Singapore – Last year, Charlotte Goh received a call from someone claiming to be an officer with Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency.
The caller told Goh that her number was linked to a scam targeting Malaysians and directed her to the “Malaysian Interpol” to file a report.
As a sales professional who often lists her number in public spaces, Goh, who asked to use a pseudonym, found the story plausible.
Over two hours, Goh shared personal details such as her name and identification number, though she hesitated to disclose her exact bank details.
“I wasn’t sure if it was a scam – it sounded so true – but I was also afraid it might be,” she told Al Jazeera.
When she was asked to photograph herself with her official identity card, Goh realised she was being scammed and hung up. Luckily, Goh, 58, was able to quickly change her passwords and transfer funds into her daughter’s account before any money could be stolen.
Others in her circle of friends have not been so fortunate.
“Some friends lost thousands,” she said.
Singapore, one of the world’s wealthiest and internet-savvy countries, has become a prime target for global scammers.
In the 2023 edition of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance’s annual report, Singapore had the highest average loss per victim of all countries surveyed, at $4,031.
In the first half of 2024, reports of scams hit a record high of 26,587, with losses topping $284m.
To combat this, the government has turned to unprecedented measures.
Earlier this month, Singapore’s parliament passed first-of-its-kind legislation granting authorities new powers to freeze the bank accounts of suspected scam victims.
Under the Protection from Scams Bill, designated officers can order banks to block an individual’s transactions if they have reason to believe they intend to transfer funds, withdraw money, or use credit facilities to benefit a scammer.
Those affected still retain access to funds for daily living expenses.
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