While the government is making "extensive efforts" to combat the prevalence of digital scams, they are also urging Singaporeans to "remain vigilant", said Minister for Communications and Information (MCI) Josephine Teo.

She was speaking in Parliament on Jan. 10, 2024, voicing her support of a motion filed and titled "Building An Inclusive And Safe Digital Society".

This motion comes after a surge in cyber scams in recent years.

What the government is doing

Teo first addressed the need for app developers to "design for security".

She announced that the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) is publishing a new recommended Safe App Standard that developers should adopt to ensure that high-risk monetary transactions performed on their apps are secure.

This could include implementing additional authentication and malware detection capabilities on such apps.

On top of that, Teo stressed that the vulnerable sectors had to be protected against phone scams.

She pointed to the advisory guidelines presented by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), which calls for measures to help frontline staff identify vulnerable customers and handle cases of suspected exploitation.

The guidelines also urge telecommunication companies to waive charges for such consumers who have fallen victim to scams arising from earlier cases encountered.

A Centre for Advanced Technologies in Online Safety (Catos), part of a S$20 million initiative under the Online Trust and Safety (OTS) Research Programme led by the Ministry of Communications and Information, has also been established to combat deepfakes and non-factual claims, inject watermarks or trace the origins of digital content, as well as empower vulnerable groups with resources to verify information online — among other capabilities aimed at creating a safer internet.

Beyond government support, however, the public was also encouraged to look out for themselves.

What S'poreans should do

We should adopt measures that can "mitigate risk of scams", such as downloading and enabling the ScamShield app or turning on multi-factor authentication for online services, Teo advised.

She added that users should avoid downloading apps from unfamiliar sources and avoid responding to suspicious videos promising guaranteed returns on investments or giveaways.

Teo urged the public to educate themselves on the latest scam trends and anti-scam measures, as well as use available tools to make "informed decisions" when engaging in online transactions.

"Even as we continue our efforts to stop scams and recover losses, we must not forget the trauma experienced by victims. We understand the panic and anxiety that victims go through."

That is why, Teo forged on, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) has trained volunteer victim care officers to provide emotional and practical support to victims, along with avenues of community support on its website.

"Even with extensive efforts by the government and business, we must each do our part as individuals to remain vigilant online," said Teo.

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Top images via MCI and Unsplash