{
  "id": 741163,
  "title": "Over 500 fake websites impersonating MHA, 7 Home Team agencies including SPF & SCDF taken down",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/over-500-fake-websites-impersonating-mha-7-home-team-agencies",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T07:14:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mothership",
    "slug": "mothership",
    "url": "https://mothership.sg/2026/08/500-fake-websites-impersonating-mha-home-team-agencies-taken-down/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Over 500 fraudulent websites, replicating the branding of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and seven Home Team agencies, were taken down by authorities. The Ministry of Home Affairs reported the suspicious websites on August 12, stating that the HTX had detected them on August 10, with all identified sites being removed by August 11. The seven agencies affected were HTX, SPF, CNB, SCDF, ICA, SPS, and HTA. The fake sites closely mimicked the official branding and content of MHA and the agencies, potentially leading the public to believe they were accessing legitimate websites. There was no indication that these fake sites were used for scams or to gather personal information. Authorities also confirmed that the systems of MHA or Home Team agencies were not compromised. The Ministry advised the public to stay vigilant when accessing websites that claim to be associated with MHA or Home Team agencies. They were urged to verify the website address, looking for .gov.sg domain, check for irregularities such as spelling or grammatical errors, and only access government services through official channels. Should anyone encounter suspicious websites posing as official MHA or Home Team agency sites, they were instructed to report them to the Police via ScamShield Helpline at 1799 or through the designated website.",
  "summary": "Over 500 fake websites impersonating the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and seven Home Team agencies were taken down, according to a press release from MHA on Aug. 12. The fake websites, which replicated the official branding and content of MHA and the affected agencies, were detected by the Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) on Aug. 10 and removed by Aug. 11. The seven agencies targeted were HTX, SPF, CNB, SCDF, ICA, SPS, and HTA. MHA stated that there was no evidence of scams, phishing attempts, or unauthorized access to systems through these fake websites. The ministry advised the public to remain vigilant when accessing websites impersonating MHA or Home Team agencies, emphasizing the importance of verifying website addresses, looking for irregularities, and accessing government services through official channels.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "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."
}