Enhanced ScamShield app now able to check, filter and block scam messages and calls

In an ongoing fight against scams, the government has implemented various safeguards to protect and educate potential victims.

The latest safeguard? An enhanced ScamShield app which is now equipped with a new "Check for Scams" function.

What this means is that the app will be using artificial intelligence to identify and alert users about potential scam threats across platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS, phone calls and other channels. 

The app's enhancement comes at a time when scams are quickly evolving, signalling a need to step up measures, said Minister of State (MOS) for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development Sun Xueling at a multi-agency briefing on the government's anti-scam efforts on Tuesday (Aug 20).

"As scammers evolve their tactics, we have to update our responses. The enhanced ScamShield app has been designed to stay ahead of these threats, providing Singaporeans with a better way to safeguard themselves against scams," said Sun, who is also the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams.

Users of the app can now input a screenshot of any message they find suspicious to determine if it is malicious. If so, the app will also pinpoint what type of scam message (jobs, phishing, e-commerce etc) it is. 

The app will then advise users accordingly and automatically add incident details to ScamShield's blocklist when the message is determined to be scam likely.

ScamShield was launched in November 2020 by Open Government Products (OGP) in collaboration with the Singapore Police Force. It previously only blocked scam likely SMSes and calls.

Sentencing guidelines for amendments to the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA) and the Computer Misuse Act (CMA) released on Wednesday (Aug 21) were also announced during the multi-agency briefing on Tuesday.

These amendments will make it easier for police to charge "money mules" who hand over Singpass credentials or bank account information to scam syndicates.

According to the sentencing guidelines, money mules can face between six months to 10 years of imprisonment. The length of offenders' sentences will depend on their awareness of the situation and the degree of harm caused to victims.

E-commerce scam cases most common: Police

During the briefing, the police also shared that the total number of scam cases reported in the first half of 2024 increased by 16.3 per cent as compared to same period last year, according to its Mid-year Scams and Cybercrime Brief for 2024.

Of these cases, 27.3 per cent constitute e-commerce scams (which is the majority), followed by job scams (21.5 per cent) and phishing scams (13 per cent).

Facebook emerged as the top platform for e-commerce scams, with 38.6 per cent of cases. This is followed by Carousell (16.9 per cent) and Telegram (15.4 per cent).

Moreover, the total number of scam cases perpetrated on Telegram saw a 137.5 per cent increase from the first half of 2023 to that of 2024.

Carousell and Facebook, from June this year, are obligated to verify "risky" sellers according to the codes of practice under the Online Criminal Harms Act.

Messaging apps such as Telegram will also need to roll out reasonable verification measures targeting scam-likely or bot accounts by the end of this year.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com