PUBLISHED ONSeptember 25, 2026 8:27 AMBYSean LerThe police and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) have alerted members of the public to two scams that they say have led to at least $8.8 million in losses.
In a joint news release on Friday (Sept 25), the two Home Team agencies said the two distinct scam variants involve the impersonation of ICA officers, and fraudulent advertisements offering help with Singapore permanent resident (PR) applications.
Victims of the first scam variant were said to have received unsolicited calls from persons claiming to be ICA officers, saying that their personal information had been misused or that their phone numbers were linked to criminal activities such as transmitting scam messages.
According to the agencies, the calls would then be transferred to another scammer impersonating a China official.
The "official" would then demand the victims hand over cash for investigation or bail.
In some cases, victims were asked to meet up with unknown individuals to sign fake documents such as non-disclosure agreements.
Most of the victims in the 117 such cases reported since January would only realise that they have been scammed after making multiple monetary transfers or when the scammer becomes uncontactable.
The second scam variant, involving fraudulent PR application assistance, is also not new.
In these cases, when victims click on advertisements on social media platforms, they are directed to the website of a fake consultancy agency and would be prompted to submit their personal particulars, including their mobile numbers, through a form.
They would then be contacted via WhatsApp and misled into paying fees ranging from $200 to around $90,000 to proceed with the application.
The agencies said the victims were told this would improve their chances of success through investments in companies, purchases of academic certifications and donations.
Some of the victims also received a fraudulent automated acknowledgement email, claiming to be from ICA, after they made the "payment".
Since January this year, ICA has received at least 31 reports from members of the public regarding fake emails purportedly sent by ICA in response to PR applications, with losses amounting to at least $400,000.
These scam variants are not new, and AsiaOne had reported on both the impersonation and fake PR application scam variants since March this year.
In April this year, a Malaysian couple's ambition to secure a better future for their children resulted in losses of about $80,000 after they fell victim to the fake PR assistance scam.
To avoid falling prey to such scams when pressured, members of the public should remember that Government officials will never ask for the money or valuables to be handed over for investigations.
They are reminded not to transfer money to any unknown persons whose identities have not been verified, and should note that Government officials will not ask for sensitive information such as banking login details.
Those who wish to apply for immigration facilities such as PR should do so directly through ICA's website.
If in doubt, contact the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799.
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