Singapore Police Warn of Surge in Government Officials Impersonation Scams

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has warned of a surge in government officials impersonation scams involving scammers posing as officials from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Chinese authorities.

Since January 2026, at least 72 cases have been reported, with victims losing at least S$6.1 million, according to a police advisory issued on August 14.

In the latest scam variant, victims receive unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to be ICA officials. The scammers allege that the victim’s personal details have been misused or that their phone number has been linked to criminal activities.

After the victim denies involvement, the call is transferred to another scammer impersonating a Chinese official. The second caller then demands money for purported investigations or bail. Victims are instructed to transfer funds to bank accounts or withdraw cash and hand it directly to the supposed official.

Victims often discover the fraud only after the scammers become unreachable or they verify the claims with the relevant authorities.

The police stressed that Singapore government officials, including ICA officers, will never ask individuals to transfer or hand over money, cryptocurrency or valuables, obtain loans from licensed moneylenders, disclose banking credentials, install applications from unverified sources or transfer calls to other government officials.

The SPF urged the public to remain cautious of unsolicited communications, even when callers appear to possess personal information. Members of the public are encouraged to use the ScamShield app to identify suspicious calls, messages and links, while enabling two-factor authentication and transaction limits for online banking.

Anyone who suspects they have been targeted should contact their bank immediately and verify suspicious communications through official channels.