The police will be cutting down the number of digits in their anti-scam hotline by more than half — all the better to help you remember it.

Currently, members of the public need to dial 1800-722-6688 to seek help.

But come the second half of 2024, this number will be shortened to a mere four digits (1799) "for easier recall".

This announcement was made at the Police Workplan Seminar 2024 on May 24, where the Singapore Police Force (SPF) unveiled new efforts to fight rising cybercrime.

Longer hotline operating hours

The National Crime Prevention Council's anti-scam helpline allows people to call in if they suspect they've been scammed.

Apart from having a shorter number, SPF announced plans for the helpline's operating hours to be extended. The helpline is currently available from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.

SPF is also working to explore how the helpline can quickly connect callers to banks in the event of a suspected scam, so they can freeze their bank accounts promptly.

In light of the rising number of scammers impersonating police officers, callers will also be able to check the legitimacy of any such calls or messages they get.

Targeting scam websites

Other efforts to up the police's scam-fighting game include the Scam Analytics and Tactical Intervention System (SATIS).

This allows officers to assess and disrupt scam websites much faster.

According to SPF, more than 25,000 scam-related websites were identified and disrupted as such in 2023.

The police will be looking to incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning to further enhance this system.

Chatbot to help make police report

Thanks to technology, the public can now lodge police reports online instead of having to go down to the police station.

The report is then transferred to an investigation officer (IO) for assessment.

To reduce any follow-up correspondence between IOs and the public, the police have developed a chatbot.

This chatbot will prompt people for information, draft a report, and help submit it after their review.

The chatbot is being assessed, and will undergo future trials at selected neighbourhood police centres' eKiosks.

Getting public's help

The police are also taking a more community-based approach in tackling cybercrime.

They shared that members of the public are welcome to join the Cyber Guardians on Watch (CGW) or Cyber Crime Prevention Ambassadors (Cyber CPA) programmes.

Cyber Guardians on Watch receive updates on the latest scam trends and cybercrimes via the Police@SG app, then help spread the information to others.

Meanwhile, Cyber Crime Prevention Ambassadors are educated on cybercrime trends, and in turn pass them on to the community during roadshows and events.

"Combatting cybercrimes, including scams, is a whole-of-society effort," said SPF, adding that it will continue to work with the community and stakeholders to fight crime.

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