Scammers masquerading as Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) officers have stolen over S$3 million from at least 46 victims since June 2025. The fraud was executed by exploiting WhatsApp’s screen sharing function, according to a police statement on 26 June.
The scam begins with victims receiving calls from local numbers. The callers falsely claim to be representatives from organisations such as NTUC Income, NTUC Union, or UnionPay, and allege problems with insurance policies supposedly purchased by the victims.
When the victims deny buying such policies, they are redirected to a second caller. This individual poses as an MAS officer and falsely claims the victim’s bank account is linked to money laundering activities.
Victims are then instructed to transfer their money to a “safe” account—controlled by the scammers—under the pretext of securing their funds during investigations.
To facilitate this, the scammers convince victims to share their phone screens via WhatsApp. This grants the fraudsters full visibility of the victims’ banking information, enabling them to guide the victims through unauthorised transfers.
The deception is often uncovered only after the scammers become unreachable or demand further transfers.
The police warned that individuals should never share their device screens with unknown or unverified parties. Doing so could lead to unauthorised access to sensitive banking data and substantial financial loss.
Authorities also reminded the public that no government official will ever request banking credentials, instruct transfers of funds, or ask individuals to install unofficial applications.
Furthermore, calls claiming to transfer a person to the police or other agencies should be treated with caution, as genuine officials do not initiate such protocols.
To protect against such scams, the police advise installing the ScamShield app, which helps to block fraudulent calls and filter suspicious messages. They also recommend contacting banks immediately upon detecting any unusual banking activity.
The Singapore Police Force reiterated the importance of public awareness and digital security, particularly as scams continue to escalate.
In 2024 alone, scam victims in Singapore lost a total of S$1.1 billion, marking a 70 per cent increase compared to the S$646 million lost in 2023. Since 2019, total scam-related losses have surpassed S$3.4 billion.
Additionally, 2024 recorded the highest number of scam reports to date, with 51,501 cases logged.
Police investigations into the latest string of MAS impersonation scams are ongoing. The public is encouraged to report suspicious calls or messages immediately and to refrain from following instructions from unknown callers.
The authorities are also working with telecommunications companies and digital platforms to clamp down on such fraud networks and prevent future incidents.
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