← 返回新闻首页

At least $249,000 lost in 1½ months to impersonation scams involving compromised WhatsApp accounts

Police warn of WhatsApp impersonation scams after at least $249,000 was lost in 1½ months, with 128 cases reported since September 2026. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Straits TimesShannon Kuan2026-10-21 16:12查看原文 ↗

在短短一个半月内，因WhatsApp账户被盗用而引发的身份冒用诈骗，至少造成24.9万美元的损失。

Victims would typically receive WhatsApp messages from scammers posing as their family members, friends, colleagues, or acquaintances seeking financial aid.

PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Published Oct 21, 2026, 04:12 PM

Updated Oct 21, 2026, 04:26 PM

Singapore police warned of WhatsApp impersonation scams that have caused at least $249,000 in losses in about 1½ months.

Scammers take over accounts and pose as family, friends, colleagues, or children to ask for loans or money transfers.

Police said there have been at least 128 cases since September 2026 and urged people to verify requests, use two-step verification, and install ScamShield.

SINGAPORE – If you get a WhatsApp message from someone saying they are your family member or friend, and need you to transfer money, be on your guard. At least $249,000 has been lost in about 1½ months to scammers who would take over WhatsApp accounts and impersonate account owners to ask for loans or financial assistance, said the police in a statement on Oct 21. There have been at least 128 such cases since September , they added.

In this scam variant, victims would typically receive WhatsApp messages from scammers posing as their family members, friends, colleagues or acquaintances .

The scammers would ask for loans, or ask victims to transfer money on their behalf, saying they were experiencing difficulty making bank transfers, have reached their transfer limits, or need help to make payments on their behalf.

Victims have also reported receiving messages purportedly from their children, asking them to transfer payment for an artificial intelligence or exchange programme .

The police urge members of the public to be wary of any requests to transfer money, and to verify unusual requests for money directly with family members, friends, colleagues, or acquaintances.

“Do not transfer any money until you have confirmed the request is genuine,” the police added.

They also advocate securing WhatsApp accounts by enabling two-step verifications and removing unnecessary or unknown linked devices.

To block scam calls and filter suspicious messages, the police advise downloading the ScamShield app .

For more information on scams, members of the public may also call the 24-hour ScamShield Helpline on 1799 or visit www.scamshield.gov.sg

Singapore has lost more than $4 billion to scams since 2019, with a total of $410.6 million lost to scam-related incidents in the first six months of 2026.

While scam-related losses in 2026 have dipped from the $500.2 million lost during the same period in 2025, the police warn that scams still remain the dominant crime type in Singapore.

Elderly victims had the highest average losses across all age groups, the police said.

Those aged 65 and above made up 14.4% of scam victims, with the average amount lost per victim at $42,347, based on 2026 mid-year scam statistics from the police.

Most of these victims fell prey to government official impersonation and investment scams, the authorities said.

Internet crimes and scams

受害者通常会收到诈骗者通过 WhatsApp 发送的消息，这些诈骗者冒充他们的家人、朋友、同事或熟人，寻求经济援助。

照片：新加坡警察部队

发布于 2026 年 10 月 21 日下午 4:12

更新于2026年10月21日下午4:26

新加坡警方警告称，WhatsApp冒充诈骗活动在短短一个半月内已造成至少24.9万美元的损失。

诈骗分子会盗用账户，冒充家人、朋友、同事或孩子，索要贷款或转账。

警方表示，自 2026 年 9 月以来，至少发生了 128 起案件，并敦促人们核实请求、使用两步验证以及安装 ScamShield。

新加坡——如果您收到自称是家人或朋友的WhatsApp消息，要求您转账，请务必提高警惕。警方在10月21日的一份声明中表示，在过去一个半月里，至少有24.9万新元被骗走。骗子们会盗用WhatsApp账户，冒充账户所有者索要贷款或经济援助。警方补充说，自9月以来，此类案件至少有128起。

在这种诈骗手段中，受害者通常会收到冒充其家人、朋友、同事或熟人的诈骗者通过 WhatsApp 发送的消息。

骗子会以银行转账困难、转账限额已达上限或需要帮助代为付款等为由，向受害者索要贷款或要求受害者代为转账。