S'pore Courts warns public against fake court order scam asking victims to transfer money

Singapore Courts has issued a public warning about a scam involving fraudulent court documents that instruct recipients to transfer money to avoid supposed legal consequences.

In an advisory released on Mar. 17, the courts said they had been alerted to fake “court orders” being circulated to members of the public.

Victims were allegedly told to make payments or face legal action.

Fake documents may contain demands and threats

According to Singapore Courts, genuine court documents do not contain unsolicited requests for payments.

They are also not issued through messaging platforms, like WhatsApp or Telegram, or email.

Another red flag is if the "court order" demands immediate payment to avoid "arrest".

Neither will they ask for bank login credentials via phone or email, it said.

Court orders are not sent through WhatsApp or Telegram

To check if the court order you have received is legitimate, you can visit the Authentic Court Orders portal.

A legitimate court order should have a QR code or access code printed on the document, which can be used for verification.

Alternatively, you can contact Singapore Courts directly via its official website to check if your document is real.

The public may also report suspected scams through the 24-hour ScamShield helpline at 1799.

Government impersonation scams remain a concern

The warning comes amid continued concern over impersonation scams in Singapore.

Cases involving scammers posing as government officials rose sharply in 2025, more than doubling from 2024 to 2025, according to an annual report by the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

Losses linked to such scams also climbed significantly, increasing from about S$151.3 million in 2024 to around S$242.9 million in 2025.

This makes it the second costliest scam type recorded last year.

Scammers have also previously posed as officers from agencies including the SPF and MAS.

Top image via SG Courts/Facebook, Mothership