The Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) and six banks leveraged Robotic Process Automation (RPA) technology in a coordinated effort to detect potential victims of job, investment, fake friend call, and e-commerce scams. The swift detection process allowed the Police to intervene in ongoing scams by sending SMS alerts to the victims to cease further monetary transfers, thereby mitigating their financial losses. The participating banks were DBS Bank, UOB Bank, OCBC Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC Bank, and GXS Bank.
During the two-month operation conducted from 1 July 2024 to 31 August 2024, ASC officers sent more than 8,485 SMSes to over 6,464 potential scam victims who are customers of the banks. The detection of these potential scam victims resulted in the successful disruption of over 2,016 ongoing scams and averted potential financial losses of more than $90 million.
RPA Technology
The adoption of RPA technology streamlined the sharing and processing of information, enabling the Police to swiftly reach out to potential scam victims through SMSes. The SMS alerts notified the victims to the suspicious transfers which the scammers had instructed them to perform, and advised the victims against effecting further transfers. Upon receiving the SMSes, most victims would realise that they had fallen prey to a scam and come forward to lodge a police report.
ACT Against Scams
The Police urge members of the public to “ACT” against scams. The ACT acronym outlines how members of the public can Add security features, Check for signs, and Tell the authorities and others about scams.
- ADD – Add security features such as the ScamShield application and two-factor authentication for personal accounts, such as banks, social media, and Singpass accounts. Transaction limits for internet banking, including PayNow, could also be set up to limit the amount of funds that can be lost in the event of a scam.
- CHECK – Check for potential signs of a scam by asking questions, fact-checking requests for personal information and money transfers, and verifying the legitimacy of online listings and reviews. Take the time to pause and check. If it is too good to be true, it is probably untrue, and a scam.
- TELL – Tell the authorities and others about scam encounters by reporting to the bank, ScamShield, or by filing a Police report. Tell others about ongoing scams and preventive steps they can take. Report the fraudulent pages and/or monikers to the respective platforms.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam helpline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
Anti-Scam Centre officers interacting with staff from the six partnering banks, during the two-month joint operation ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
06 September 2024 @ 3:45 PM