SINGAPORE: Singapore saw fewer scams and cybercrime cases in 2025, but the threat remains serious. Police say scammers are still finding ways to reach victims, especially through cryptocurrency schemes.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) reported that the total number of scam and cybercrime cases fell by 24.8% in 2025, to 41,974. Losses also dropped. Victims lost about S$913.1 million to scams in 2025, down from around S$1.1 billion in 2024, according to the SPF in a statement on Feb 25.
The numbers suggest that enforcement work and public education campaigns may be helping. Police operations, bank alerts, and early intervention also stopped many cases before losses grew larger. Still, the police say the situation remains worrying. One area stands out: cryptocurrency. Victims lost about S$182.2 million through scams involving cryptocurrency transfers in 2025. That accounts for roughly one-fifth of all scam losses, the police said.
Many of these scams start with online ads. Victims are often lured through promotions on social media that claim to offer cryptocurrency investment opportunities or online jobs. Scammers would then guide them step by step through creating a crypto account and buying digital coins. The victim is then told to transfer the cryptocurrency to a specific digital wallet. Some are also persuaded to share login details or security phrases, which lets scammers take full control of the account.
In other cases, scammers pose as government officials. Victims are accused of being linked to crimes such as money laundering. They are then told to move their cryptocurrency to another wallet for “investigation” or “safekeeping.” The deception often becomes clear only when promised returns never appear or when victims check with authorities, according to the SPF.
Police stress that cryptocurrency transfers cannot be reversed. Once the transfer is made, recovering the funds becomes very difficult.
Even with the overall drop in scam cases, digital platforms remain the main entry point. Social media, messaging apps, and online shopping sites were used in about 84% of scams. TikTok was the only platform that saw a rise in cases in 2025. Police said scam reports involving the platform increased by about 37.8% compared with the year before.
Other platforms recorded declines, which the authorities linked to tighter platform safeguards and new rules under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) that require online services to disrupt harmful activity. Despite the fall in overall cases, the profile of victims shows how wide the problem remains.
Most victims were below 65 years old, making up about 85% of all cases. Adults aged 30 to 49 formed the largest group. Older victims, however, lost the most money on average. Each elderly victim lost an average of S$37,053, far higher than the average for other age groups.
The police also pointed out that many scams rely on deception rather than hacking. In more than 80% of cases, victims transferred the money themselves after being manipulated through social engineering. The scammers did not directly break into the victims’ bank accounts. Authorities say strong intervention efforts helped reduce the damage.
The Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) unit recovered over S$140 million last year from both traditional-currency and cryptocurrency scam-related cases, with at least S$348 million in potential losses also prevented through alert notifications and intervention. More than 32,000 warning messages were sent to suspected victims. Police officers also stepped in directly when banks flagged suspicious transfers.
Cross-border cooperation has also become part of the fight. The ASCom and foreign law enforcement agencies disrupted 17 transnational scam syndicates last year. Even with these gains, the police say the public still plays a key role. People should be cautious of any cryptocurrency offer that promises unusually high returns. Unknown individuals who offer to teach someone how to set up a crypto account are also a strong warning sign.
Police also advise users never to share wallet passwords, seed phrases, or authentication codes with anyone. The message from authorities is that scam numbers may be falling, but the tactics are constantly changing. And when cryptocurrency is involved, a single transfer can mean the money is gone for good.
