Police launch new community volunteer initiatives to combat online scams

Having worked with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) since 2008 for cybersecurity efforts both in Singapore and abroad, Dennis Chung did not hesitate to sign up for the new Cyber Guardians on Watch (CGW) initiative.

Under the programme, launched at the Police Workplan Seminar 2024 on Friday (May 24), volunteers receive advisories from the police, which they can then disseminate to others in their communities to raise awareness of online scams and other cybercrimes.

They are also educated to monitor online platforms and report any suspicious activity to the police.

Even with his professional experience — Chung, a 45-year-old chief security officer with Microsoft — confessed that he has fallen victim to an e-commerce scam before. 

He ordered something online, but never received the item nor a response from the seller.

On volunteering as a CGW, he told reporters: "I wanted to spread awareness about these kind of scams to my family and friends... and warn them to be careful."

Any member of the public can sign up to be a CGW to receive updates on the latest scam trends and cybercrimes via the Police@SG app.

Besides CGW, SPF also unveiled another community initiative called Cyber Crime Prevention Ambassadors (Cyber CPA).

These ambassadors receive formal training from the police on the latest online crime trends so they can engage and educate the community about cybercrime prevention through roadshows and other events.

Raja Sekaran, 57, said he has "seen it all" when it comes to data breaches as he used to work in cybersecurity.

The practice director at an electronics company added: "Two years ago, someone I knew had his clients' data hacked and wiped out completely. He was not adequately prepared and lost his whole business."

Sekaran became a Cyber CPA to offer his expertise to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as individuals seeking to protect themselves against cybercrimes.

Describing unsuspecting people as "sitting ducks" for scammers, who are consistently evolving, he noted: "Companies, especially SMEs, are still not well-equipped to handle data breaches and hacks. How can we expect regular people to be prepared?"

Over 46k scam cases in 2023

There were 46,563 scam cases reported in 2023, the highest number since the police started tracking them in 2016, reported The Straits Times in February 2024.

Between January and June last year, the number of scams and cybercrime cases increased by 69.4 per cent compared with the same period in 2022, said a police news release in September 2023.

Out of the 24,525 police reports made during those months, 91.1 per cent were scam cases.

At the event, the police also announced that the operating hours of the National Crime Prevention Council’s anti-scam helpline will be extended in order to allow prompt intervention in suspected scam cases.

No details about the extension was given though. The helpline currently runs from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.

It will also be shortened from its current 11-digits to just four (1799) for easier recall.

SPF is also looking into a one-stop portal that consolidates information from various existing anti-scam resources, making it easier for the public to find information and seek help on scams. It is expected to be launched in the third quarter of 2024.

The police are also assessing the suitability of a Self-Lodging Police Report Chatbot, which uses generative artificial intelligence to assist the public in making more concise and informative reports.

READ MORE: 12 under investigation for manipulating obscene photos in extortion scam

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com