The "police" or a "government official" is calling me: the impersonation scam

The "police" or a "government official" is calling me: the impersonation scam

The call starts calmly. Someone says they are from the Singapore Police Force, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Ministry of Health, a court, or a bank's fraud department. Then the tone changes: your identity has been used to open bank accounts for money laundering, a parcel in your name contains illegal items, or there is a warrant for your arrest. To "clear your name", you must stay on the line, tell no one and move your money to a "safe account". This is a government official impersonation scam, one of the scam types that has cost people in Singapore the largest sums. The rule that takes it apart: government officials will never ask you to transfer money, disclose your banking login details or install an app over the phone.

How does the scam work?

1. The contact. A call, sometimes a recorded message asking you to "press 1" or "press 9" to speak to an officer, or a WhatsApp message with an official-looking document. Some versions start with a fake bank or telco staff member who then "transfers" you to the police.
2. The accusation. Your identity was used in a crime, a complaint has been filed against you, or a parcel with your details was seized. Some callers claim to be officials from China or another country.
3. The pressure. Talk of arrest, frozen accounts, a criminal record. You are passed to an "inspector", "investigating officer" or "prosecutor" who may appear on a video call in uniform, in a fake office, showing an "ID card" or "warrant".
4. The secrecy. You must not hang up or tell anyone, not your family and not your bank, because the case is "confidential" or "bank staff are involved".
5. The payment. You are told to transfer your savings to a "safe account" for "investigation", hand over your banking credentials, install an app, or give cash or gold to a "courier". Some victims are kept under "surveillance" for days by video call.

How do I know the call is fake?

• They ask for money or ask you to move it. There is no police, court or MAS "safe account". Officers do not collect money over the phone.
• They ask for passwords, OTPs, Singpass details or app approvals. No authority needs them.
• They threaten arrest if you hang up. A real investigation does not depend on you staying on the line.
• They demand secrecy, even from your family or your bank.
• They ask you to install an app or share your screen. Apps from outside the official app stores are a particular danger: they can take over your phone.
• They transfer your call between "agencies". A bank does not transfer your call to the police, and the police do not transfer you to a foreign official.
• The number shows a "+" prefix. In Singapore, calls coming from overseas normally display a "+" in front of the number. A "local officer" calling from abroad is a red flag, though spoofing means a local-looking number proves nothing either. IMDA explains the network-level measures on its anti-scam measures page.

What do I do if they are calling me right now?

1. Hang up. You do not need to argue. Hanging up on a scammer is not obstructing the police.
2. Do not give any details: no NRIC number, no bank details, no codes, no Singpass.
3. Do not install anything and do not share your screen.
4. Verify independently. If you want to check whether the police are really looking for you, call the Police Hotline on 1800 255 0000 yourself, or go to a Neighbourhood Police Centre. Never use a number the caller gives you. If you are unsure, call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799.
5. Tell someone you trust. Breaking the secrecy is the fastest way to break the spell.
6. Report the number through ScamShield and in the spam numbers directory.

What if I already paid or gave my details?

Do not blame yourself: these scammers are skilled at fear and authority. Act now:

1. Call your bank on the official number on your card or in its app. Ask them to stop any transfers and freeze your accounts; you can also use your bank's emergency "kill switch".
2. If you gave banking logins or OTPs, change your passwords from a clean device and check that no new payees or devices have been added.
3. If you installed an app, put the phone in airplane mode, uninstall it, and tell your bank: such apps can read SMS and control the screen. Consider a factory reset after backing up photos.
4. If you shared your Singpass details, reset your password and review your Singpass activity.
5. Make a police report through SPF e-services or at a Neighbourhood Police Centre, and follow ScamShield's I've been scammed checklist.

If you are being pressured right now, or someone is coming to collect cash or valuables, call 999.

Where do I report it?

Report it to the police with all the evidence you have: the numbers that called you, dates, names and "badge numbers" they gave, screenshots of documents, video calls and payment receipts. Report the number through ScamShield too. Give your bank the police report number.

Frequently asked questions

Do the real police ever call people? Yes, officers may contact you about a case. But they will not ask you to transfer money, reveal banking logins or OTPs, or install apps. If in doubt, end the call and phone the Police Hotline yourself.

They sent me a photo of a warrant with my name. Is it real? No. Documents with logos, stamps and your details are easy to forge. Real legal documents are served through official channels, not WhatsApp.

They knew my NRIC number and address. How? Personal data often comes from past leaks. Knowing your details does not make someone an official.

What if I am already "under investigation" with them? You are not. End all contact, do not follow further instructions and report it.

In short

Fear, authority, secrecy and a "safe account": that is the whole script. Hang up, verify through the Police Hotline (1800 255 0000) or ScamShield (1799), never move money to protect it, and report it. If you have already paid, call your bank and make a police report immediately. And report the number in the NoCall spam numbers directory so the next person recognises it.