Another fake Koh Poh Koon Instagram account surfaces

SINGAPORE — Senior Minister of State for Manpower Koh Poh Koon has alerted his followers to a fake account on Instagram impersonating him. 

The account, which goes by the name "dr.Philip.Nguyen", copied Dr Koh's profile photo and his posts.

"Please do not accept any solicitation and block this immediately," said Dr Koh, who is also Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, in a Facebook post on Nov 21.

Checks by The Straits Times showed that the account had more than 1,900 followers and 187 posts.

This is not the first time Dr Koh's Instagram account has been spoofed, or impersonated. He had issued similar alerts on two other occasions, in April and October 2023.

Both times, he posted on Facebook telling his followers not to accept any requests from the fake accounts.

Cyber criminals have also targeted other local politicians.

In September, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling had fake social media accounts impersonating them.

These accounts would reproduce their photos and posts.

Earlier that same month, Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Saktiandi Supaat alerted followers to several fake accounts on Instagram using his profile photo and versions of his name.

At least three Instagram accounts and a Facebook account were made using versions of Saktiandi's name.

In 2017, The Straits Times reported that at least 13 People's Action Party politicians, including K. Shanmugam, Chan Chun Sing and Tin Pei Ling, have had fake social media accounts impersonating them.

ALSO READ: 'It's not me': PM Lee warns people not to respond to online ads using his image

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.