SINGAPORE – A proactive community is needed for Singapore to fight scams effectively, because the authorities cannot do it alone.
All it takes is a few small steps, and these could mean the difference between keeping loved ones safe and them losing their life savings, said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Aileen Yap, assistant director of the Anti-Scam Command.
“Ultimately, the public’s vigilance is still our best line of defence,” she said.
She added that “there are many heartbreaking stories that we see as anti-scam officers”, but many people may not really feel for the victims “until it’s someone you know”.
More people have been coming forward to report scams even though they are not victims themselves, and this is an encouraging recent development, said Assistant Superintendent of Police Lu Rui Jue, an anti-scam investigation officer.
This is because more reports made means that there is more information that the authorities can work with, he said.
For example, ScamShield, an app that was launched in 2020 and is now available for both iPhone and Android, blocks scam calls and messages that have been reported.
The more reports that are received from members of the public, the more effective the app is in preventing scam messages from even reaching potential victims.
ASP Lu said: “It’s encouraging to see the community effort on the rise, and this shows that more people are taking scams seriously and want to protect others.
“We hope this continues and even more come forward to report and fight scams with us.”
Mr Kwek Boon Siang, principal psychologist at the crime, investigation and forensic psychology branch of the Home Team Behavioural Sciences Centre, said: “Anyone can fall for scams, even me.
“Humans have universal needs for love, attachment, survival, security and financial stability. And for each of these needs, there is a scam out there that preys on it.”
