2 men to be charged over alleged WhatsApp phishing scams

Two men have been arrested for their suspected involvement in a series of phishing scams targeting WhatsApp users, the police said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 19). 

The police had received several reports in October 2025 of victims receiving unsolicited SMSes, informing them of issues with their WhatsApp account due to a prolonged lack of verification. 

Victims would then be prompted to verify their accounts through a phishing link leading to a fake WhatsApp page. 

After entering their mobile number and verification code on the webpage, their WhatsApp account would be taken over by scammers, who would send fraudulent loan requests to the victims' contacts. 

Victims would only realise they had been scammed when they were logged out of their WhatsApp accounts, discovered unknown devices linked to their accounts, or when they were notified by their contacts on the fraudulent loan requests. 

One victim that fell prey to this scam variant suffered a total loss amounting to about $1,823, said the police. 

Between Nov 18 and Nov 19, officers from the Police Intelligence Department and Commercial Affairs Department conducted an island-wide operation, where two men, both aged 27, were arrested.

They are suspected of being part of a transnational syndicate perpetrating WhatsApp phishing scams in Singapore. 

Preliminary investigations revealed that the two men were allegedly involved in sending mass SMSes to over 7,000 random phone users in Singapore to deceive victims into providing their mobile number and verification code on the fake WhatsApp webpage. 

The illegally-obtained WhatsApp accounts were then used to solicit fraudulent loan requests. 

The police seized multiple network-related telecommunication devices, mobile phones and a Malaysia-registered car during the operations. 

The two men will be charged in court on Nov 20 with the offence of abetment to facilitating unauthorised access to computer material. 

If convicted, first-time offenders can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to two years, or both.

Users who suspect that their WhatsApp accounts have been compromised should contact WhatsApp for recovery of their accounts. 

The police advised members of the public to always reject requests by others to use their bank account or mobiles line as they will be held accountable if these are linked to crimes. 

Members of the public are advised to take precautions to avoid falling for scams by using the ACT (Add, Check, Tell) framework, which involves adding the ScamShield app, checking for scam signs, and telling authorities, family and friends about suspected scams.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

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esther.lam@asiaone.com