At least 246 people in Singapore have lost about S$1.4 million since July after falling for fake social media advertisements offering cheap goods.
The police said in a statement on 2 October that there has been a surge in such phishing scams, according to The Straits Times.
The ads promoted items such as food, clothes and household products at low prices. But instead of getting a good deal, victims were redirected to phishing websites that harvested their payment or banking details.
Victims Entered Card Details or Banking Credentials
In these cases, victims came across fraudulent advertisements on social media.
After clicking the ads, they were taken to fake websites that asked for card details or internet banking credentials. Some victims also entered one-time passwords or authorised transactions using digital tokens.
They usually realised something was wrong only after unauthorised transactions were made from their bank accounts or cards.
This is why the scam works: the amount at the checkout may look small enough to feel harmless, but the real target is not the “purchase”. It is the victim’s payment or banking access.
The Goods Were Cheap, But the Losses Were Not
The fake ads involved everyday products such as food, fashion items and household goods.
That makes the scam especially easy to fall for because the offers do not necessarily look like wild investment promises or suspicious “confirm win” messages.
A heavily discounted item on social media may seem like just another sale. Unfortunately, some of these ads are designed to bring users to phishing sites that look convincing enough for them to enter sensitive details.
The police said at least 246 victims have been affected since July, with total losses of at least S$1.4 million.
Police Advise the Public to Use “ACT”
The police advised members of the public to use the “ACT” framework when dealing with possible scams.
“Add” means adding security features, such as enabling ScamShield and setting transaction limits where available.
“Check” means checking for signs of a scam before clicking links, entering personal details or approving payments.
“Tell” means telling the authorities, family and friends about scams. This helps warn others, especially when scam ads are spreading quickly online.
Members of the public can also visit the ScamShield website or call the 24-hour ScamShield Helpline at 1799 for information on scams.
Scam Losses Are Still a Major Problem
The latest advisory comes amid Singapore’s broader fight against scams.
In the first half of 2026, scam victims in Singapore lost S$410.6 million, down from S$500.2 million in the same period in 2025, according to police mid-year scam figures cited by The Straits Times.
The number of scam cases also fell from 19,644 cases in the first half of 2025 to 16,821 cases in the first half of 2026.
But the new social media ad cases show that even familiar-looking online shopping deals can still lead to large losses.
The safest rule is still painfully unexciting but useful: do not key in card details, banking credentials, OTPs or digital-token approvals after clicking an ad link unless you are sure the website is legitimate.
