In Singapore, online crimes are on the rise, with phishing and e-commerce scams being the most common. Last year, the number of reported cases of scams and cybercrimes increased by 25.2%, reaching 33,669. This resulted in victims losing SG$660.7 million, a 4.5% increase from the previous year. Phishing cases were the most frequent, with 7,097 reported cases in 2022, a 41.3% increase from 2021. Scammers typically used email, text messages, or phone calls to impersonate officials or trusted entities in order to get victims to reveal their personal information, such as credit card or bank account details. Messaging, social media, and online shopping platforms were the most popular channels used by scammers to contact their victims, with WhatsApp being used in 56% of cases. Young adults were the most likely to be scammed, with those aged 20 to 29 and 30 to 39 making up 26.7% and 26.8% of all victims, respectively. To combat this, the Singapore Police Force set up the Anti-Scam Command to unify resources into a central unit. Last year, the ASC conducted more than 11,100 interventions and recovered SG$11.5 million in a single scam. Mobile carriers were also roped in to shut down mobile lines used by scammers, and social media and e-commerce platform operators were asked to remove suspicious accounts and advertisements. The government has also urged the need for shared responsibility in preventing online scams, and introduced measures to strengthen banking and communications infrastructures.
This Cyber News was published on www.zdnet.com. Publication date: Wed, 08 Feb 2023 12:53:02 +0000