The police said on Dec 3 that the malware scams involved at least six cases. - ST
SINGAPORE: At least S$20,000 has been lost since November to malware scams involving online sexual services.
At least six of these cases have been reported in this timeframe, the police said on Wednesday (Dec 3).
In this scam variant, victims encounter offers of online sexual services via social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and Threads.
Scammers deceive victims into downloading a malicious application under the pretext of initiating a video call, said the police.
The application allows scammers to remotely access victims’ photo galleries and contact lists in their devices.
Scammers capture images of victims engaging in sexual acts during the video call, or retrieve compromising content from their photo galleries.
The scammers then threaten to send the photographs to the victims’ contacts, unless the victims transfer money to the scammers.
Singapore saw $456.4 million lost to scams in the first half of 2025, with almost 20,000 cases reported.
In 2024, scam victims in Singapore lost $1.1 billion, marking a record high in losses suffered in a single year.
Members of the public are advised to install antivirus applications and ensure that these applications are updated to scan for the latest malware.
More information on the recommended list of antivirus applications is available on www.csa.gov.sg
Smartphone users should also ensure Google Play Protect is enabled on their device, and they should not heed scammers’ advice to disable the function, said the police.
They can also disable “Install Unknown App” or “Unknown Sources” in their phone settings, and not grant persistent pop-ups permission to access their device’s hardware or data.
Those who have already installed a malicious application or suspect their phones are infected with malware are advised to switch their devices to “flight mode” and ensure that Wi-Fi is turned off.
“Run an antivirus scan on your phone, and check your bank account, CPF and Singpass for any unauthorised transactions,” the police said. - The Straits Times/ANN
