From hours to minutes: How quickly a scam site can be taken down under newly-formed Cyber Command从数小时到数分钟：在新成立的网络司令部领导下，诈骗网站能以多快的速度被关闭
In the first half of 2026, the police disrupted over 52,200 malicious websites. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Scam victims in Singapore lost $410.6 million in the first six months of 2026, with scam losses hitting here over $4 billion since 2019.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Published Sep 19, 2026, 12:00 PM
Updated Sep 19, 2026, 12:00 PM
Cyber Command in Singapore can now take down scam websites, phone numbers, and social media pages within minutes, speeding up processes that previously took hours.
Scam losses reached $410.6 million in the first half of 2026, with over 47,000 scam-related mobile lines and 52,200 malicious websites disrupted.
Collaboration with agencies like the FBI helps prevent large losses, but challenges remain due to differing legal frameworks.
SINGAPORE - If a website, phone number or social media page is linked to a scam, Special Constable Sergeant Javier Lau of the police’s Cyber Command can take them down within minutes.
Previously, the process could take up to several hours, as Lau and his team would need to coordinate across multiple departments in the Singapore Police Force.
Lau, 22, a cybercrime operator and a full-time national serviceman, was among several officers from Cyber Command who spoke to the media on Sept 16, two months after it was launched on July 3.
He said when a site is reported, they would assess whether it is malicious.
He added: “ We would document our findings, and support follow-up actions that are required to disrupt the websites. The tempo is quick, especially during an active scam campaign. In those moments, we must work fast yet make sure that every case is thoroughly assessed.”
Scam victims in Singapore lost $410.6 million in the first six months of 2026 , with scam losses here hitting over $4 billion since 2019.
In the first half of 2026, the police disrupted over 47,000 scam-related mobile lines, 37,500 WhatsApp lines, 31,600 online monikers and 52,200 malicious websites.
When asked about common scam trends, Lau said scammers often impersonate news outlets, including The Straits Times and CNA, to promote investment schemes and cryptocurrency sites, to phish for contact information.
He said: “To the untrained eye, it can be quite convincing because it mirrors CNA and ST, but the content on the site is different.”
When the site is assessed to be a scam, Lau and his team will contact the relevant Internet service providers to take it down before more get duped.
Special Constable Sergeant Javier Lau said once a site is reported, his team assesses if it is malicious. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Special Constable Sergeant Javier Lau said once a site is reported, his team assesses if it is malicious.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Said Lau: “This matters because scam websites can harvest victims’ details within minutes of going live.”
Another officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Nicole Morgan, 30, works with foreign law enforcement agencies and internal partners to fight cybercrime and scams.
She said Cyber Command helps with quicker decision-making.
Referring to a case in July, Cyber Command and the Federal Bureau of Investigation prevented losses amounting to US$2.7 million (S$3.5 million) in the US and $388,000 in Singapore in a joint operation targeting transnational cryptocurrency scams.
The agencies identified 54 victims and potential victims of scams in both countries.
Morgan said: “Scam syndicates can move funds, change communications channels, replace infrastructure, and relocate their members very quickly. For intelligence to be operationally useful, it must reach the correct agency and operational team in time for action to be taken.”
ASP Nicole Morgan works with foreign law enforcement agencies and international partners to strengthen cooperation against cybercrime and scams. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
ASP Nicole Morgan works with foreign law enforcement agencies and international partners to strengthen cooperation against cybercrime and scams.
She added this can be challenging as every jurisdiction operates under its own legal and procedural framework.
On Sept 9, the Scams (Countermeasures) and Other Matters Bill was passed, making it an offence to provide one’s personal details to supply online accounts on Carousell, TikTok, Telegram and Meta’s platforms to criminals.
Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming had said then the police receive on average 90 reports of scams involving $2 million lost daily.
He added: “Scammers will continue to adapt, and so must we. Our response must be sustained, coordinated and always forward-looking.”
Lau said his work is meaningful as it has a direct impact on scammers.
He added : “Much of it happens behind the scenes, but acting quickly can shrink a scammer’s window of opportunity and stop more people from becoming victims.”
Fatimah Mujibah is a journalist at The Straits Times covering crime-related stories.
