At least 72 people have lost a combined S$6.1 million since January 2026 to scammers impersonating officers from Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Chinese authorities.
The Singapore Police Force issued a warning about the scam on 14 August.
The Call Starts With a Fake ICA Officer
Victims first receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming to work for ICA.
The caller alleges that the victim’s personal details have been misused or that a phone number registered under their name has been connected to criminal activity.
Examples given by the police include spreading false information or sending scam messages.
When the victim denies being involved, the caller supposedly transfers the call to a Chinese official.
That “transfer” is one of the clearest signs that the call is fraudulent. Singapore government officials will never transfer a call to the police or another government official.
Victims Told to Pay for “Bail” or an “Investigation”
The second scammer claims that money is required for bail or to assist with an investigation.
Victims may then be ordered to send money to specified bank accounts.
In some cases, they are instructed to withdraw cash and physically hand it to someone posing as an official.
According to the police, victims typically discover the scam only when the callers can no longer be reached or after they check directly with the relevant government agencies.
What Government Officials Will Never Ask You to Do
The police said Singapore government officials, including ICA officers, will never ask members of the public to:
- Transfer or hand over money, gold, luxury watches or cryptocurrency
- Borrow money from licensed moneylenders
- Reveal their online banking login details
- Install mobile applications from unverified app stores
- Allow their call to be transferred to the police or another government official
People should not assume that a call is genuine simply because the caller already knows some of their personal information.
If you receive such a call, hang up and contact the agency through the number listed on its official website.
Anyone unsure whether an approach is a scam can call the 24-hour ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
Those who have already sent money should contact their bank immediately and file a police report. Acting quickly may help prevent further losses, although recovering money becomes difficult once it has been moved overseas.
