SINGAPORE: On Tuesday (March 17), the Singapore Courts issued a warning concerning a new scam where victims are instructed to transfer money to a bank account to avoid legal action.
These scams involve fraudulent “Court Orders” that contain these instructions.
SG Courts said in its statement that when it issues documents such as court orders (i.e., Orders of Court), these do not include the following items.
First, they will not have unsolicited payment instructions that contain requests through messaging apps or emails to transfer funds to bank accounts.
Next, they also do not have mismatched branding, which the statement explained as using logos from other agencies, such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), on alleged court documents.
Finally, they do not contain urgent threats or phrasing demanding immediate payment, so the recipient can avoid getting “arrested.”
Furthermore, documents such as court orders are not issued by SG Courts via WhatsApp, Telegram, or personal email. The courts also never ask for bank login credentials or fund transfers from members of the public through phone calls or emails.
“Any legitimate court order issued by SG Courts can be verified via the Authentic Court Orders (ACO) portal using the unique QR code or access code found on the court order,” the statement added.
Recommended actions
SG Courts is recommending that the public verify communications received through the official ACO portal. Alternatively, they can contact SG Courts directly through the official channels listed at www.judiciary.gov.sg.
Should members of the public receive messages telling them to transfer money to a bank account to avoid legal action, or any other suspected scam, they should call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
WhatsApp scam targeting employees with fake CEO messages
This is not the only scam that authorities have warned about recently. Late last month, the Police issued an advisory regarding a scam variant wherein fraudsters impersonate companies’ senior executives on WhatsApp.
This has been going on since January 2025, with at least 10 reported cases, with total losses amounting to at least S$13.5 million, the Public Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force said on Thursday (Feb 26).
With this particular scam, a fraudster creates a WhatsApp account with the name of the Chief Executive Officer or supervisor of a company, along with a profile picture that is publicly available. They then send a message to a would-be victim, someone who works in the same company, purporting to be the CEO or supervisor.
The victims would be required to give confidential company information, including bank account balances, and would be instructed to transfer company funds for the fake projects. /TISG
Read also: Singapore cryptocurrency scam cases rise; victims lost S$182M in 2025
