WhatsApp scam targets parents with fake youth exchange programmes and AI courses, SPF warns
The scammers tell parents their children have been selected for youth exchange programmes or AI-related courses and ask them to pay to secure a place.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued a warning to parents about a new type of WhatsApp scam targeting students and their families. Fraudsters are hacking into students' WhatsApp accounts and impersonating them to request payments for fake youth exchange programmes and AI-related courses.
Since September 2026, at least eight cases have been reported, resulting in losses of up to S$18,000. Scammers gain access to students' WhatsApp accounts and use them to contact parents, posing as their children. They claim the student has been selected for an educational programme or course and ask for payment to secure a place.
To make the request seem legitimate, victims are given fake consent forms with the logos of educational institutions and government agencies. In some instances, victims are told the fees will be subsidised and refunded, a tactic to lower resistance to payment. Scammers then request payments via PayNow QR codes, and some victims are tricked into making additional payments due to incorrect transactions supposedly being refunded.
Parents are advised to verify any unusual money requests directly with their child by calling them, rather than replying on the same WhatsApp account. They should also confirm the legitimacy of any programme or payment request with the educational institution through official channels before transferring any money.
To protect their WhatsApp accounts, users should enable Two-Step Verification in the app's settings and regularly check linked devices, logging out of any unrecognised ones. The public is also encouraged to use the ACT framework: add the ScamShield app to filter scam calls and messages, check for scam signs using official sources like the ScamShield Helpline at 1799, inform family and friends about the scam, report fraud to their bank, and lodge a Police report if scammed.
For more information, visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call 1799. Scam reports can be made to the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or via www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. Urgent Police assistance can be requested by dialing 999.
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
