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Scammers posing as friends and family hijack WhatsApp accounts to seek loans; 128 victims lose $249,000

At least 128 people have fallen victim to a scam involving compromised WhatsApp accounts since September 2026, with total losses amounting to at least $249,000, the police said on Wednesday (Oct 21).In an advisory, the police warned of a variant of social media impersonation scams in which scammers take over WhatsApp accounts and impersonate family members, friends, colleagues or acquaintances...

AsiaOne Singapore2026-10-21 17:00查看原文 ↗

At least 128 people have fallen victim to a scam involving compromised WhatsApp accounts since September 2026, with total losses amounting to at least $249,000, the police said on Wednesday (Oct 21).

In an advisory, the police warned of a variant of social media impersonation scams in which scammers take over WhatsApp accounts and impersonate family members, friends, colleagues or acquaintances to solicit loans or financial assistance.

Victims may be told that the sender is unable to make a bank transfer, has reached a transfer limit or needs help making a payment on their behalf.

In some cases, scammers impersonate children and ask parents to transfer money for an artificial intelligence (AI) or exchange programme.

The police advised the public to verify unusual requests for money directly with the person concerned before making any transfer.

WhatsApp users should also enable two-step verification and remove unknown or unnecessary linked devices from their accounts.

Members of the public can use the ScamShield app to block scam calls and filter suspicious SMSes, or call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline on 1799 to check for possible scams.

Those who suspect they have fallen victim to a scam should contact their bank immediately to report and block fraudulent transactions, and lodge a police report.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg.

helmy.saat@asiaone.com

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