{
  "id": 11586268,
  "title": "Cheap deal, costly click: Singapore loses S$1.4m to social media phishing scams since July 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/cheap-deal-costly-click-singapore-loses-s-1-4m-to-social-media",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-03T02:46:25.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/singapore/2026/10/03/cheap-deal-costly-click-singapore-loses-s14m-to-social-media-phishing-scams-since-july-2026/237483"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "SINGAPORE — Since July 2026, at least 246 phishing scams have been reported on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, resulting in losses exceeding S$1.4 million, according to police reports. These scams typically involve ads for discounted household items, food, or fashion, directing users to fraudulent websites where they are asked to input personal banking information. Some victims even divulge one-time passwords or authorization tokens, making them unaware of the theft until unauthorized transactions appear. To protect themselves, individuals are advised to enable security measures such as transaction limits, two-factor authentication, and the money lock function on their internet banking. No personal data, banking details, or one-time passwords should ever be shared with anyone. Should doubt arise, Singaporeans can contact the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799 for assistance.",
  "summary": "SINGAPORE, Oct 3 — With about 87 per cent of people in Singapore aged 15 and above accessing top social media site...",
  "key_points": [
    "At least 246 phishing scams reported on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok since July 2026.",
    "Scams involve discounted household items, food, fashion, leading to S$1.4m losses.",
    "Victims unknowingly share personal banking info, one-time passwords, enabling theft."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The surge in social media phishing scams in Singapore forces individuals to bear significant financial losses and take preventive measures to safeguard their online banking information.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}