If a friend or family member messages you on WhatsApp to borrow money, the person typing may not be them. On 21 October, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) warned that scammers are taking over WhatsApp accounts. They then use them to ask the owner's contacts for loans. Since September, there have been at least 128 cases of this WhatsApp impersonation scam, with at least S$249,000 lost. Here's how it works, the signs to look for and what the police say to do.
The SPF's 21 October warning doesn't say how the accounts in the latest cases were taken over. In a February advisory, the SPF described one way it happens. It starts with a WhatsApp message from someone you know, and most people find out only when a contact asks about a strange message.
In the cases since September, scammers posed as family members, friends, colleagues or acquaintances. They asked for a loan, or asked the person to transfer money on their behalf.
Some victims got messages that seemed to come from their own children. These asked them to pay for an AI or exchange programme.
For the other requests, the SPF says the reasons given include these:
Scams that impersonate someone on social media are rising, The Straits Times reported. In the first half of 2026, 391 of the 587 cases came through WhatsApp accounts that had been taken over. That's 66.6%.
Scams as a whole cost Singapore S$410.6 million in the same six months, down from S$500.2 million a year earlier.
| First half of the year | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cases reported | 397 | 587 | Up 47.9% |
| Money lost | S$2.2 million | S$3.9 million | Up 71.3% |
The SPF says to be wary of any request to transfer money. These are the requests it has seen in the cases since September:
Check the request directly with the family member, friend or colleague it seems to come from. "Do not transfer any money until you have confirmed the request is genuine," the police said.
If you're not sure something is a scam, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline on 1799 to check. The ScamShield app blocks scam calls and filters suspicious SMSes, and the SPF asks you to install it.
The SPF also asks you to tell the authorities, your family and your friends about scams you come across.
The SPF lists two settings to change. Its February advisory adds a rule for links.
Call your bank straight away to report and block the transactions, the SPF says. Then make a police report.
ScamShield says the 1799 helpline can put you through to seven banks: DBS/POSB, UOB, OCBC, Citibank, Maybank, Standard Chartered and HSBC. If your bank isn't one of these, call your bank directly instead.
The helpline can't make a police report for you, ScamShield says. File one online through Police e-services. For urgent help, call 999.
We've also explained how the Harvey Norman scam uses a fake MAS officer, how the hotel booking scam works and the fake investment guru scam on Facebook.
In the cases the SPF described in February, most people found out only when a contact asked about a strange message. The SPF says to check Settings > Linked Devices and remove any device you don't know.
At least S$249,000 across at least 128 cases since September 2026, the SPF said on 21 October. In the first half of 2026, there were 391 cases through taken-over WhatsApp accounts, The Straits Times reported.
The SPF says to check the request directly with that person before you send anything. Don't transfer any money until you've confirmed the request is genuine.
No. ScamShield says its 24/7 helpline can check whether something is a scam and put victims through to seven banks, but it can't make police reports. File one online through Police e-services, or call 999 if it's urgent.
This is general financial information for Singapore, not personal financial advice. Figures change, so verify current rates against the official sources above before acting. See our full disclaimer.
Junxiong-WFG Organisation is an authorised representative of AIA Financial Advisers Private Limited (Reg. No. 201715016G).