The number of scam cases reported in Singapore fell by 14.4% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, continuing a downward trend that began in 2025. According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) mid-year report released on Wednesday, August 26, a total of 16,821 scam cases were recorded from January to June 2026, down from 19,644 cases in the first half of 2025.

Financial losses from scams also decreased by 17.9%, totaling about S$410.6 million (US$320 million) in the first six months of 2026. Cryptocurrency-related scam losses accounted for approximately S$65.5 million, or 16% of all scam losses, marking a 43% decline from the previous year.

E-commerce scams remained the most common type of scam, while investment scams inflicted the greatest financial damage. SPF noted that victims who left their contact details were often targeted by scammers inviting them into WhatsApp chat groups disguised as 'investment learning communities' or redirected to contact scammers via phone numbers.

Phishing scams involving Apple iMessage also persisted, with scammers impersonating courier companies and claiming parcels could not be delivered due to invalid addresses. Victims were directed to phishing websites resembling legitimate courier platforms and asked to provide payment card details or internet banking credentials, authorizing transactions under the pretext of paying a small re-delivery fee.

Losses from such scams surged by 193.1% to S$57.3 million in the first half of 2026, with reported cases rising 67.9% to 262. About 80.8% of reported scams involved victims making the transfers themselves, up from 78.8% in the same period last year.

Victims often only realized they had been scammed when they failed to receive promised products or discovered online posts from other buyers who had been similarly defrauded.

Sources