Police warn of impersonation scams involving Ministry of Law officials; at least $8.5m lost

The police have warned members of the public to be vigilant against impersonation scams involving officials from the Ministry of Law (MinLaw).

In a joint statement issued on Thursday (April 23), the police and MinLaw said that at least 98 cases have been reported since February, with total losses amounting to at least $8.5 million.

In this scam variant, victims would receive unsolicited calls, messages, or emails from unknown individuals impersonating staff from telecommunications companies or banks.

The scammers then claim that there are unauthorised applications for bank accounts or telecommunications services.

Victims are then directed to other individuals posing as MinLaw officials, who inform them that they are allegedly involved in criminal activities, before being instructed to transfer money to "safety accounts" or hand over valuables for investigation purposes.

In some cases, victims are also shown documents purportedly issued by government agencies, senior public officials, or political office holders.

Victims only realise they have been scammed when the perpetrators become uncontactable or when they verify the matter directly with MinLaw or the police.

Members of the public are reminded transfer cash, jewellery, or valuables to unknown individuals and never share device screens or login credentials with strangers.

The police added that government officials will never request members of the public to transfer money, including cash, luxury items or cryptocurrency over the phone. 

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com