Scammers are increasingly exploiting messaging and social media platforms to target victims, with platforms like Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram emerging as prime tools for cybercriminals.
This trend is particularly concerning in Singapore, where scam and cybercrime cases have surged significantly in recent years.
According to recent data from the Singapore Police Force (SPF), there has been a notable increase in the use of messaging and social media apps in scam cases. Telegram, for example, has seen a dramatic rise in its involvement, being used in 45% of such cases. The broader ecosystem of Meta platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—also continues to be heavily utilized by scammers, contributing to the rising number of cybercrimes.
The number of reported scam and cybercrime cases has climbed by 18% in the first half of this year, reaching 28,751 cases, compared to 24,367 cases during the same period in 2023. This surge highlights the growing reliance of scammers on digital communication channels to deceive and defraud unsuspecting victims.
The financial impact of these scams is staggering. Victims lost a total of SG$385.6 million (approximately $294.65 million) from January to June 2024, marking a 24.6% increase from the previous year. On average, each victim lost around SG$14,503, which represents a 7.1% increase in the amount lost per case compared to last year. These figures underscore the severe financial consequences of falling victim to these sophisticated scams.
Targeted Methods and Demographics in Scams
A significant portion of these scams involves “self-effected” fund transfers, where victims are tricked into transferring money to the scammers without the latter gaining direct control of their accounts. The SPF attributes this trend to social engineering tactics that exploit the victim’s trust and manipulate them into performing actions that benefit the scammer.
Messaging apps have become the preferred mode of contact for scammers, with WhatsApp leading the way. WhatsApp was involved in over 50% of messaging-based scam cases, followed by Telegram, which saw a 137.5% increase in its use for scams compared to the same period last year. This spike in the use of messaging platforms reflects a shift in how scammers operate, moving away from traditional methods like phone calls to more modern and accessible platforms.
Social media platforms have also seen a significant rise in their use for scams. Facebook accounted for 64.4% of the social media-based scams, followed by Instagram at 18.6%. Notably, e-commerce scams were prevalent on Facebook, with over half of the victims contacted through this platform falling prey to such scams.
Age-wise, most scam victims were under the age of 50, representing 74.2% of the total cases. However, older victims, particularly those aged 65 and above, suffered the highest average financial losses. This trend highlights the vulnerability of older individuals to scams, which often result in more substantial financial harm.
Among the various types of scams, those involving impersonation of government officials were the most financially devastating, with an average loss of SG$116,534 per case. Investment scams also led to significant losses, averaging SG$40,080 per case. Both types of scams commonly rely on social engineering techniques to build trust and deceive victims over time.
Phishing scams continue to be a prevalent threat, accounting for SG$13.3 million in losses. These scams often involve emails, text messages, and calls from scammers impersonating government officials or financial institutions. The SPF reported 3,447 phishing cases in the first half of 2024 alone.
Despite the overall increase in scam cases, there is a glimmer of hope. Malware-enabled scam cases saw a dramatic decrease of 86.2% compared to the same period last year, with total losses dropping by 96.8% to SG$295,000. This decline suggests that efforts to combat malware-related scams may be yielding positive results.