Internet crimes and scams
2026 年上半年，新加坡的诈骗受害者损失了 4.106 亿美元，自 2019 年以来，新加坡的诈骗损失已超过 40 亿美元。
《海峡时报》摄影：KELVIN CHNG
发布于 2026 年 9 月 19 日下午 12:00
更新于2026年9月19日中午12:00
新加坡网络司令部现在可以在几分钟内关闭诈骗网站、电话号码和社交媒体页面，大大加快了以前需要几个小时才能完成的流程。
2026 年上半年，诈骗造成的损失达到 4.106 亿美元，超过 47,000 条与诈骗相关的移动线路和 52,200 个恶意网站受到影响。
与联邦调查局等机构合作有助于防止重大损失，但由于法律框架不同，仍然存在挑战。
新加坡——如果某个网站、电话号码或社交媒体页面与诈骗活动有关，警方网络指挥部的特别警员刘嘉伟警长可以在几分钟内将其关闭。
此前，这个过程可能需要几个小时，因为刘和他的团队需要与新加坡警察部队的多个部门进行协调。
22 岁的 Lau 是一名网络犯罪分子，也是一名全职国民服役人员。在网络司令部于 7 月 3 日成立两个月后，他于 9 月 16 日与其他几名官员一起接受了媒体采访。
他说，当有网站被举报时，他们会评估该网站是否具有恶意。
他补充道：“我们会记录调查结果，并支持采取必要的后续行动来打击这些网站。节奏很快，尤其是在诈骗活动猖獗时期。在那种情况下，我们必须迅速行动，同时也要确保对每个案例都进行彻底评估。”
2026 年上半年，新加坡的诈骗受害者损失了 4.106 亿美元，自 2019 年以来，新加坡的诈骗损失已超过 40 亿美元。
2026 年上半年，警方查获了 47,000 多条与诈骗有关的手机线路、37,500 条 WhatsApp 线路、31,600 个网络昵称和 52,200 个恶意网站。
当被问及常见的诈骗趋势时，刘表示，诈骗分子经常冒充新闻媒体，包括《海峡时报》和亚洲新闻台，来推广投资计划和加密货币网站，以骗取联系信息。
他说：“对于不熟悉情况的人来说，它可能很有说服力，因为它模仿了 CNA 和 ST，但网站上的内容却不同。”
当网站被评估为诈骗网站时，Lau 和他的团队会联系相关的互联网服务提供商，在更多人受骗之前将其关闭。
特别警员刘嘉伟警长表示，一旦接到举报，他的团队就会评估该网站是否恶意。图片来源：联合早报
特别警员哈维尔·劳警长表示，一旦接到网站举报，他的团队就会评估该网站是否具有恶意性质。
图片来源：联合早报
刘先生说：“这很重要，因为诈骗网站可以在上线几分钟内收集受害者的详细信息。”
另一名警官，30岁的助理警司妮可·摩根，与外国执法机构和内部合作伙伴合作打击网络犯罪和诈骗。
她说，网络司令部有助于更快地做出决策。
以 7 月份的一起案件为例，美国网络司令部和联邦调查局在一次针对跨国加密货币诈骗的联合行动中，阻止了美国 270 万美元（350 万新元）和新加坡 38.8 万美元的损失。
这两个机构共确认了54名诈骗案受害者和潜在受害者。
摩根表示：“诈骗团伙可以迅速转移资金、更换通讯渠道、更换基础设施并转移成员。情报要想在行动中发挥作用，就必须及时送达正确的机构和行动团队，以便采取行动。”
助理警司妮可·摩根与外国执法机构和国际伙伴合作，加强打击网络犯罪和诈骗的合作。图片来源：联合早报
助理警司妮可·摩根与外国执法机构和国际伙伴合作，加强打击网络犯罪和诈骗的合作。
她补充说，这可能会带来挑战，因为每个司法管辖区都有自己的法律和程序框架。
9 月 9 日，《诈骗（对策）及其他事项法案》获得通过，规定向犯罪分子提供个人信息以在 Carousell、TikTok、Telegram 和 Meta 等平台上提供在线账户属于违法行为。
内政部高级政务部长吴佩明当时表示，警方平均每天接到90起诈骗报案，涉案金额高达200万美元。
他补充道：“诈骗分子会不断变换伎俩，我们也必须如此。我们的应对措施必须持续、协调，并且始终着眼于未来。”
刘先生表示，他的工作很有意义，因为它对诈骗者有直接的影响。
他补充道：“很多诈骗活动都在幕后进行，但迅速采取行动可以缩短诈骗者的机会窗口，阻止更多人成为受害者。”
Fatimah Mujibah 是《海峡时报》的一名记者，主要报道犯罪相关新闻。
网络犯罪和诈骗