Scam cases in Singapore fall 27.6 per cent in first recorded decrease

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has recorded a significant 27.6 per cent decrease in scam cases for 2025, according to annual statistics released on 25 February 2026. This marks the first time a decline has been observed since the police began reporting scam figures as a separate category in 2023.

Data indicates that 37,308 scam cases were reported last year, down from 51,501 in 2024. This trend contributed to a 24.8 per cent drop in the combined total of scams and cybercrime, which fell to 41,974 cases. Scams remained the primary driver of these figures, accounting for 88.9 per cent of the total.

The total amount lost to fraudsters also saw a downward trend, falling 17.9 per cent from S$1.124 billion in 2024 to approximately S$913.1 million in 2025. Despite the overall reduction, cryptocurrency remains a major channel for illicit transfers, making up about 20 per cent of total losses at S$182.2 million.

Police officials attributed the improvement to robust anti-scam strategies and public education campaigns that have increased the difficulty for criminals to operate. The Anti-Scam Command (ASCom) successfully recovered S$140.5 million in 2025 and collaborated with partners to prevent a further S$348 million in potential losses.

However, SPF highlighted a persistent challenge regarding self-effected transfers. Statistics show that 81.8 per cent of total reported cases involved victims willingly transferring money after being manipulated through social engineering. In these instances, scammers did not gain direct technical control over victim accounts.

Law enforcement intensified its crackdown on perpetrators throughout 2025. More than 7,000 suspected scammers and money mules were investigated during the year. To date, over 940 individuals have been officially charged by the police for their involvement in these criminal activities.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming stated that while the decline is positive, the situation remains concerning. Minister Goh noted that scams are still the most prevalent crime in Singapore and warned that the government must continue to disrupt the scam lifecycle as tactics evolve.

The report identified e-commerce scams as the most common type, though cases in this category fell by 42.5 per cent to 6,703. Phishing, job, and investment scams followed in frequency. Investment scams resulted in the highest financial damage, with losses rising slightly to S$336.2 million.

A sharp increase was noted in government official impersonation scams, which surged by 123.6 per cent to 3,363 cases. This category also saw a 60.5 per cent rise in financial losses, reaching S$242.9 million. Scammers in these cases often directed victims to use payment services like YouTrip or cryptocurrency platforms.

Within e-commerce scams, Pokemon trading cards emerged as a primary target. These items were involved in 13.6 per cent of such cases in 2025, a significant rise from the 1 per cent recorded in 2024. Victims typically engaged with fraudulent listings on Carousell or Facebook Marketplace.

Demographic data revealed that adults aged 30 to 49 were the most frequent victims, accounting for 36.1 per cent of cases. In contrast, those aged 65 and above represented 14.8 per cent of victims but suffered the highest average loss, exceeding S$37,000 per person.

The police found that 84.1 per cent of all scams originated through online platforms. Social media and messaging apps remained the top contact methods, though cases involving these channels declined. Meta platforms, including Facebook, were linked to 35.4 per cent of all reported scams.

The Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), which enables the government to disrupt malicious online activities, was cited as a key factor in the 36.5 per cent decline in scams on designated platforms. These platforms are now required to implement systems to proactively identify and stop fraudulent activities.

Telecommunications safeguards were also strengthened. The SPF disrupted over 105,000 scam-related mobile lines in 2025, more than double the previous year’s total. SIMBA was identified as the carrier with the highest number of disrupted lines, totalling more than 39,300.

To further prevent the misuse of local numbers, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will restrict individuals to 10 postpaid SIM cards starting in late February 2026. A new digital tool will be launched on 26 February 2026 to allow the public to check their registered SIM count.