A Convincing Singapore Police Scam That Almost Worked on Me

I have encountered many scam attempts over the past few years.

I’ve received calls from people pretending to be my friend and asking me to guess their name. I’ve been asked to pay insurance premiums for policies I never bought. I’ve also received numerous WhatsApp messages offering “job opportunities” as well as failed package delivery.

All of these were obvious scams to me.

Until recently.

This time, it was the most convincing scam attempt I’ve experienced.

I received a missed call, followed by a WhatsApp message claiming to be from the Singapore Police Force.

At first, I was skeptical. However, I had previously interacted with the police due to my cryptocurrency peer-to-peer trading activities (this is a story for another day). Because of that legitimate encounter, I gave it the benefit of doubt that the WhatsApp message might be related and real.

So I replied to clarify what was it about.

Why This Scam Felt Legitimate

At one point, I told them that I would go down to the police station instead.

In my mind, if this was a scam, they would try to persuade me to resolve the issue over a phone call instead. That would have been a clear red flag.

Surprisingly, they agreed to my visit the next day and even provided details of the case and the investigating officer (I/O). That was when the doubt really started.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to make a trip down, only to discover that it was a scam. To save time, I decided to call Tanglin Police Station directly to verify the case.

Unfortunately, the call did not give me a clear answer.

The officer confirmed that there was indeed an I/O with that name indicated on the WhatsApp message, but she was not available and they could not confirm whether the case involving me was legitimate. They said the I/O would call me back when she was available.

When Things Started to Feel Off

The next day, the person messaged me again to remind me about the “appointment” later that day. Unfortunately, I still had not heard back from the I/O. At this point, I was feeling slightly anxious.

I was not convinced that the case was real, but I also could not be fully certain it was a scam. I even briefly considered making a WhatsApp call to “settle the case” instead of travelling down.

Looking back, that was exactly what the scam was designed to achieve — to give me a sense of urgency push me into resolving it remotely.

Fortunately, I decided to do one more thing before taking any action.

I searched online for similar scam techniques.

That was when I came across an important fact:

The Singapore Police Force does not communicate with members of the public via WhatsApp.
If they require your statement, they will send an official letter asking you to go down to the station.

At that moment, it became clear that this was indeed a scam.

A Reminder Not to Underestimate Scammers

I used to think that I would never fall for a scam.

This experience reminded me otherwise.

Scammers do not rely on one tactic. They try many angles, and all it takes is one that aligns with your personal experience for your guard to drop.

In my case, the “police case” angle worked because I had previously dealt with the police legitimately. That made this scam far more convincing than the usual calls or messages. Furthermore, the scammers are well prepared with detailed information of the actual I/O.

Scam techniques will continue to evolve. So be aware and stay alert. Don't be complacent because the scammer may just get you if you let your guard drop.

Stay safe from Scams and Have a Happy and Scam Free 2026!

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