At least 119 scam cases involving fraudsters posing as Harvey Norman employees have been reported in Singapore since January 2026, with victims losing at least S$4.8 million.
The Singapore Police Force warned on Monday, 21 September, that there had been a surge in such cases.
The scam does not stop at someone pretending to be a Harvey Norman employee. Victims are subsequently passed to scammers impersonating government officials, who use supposed criminal investigations to pressure them into giving up money or valuables.
Scammers Claim You Bought a TV or Have a Pending Delivery
According to the police, victims typically receive an unsolicited call from someone claiming to work for Harvey Norman.
The caller may say that the victim bought a television set or that there is a delivery awaiting confirmation.
When the victim says that no such purchase was made, the scammer claims that the victim’s personal information may have been misused and that the matter needs to be investigated.
The call is then transferred to another scammer, who pretends to be an officer from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
This second scammer may accuse the victim of involvement in offences such as money laundering.
Under the guise of conducting an investigation, victims are instructed to move money into a supposedly safe account.
Some victims have instead been told to withdraw cash, purchase gold bars, or bring valuables such as jewellery and luxury watches to unknown people.
The scammers promise that the money and valuables will be returned once the investigation is completed. Victims may make several transfers before realising that the promised refunds are not coming.
Harvey Norman Had Received More Than 1,500 Scam-Related Enquiries
The scam tactic was already drawing significant attention before the latest police advisory.
The Straits Times reported that Harvey Norman said on 10 September that it had received 1,588 scam-related enquiries since May, not including walk-in enquiries.
The retailer said most of its walk-in enquiries about the scam came from middle-aged or elderly people. It had become aware of this particular scam tactic in September 2025.
Harvey Norman’s own security-alert page shows that it warned customers in September 2025 about callers using fake orders and asking for personal information. In April 2026, it issued another warning after reports of scammers using fake invoices bearing the retailer’s name.
The police also dealt with a case involving the same general approach in May. A victim was called about a supposed Harvey Norman television purchase, transferred to a person claiming to represent MAS and accused of money laundering. She was then instructed to hand over her jewellery to a man near Anchorvale Crescent.
Government Officials Will Not Ask You to Hand Over Money or Valuables
The police stressed that Singapore government officials will not ask people to transfer or surrender cash, gold, luxury watches or other valuables as part of an investigation.
Officials will also not request banking login details, tell people to install apps from unverified app stores, or transfer telephone calls to the police or another government agency.
People who receive suspicious calls can verify them through official channels or ScamShield. Those who are unsure whether they are dealing with a scam can call the 24-hour ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
