Over $410m lost to scams in first half of 2026; 8 in 10 victims voluntarily handed money to scammers
Victims lost $500.2 million during the same period in 2025.
Singapore has experienced a decline in scam losses in the first six months of 2026, with the total falling to $410.6 million. This is a decrease from the $500.2 million lost during the same period in 2025. The police attributed this trend to various measures taken against different types of scams, including directing tech giants to implement anti-scam measures on their platforms and disrupting over 94,000 scam-related lines.
However, despite these efforts, eight in ten victims continued to voluntarily hand over money to scammers. The police noted that scammers were using social engineering tactics, such as impersonating government officials and investment advisors, to deceive victims. Elderly victims were the most affected, losing an average of $42,347 per victim.
The police also warned that scams remain the dominant crime type in Singapore, with losses exceeding $4 billion since 2019.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
