against evolutions in scammer tactics."

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Top image by Pickawood via Unsplash.