At least 20 cases of email scams impersonating S'pore schools, losses exceed S$31,000: Police

There have been at least 20 scam cases involving emails that impersonate educational institutions in Singapore since March 2026, the police said in a news release on Mar. 19.

Total losses from these incidents have amounted to at least S$31,000.

How the scam works

In this variant, victims receive emails demanding urgent payment of outstanding school or tuition fees.

The fraudulent emails are sent either from compromised student email accounts that scammers have taken over, or from addresses with domains closely mimicking the official email accounts of educational institutions.

Victims are instructed to transfer money directly to a bank account, and are also told that failure to pay promptly would result in action from the school's litigation department.

Most victims reportedly only realise that they have been scammed after verifying the matter with their school, or upon receiving scam alerts and anti-scam advisories.

Practice ACT

The police urged members of the public to exercise caution when receiving emails requesting for school fees through direct payment, immediate bank transfers, or payment links outside of official student portals.

Members of the public are advised to verify any payment requests, in particular unscheduled ones, directly with the relevant institution through official channels before transferring any money.

They are also reminded never to transfer funds to unknown individuals.

The police recommended the following precautionary measures:

• ADD: the ScamShield App to block calls and filter SMSes. Set transaction limits appropriate for your daily expenses, and lower transaction notification thresholds. Activate your bank's Money Lock feature to lock a portion of your funds from being digitally transferred out by anyone. Alert your bank immediately if you notice any suspicious activity in your account.
• CHECK: for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield App. Call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if you are unsure.
• TELL: authorities, family, and friends if or when you encounter scams. If you suspect you have been scammed, call your bank immediately to block any fraudulent transactions.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit this website.

Top photo from Canva