At least 128 cases involving hijacked WhatsApp accounts have been reported since September 2026, with losses totalling at least S$249,000, police disclosed on 21 October.
Scammers Pose as Familiar Contacts
After taking over accounts, scammers impersonate their owners to seek loans or request payments.
They may claim to have trouble making bank transfers or to have reached their transfer limits. Some victims received messages supposedly from their children seeking payment for AI or exchange programmes.
Verify Before Transferring Money
Police urged recipients to verify unusual requests directly with the person concerned before paying.
Users should enable two-step verification and remove unknown or unnecessary linked devices.
Suspected victims should contact their bank immediately to report and block fraudulent transactions, then lodge a police report. For advice, call the round-the-clock ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
