{
  "id": 909681,
  "title": "ST Explains: How do scammers exploit government directories, and how can they be stopped?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/st-explains-how-do-scammers-exploit-government-directories-and-how",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-14T21:10:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times",
    "slug": "straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/st-explains-how-do-scammers-exploit-government-directories-and-how-to-stop-it"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Singapore has seen a significant increase in government impersonation scams, with the number of cases tripling in 2025 to 3,363. Scammers often impersonate public officers from agencies like the Singapore Police Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, and the Ministry of Law. These scams typically involve victims being pressured to disclose personal information or transfer money to alleged official investigations. In 2025, victims lost $242.9 million to such scams, a 61% increase from the previous year. To combat these scams, the government has reduced the availability of detailed staff directories online, which previously provided scammers with convincing details about officers' names, job titles, and contact information. However, scammers have adapted by using messaging apps like WhatsApp, which are not controlled by the telcos, to spoof local numbers and even appear in uniform during video calls. To protect themselves, users can adjust privacy settings on their messaging apps, call the national ScamShield helpline on 1799, or use the ScamShield app to report suspicious numbers. While the government may not change contact details immediately due to the risk of creating opportunities for scams, the outdated nature of harvested data could eventually reduce the effectiveness of these scams. Cybersecurity experts suggest using a generic email address for public communication and implementing a live verification system where officers generate a dynamic one-time code to confirm their identity during calls.",
  "summary": "Details for political office-holders, judicial appointment holders and senior public-sector leaders remain publicly available.",
  "key_points": [
    "Government impersonation scams in Singapore tripled to 3,363 in 2025",
    "Scammers exploit outdated staff directories online for convincing details",
    "Government reduces online directory availability, scammers adapt with messaging apps"
  ],
  "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."
}