At least $4.8m lost to scams involving conmen posing as Harvey Norman staff since January

The police warned of a surge in such scams that also involve the impersonation of government officials.

Published Sep 21, 2026, 11:50 PM

Updated Sep 21, 2026, 11:50 PM

SINGAPORE – At least 119 cases of scams involving conmen impersonating Harvey Norman employees have been reported since January, with total losses reaching at least $4.8 million .

In an advisory on Sept 21, the police warned of a surge in such scams that also involve the impersonation of government officials.

The Straits Times first reported on this scam variant on Sept 14, with Harvey Norman saying on Sept 10 that it had logged 1,588 scam-related inquiries since May.

This figure excludes walk-in inquiries, the majority of which came from “middle-aged to elderly individuals”, added Harvey Norman, which became aware of this scam tactic in September 2025.

In this scam tactic, victims would receive unsolicited calls from fraudsters pretending to be employees of the retailer.

The conmen would claim that the victims had purchased a TV set or have a pending delivery confirmation, said the police.

Harvey Norman sells household appliances, including TV sets, fridges, washing machines and furniture.

When the victims denied making the purchase, the scammers would claim that the victims’ personal details had been misused and that further investigations were required, the police said.

The victims would subsequently be transferred to another scammer impersonating a Monetary Authority of Singapore officer, who would accuse them of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering.

To facilitate “investigations”, the scammers would ask victims to transfer money to a “safe account”, the police added.

In some cases, the scammers would ask victims to withdraw cash, purchase gold bars or bring along valuables, such as jewellery or luxury watches, to hand over to unknown individuals for “investigation purposes”.

The victims would be given assurances that their money and valuables would be returned to them when “investigations” ended.

Victims would realise that they had been scammed only after making multiple money transfers without receiving the promised refunds.

In their Sept 21 statement, the police reminded the public that government officials will never ask people to transfer or hand over cash, gold or luxury watches.

They will also never ask the public to disclose their bank log-in details, nor ask them to install mobile apps from unverified app stores.

In addition, government officials will never transfer a person’s call to the police or to any other government officials.

The public is encouraged to take precautionary measures, such as downloading the ScamShield app to protect themselves from scam calls and SMSes.

Set up security features, such as by enabling two-factor authentication and setting transaction limits for internet banking transactions, the police advised.

Check for scam signs using official sources, the police said. For instance, one can verify suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or at the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg

Those who encounter scams should alert the authorities, their family and friends, and report any fraudulent transactions to their banks immediately.

Those who are unsure if they are encountering a scam should call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline on 1799.

In response to media queries on Sept 10, Harvey Norman said that it had briefed its staff and put in place guidelines to help them identify and respond to inquiries relating to the scam calls.

Harvey Norman has also urged consumers to remain vigilant and to verify any suspicious calls that are supposedly from the company through its official channels.

“Customers should be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to represent Harvey Norman, especially if they are asked to verify personal information, banking details, identification numbers or transactions that they do not recognise,” it said.

“Harvey Norman will never ask customers for ID and banking details when they transact with us.”

Daniel Lai is a journalist at the ST Now team, covering breaking news and international affairs.

Internet crimes and scams

警方警告称，此类诈骗案件激增，其中还包括冒充政府官员的犯罪活动。

发布于2026年9月21日晚上11:50

更新于2026年9月21日晚上11:50

新加坡——自今年1月以来，至少有119起骗子冒充Harvey Norman员工行骗的案件被报道，总损失至少达到480万美元。

9月21日，警方发布公告警告称，此类诈骗活动激增，其中还包括冒充政府官员的诈骗。

《海峡时报》于 9 月 14 日首次报道了这种诈骗变种，Harvey Norman 于 9 月 10 日表示，自 5 月以来，该公司已收到 1588 起与诈骗相关的咨询。

哈维诺曼补充说，这一数字不包括上门咨询的顾客，其中大部分是“中老年人”。哈维诺曼于 2025 年 9 月发现了这种诈骗手段。

在这种诈骗手段中，受害者会接到冒充零售商员工的诈骗分子打来的骚扰电话。

警方表示，骗子会声称受害者已经购买了电视机或有待发货的确认订单。

哈维诺曼销售家用电器，包括电视机、冰箱、洗衣机和家具。

警方表示，当受害者否认进行过购买时，诈骗分子会声称受害者的个人信息被滥用，需要进行进一步调查。

随后，受害者会被转交给另一名冒充新加坡金融管理局官员的骗子，该骗子会指控他们参与洗钱等犯罪活动。

警方补充说，为了方便“调查”，诈骗分子会要求受害者将钱转入“安全账户”。

在某些情况下，诈骗者会要求受害者提取现金、购买金条或携带贵重物品（如珠宝或名表），以便将其交给陌生人进行“调查”。

受害者会得到保证，当“调查”结束后，他们的钱财和贵重物品将会归还给他们。

受害者往往在多次转账后仍未收到承诺的退款，才会意识到自己被骗了。

警方在 9 月 21 日的声明中提醒公众，政府官员绝不会要求人们转移或交出现金、黄金或名表。

他们也绝不会要求公众透露其银行登录信息，也不会要求他们从未经核实的应用商店安装移动应用。

此外，政府官员绝不会将民众的来电转接给警察或其他政府官员。

我们鼓励公众采取预防措施，例如下载 ScamShield 应用程序来保护自己免受诈骗电话和短信的侵害。

警方建议，设置安全功能，例如启用双因素身份验证和设置网上银行交易限额。

警方表示，应通过官方渠道识别诈骗迹象。例如，可以通过 ScamShield 应用程序或访问 ScamShield 网站 www.scamshield.gov.sg 来验证可疑信息、电话号码和网站链接。

遇到诈骗的人应该立即通知有关部门、家人和朋友，并向银行报告任何欺诈交易。

如果您不确定自己是否遇到了诈骗，请拨打 24/7 ScamShield 热线 1799。

9月10日，哈维诺曼公司在回应媒体询问时表示，公司已向员工进行了简报，并制定了指导方针，以帮助他们识别和回应与诈骗电话相关的询问。

哈维诺曼公司也敦促消费者保持警惕，并通过其官方渠道核实任何声称来自该公司的可疑电话。

“客户在接到自称是 Harvey Norman 代表的来电时应保持警惕，尤其是在被要求核实个人信息、银行详细信息、身份证号码或他们不认识的交易时，”声明中写道。

“哈维诺曼绝不会要求顾客在交易时提供身份证件和银行信息。”

Daniel Lai 是 ST Now 团队的记者，负责报道突发新闻和国际事务。

网络犯罪和诈骗