A new variant of malware-enabled scams is actively targeting senior citizens on android devices, the police said in an advisory on Thursday (June 18).
Since April 1, 2026, at least eight cases have been reported, with victims losing a total of about $69,000.
Scam operations begin on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, where scammers plant alluring advertisements promoting various activities tailored specifically for senior citizens.
Interested seniors who submit their personal contact details on these ads are quickly contacted by fraudsters via WhatsApp.
Scammers then instruct the victims to download an android package kit file under the pretense of viewing a comprehensive list of activities.
Once the file is installed, some victims notice that their critical security applications, such as Singpass or ScamShield, are uninstalled from their phones.
In one instance, a victim discovered that his online banking transaction limit had been increased without authorisation.
Victims are then contacted by a scammer impersonating an official from either the Ministry of Law or the Anti-Scam Centre of the Singapore Police Force, claiming that their phones have been compromised.
The victims are then asked to transfer large sums of money or physically hand over high-value assets, including gold and mobile phones for police investigations.
Victims realise they have fallen prey to the scam when they grow suspicious of the transactions or independently verify the claims with the actual authorities.
The police advise the public to add the ScamShield application to their phones, check for scam signs with official sources and tell authorities, family and friends about scams.
When in doubt, the public can also call the ScamShield helpline at 1799 to check.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and checked by our editors.
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