Scam Cases and Financial Losses in Singapore Decline in First Half of 2026

The number of scam cases and total financial losses in Singapore fell during the first half of 2026, according to figures released by the Singapore Police Force on August 26. A total of 16,821 scam cases were reported between January and June, representing a 14.4 percent decrease from the 19,644 cases reported during the same period in 2025. Financial losses dropped to approximately S$410.6 million, down from S$500.2 million in the first half of the previous year. Cryptocurrency losses specifically fell by 43 percent to S$65.5 million.

Investment scams caused the most significant financial damage, with victims losing S$169.8 million across 2,256 cases. Police noted a new trend where scammers impersonate the National University of Singapore and the brokerage Moomoo to lure victims into fraudulent WhatsApp investment groups. Government official impersonation scams recorded the second highest losses at S$90.8 million. E-commerce scams were the most common type of scam with 3,865 cases and losses of about S$8.3 million. Within this category, scams involving Pokemon trading cards surged to 605 cases with losses reaching S$1.2 million, a trend attributed to fraudulent pre-order listings on platforms like Carousell.

Authorities reported disrupting over 47,000 scam-related mobile lines and 52,200 malicious websites. They also worked with Apple, Google, and Meta to implement anti-scam measures. Despite these declines, the police warned that scams remain the dominant crime type in Singapore. Data shows that eight in 10 victims were manipulated into voluntarily handing money to scammers through social engineering. Elderly victims aged 65 and above suffered the highest average losses at S$42,347 per person, while adults aged 30 to 49 made up 36 percent of all scam victims.