INGAPORE— In 2023, Singapore experienced an unprecedented rise in scam incidents, with 46,563 cases reported—an astonishing increase of 46.8% from the 31,728 cases logged in 2022. Interestingly, despite this surge in reported scams, financial losses decreased slightly, from $660.7 million in 2022 to $651.8 million in 2023.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) highlighted in its annual report on scams and cybercrime, released on Sunday (February 18), that the five most prevalent types of scams were job scams, e-commerce scams, fake friend call scams, phishing scams, and investment scams. Together, these categories accounted for approximately 78.4% of all scams reported.
According to the police, the average amount lost per instance among these top five scam categories has “generally declined.” The overall average loss per reported scam case fell by about 32.8%, dropping from $20,824 in 2022 to $13,999 in 2023.
Details on the leading scam types reveal that job scams were the most concerning, rising from 6,492 cases in 2022 to 9,914 in 2023. Most victims of job scams were aged between 30 and 49 years old (45.4%), with WhatsApp and Telegram being the primary platforms used by scammers to reach them.
E-commerce scams ranked second, more than doubling from 4,762 cases in 2022 to 9,783 in 2023. Victims lost at least $13.9 million in these scams this year, a decrease from $21.3 million the previous year. EverydayEverydayulent items involved included residential rentals, electronics, and concert tickets, with victims primarily falling within the 30 to 49 age bracket.
Additionally, a new variant of e-commerce scams known as freecycling emerged last year. In this scheme, individuals encountered social media posts advertising free giveaways or discounted items. Scammers would then request deposits or fees for reservations and delivery, resulting in financial loss for the victims.
Images show a Facebook account utilised to approach a victim in an e-commerce scam (left) and a conversation between the scammer and the victim (Photos: SPF).
In 2023, 6,859 reported cases of fake friend call scams were documented, a significant increase from the 2,106 cases documented in 2022. Victims of this scam lost over $23 million last year, with the majority falling within the 50—to 64-year-old age range.
Phishing scams ranked as the fourth most common type of scam in 2023, with 5,938 incidents reported, a decrease from 7,097 cases in the previous year. Most victims were between the ages of 30 and 49, and the primary platforms exploited by these scammers included Carousell, SMS, and Facebook.
Investment scams saw a rise in occurrences, climbing from 3,108 cases in 2022 to 4,030 in 2023. Authorities have observed an increasing trend of victims being added to WhatsApp and Telegram chat groups under the guise of “investment opportunities.”
Other notable scams included malware-enabled scams, social media impersonation scams, loan scams, internet romance scams, and impersonation of government officials. Government impersonation scams resulted in the highest average losses, approximately $103,600 per case, closely followed by investment scams, with an average loss of about $50,700 per case.
The leading methods used by scammers to contact their victims were social media platforms, messaging apps, phone calls, online shopping sites, and various other websites. The police have expressed particular concern regarding Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram due to their frequent involvement in scam activities.
In 2023, the incidence of scams involving social media contact rose significantly to 13,725 cases, compared to 7,539 in the previous year. Approximately 71.7% of these incidents originated from Facebook, while Instagram accounted for 18.5%.
Similarly, there was a notable increase in scam cases that utilised messaging platforms, climbing from 7,599 in 2022 to 12,368 in 2023. WhatsApp was the most frequently used platform at 68%, followed by Telegram at 26.5%.
Phone calls also emerged as a concerning method of contact for law enforcement. The number of scams carried out via phone calls nearly doubled, rising from 3,602 in 2022 to 7,196 in 2023. A significant portion, 79.2%, involved scams posing as friends, with government impersonation and job scams following.
The demographics of scam victims highlighted that adults aged 30 to 49 were the most affected, comprising 43.1% of the total victims. Young adults aged 20 to 29 represented 24.6%, while youths under 19 also frequently fell victim to job-related, e-commerce, and phishing scams.
Young seniors aged 50 to 64 were the third most victimized group, making up 19.9% of scam victims. They were. They were primarily targeted by fake friend call scams, e-commerce scams, and phishing schemes.
In 2023, the incidence of scams involving social media contact rose significantly to 13,725 cases, compared to 7,539 in the previous year. Approximately 71.7% of these incidents originated from Facebook, while Instagram accounted for 18.5%.
Similarly, there was a notable increase in scam cases that utilised messaging platforms, climbing from 7,599 in 2022 to 12,368 in 2023. WhatsApp was the most frequently used platform at 68%, followed by Telegram at 26.5%.
Phone calls also emerged as a concerning method of contact for law enforcement. The number of scams carried out via phone calls nearly doubled, rising from 3,602 in 2022 to 7,196 in 2023. A significant portion, 79.2%, involved scams posing as friends, with government impersonation and job scams following.
The demographics of scam victims highlighted that adults aged 30 to 49 were the most affected, comprising 43.1% of the total victims. Young adults aged 20 to 29 represented 24.6%, while youths under 19 also frequently fell victim to job-related, e-commerce, and phishing scams.
Young seniors aged 50 to 64 were the third most victimized group, making up 19.9% of scam victims. They were primarily targeted by fake friend call scams, e-commerce scams, and phishing schemes.
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