Singapore sees 16 pct growth in scams in H1

SINGAPORE, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) — Singaporean police recorded 26,587 scam cases in the first half of this year, up 16.3 percent from the same period last year, according to a report released by the police.
The scam victims lost at least 385.6 million Singapore dollars (296 million U.S. dollars) from January to June, up 24.6 percent from the same period last year.
E-commerce scams, job scams, and phishing scams were the top three scam types in the first six months.
Scammers commonly reach out to victims through messaging platforms, social media, online shopping platforms, phone calls, and other websites, said the police, noting that Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram remain particularly concerning.
Singaporean police conducted 13 island-wide anti-scam enforcement operations in the first half, leading to the investigation of over 4,000 money mules and scammers.
The police said they also worked with banks, e-commerce platforms, and foreign law enforcement agencies to combat scams. ■