Q1 2026 Scam-Type Risk Bulletin

Pattern 1 — Scripted recruiter outreach via WhatsApp

Multiple Scam.SG reports describe receiving near-identical unsolicited WhatsApp messages from individuals claiming to represent Singapore-registered employment agencies — citing real UEN numbers to establish credibility. The scripts follow a consistent structure: an introductory greeting referencing a hiring role, a claim to have sourced the recipient's contact through a company database, and a request to forward details to a "Singapore person in charge." Community reporters flagged that the sending numbers were non-Singapore (+502, +56 area codes) despite the local UEN claims, and that follow-up contact either ceased or escalated to fee requests.

Pattern 2 — Task-based commission trap with escalating deposits

A recurring pattern in Scam.SG reports involves victims being onboarded to a proprietary online platform or website and assigned "promotional tasks" — such as rating products, completing brand surveys, or submitting daily check-ins — with promised daily commissions (S$50–S$500) and monthly salaries (up to S$8,750 cited in one report). An initial payout is made to build trust. Subsequently, victims are told their platform wallet has gone negative, or that a deposit is required to unlock the next task set. Deposits escalate with each round. Reports describe funds being transferred to bank accounts that change between transactions, and contact going silent after a threshold is crossed. One reporter described being guided through the process by a named "trainer" who directed them to a specific login URL.

Pattern 3 — Overseas placement with upfront fee extraction

Several Scam.SG reports originate from victims in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh who were approached — often through a manpower consultant or via a family referral — with offers of Singapore-based employment. Victims received official-looking offer letters on company letterheads and were asked to pay fees labelled as MOM processing charges, insurance premiums, or visa costs (amounts ranging from INR 15,000 to INR 60,000 cited across reports). After payment, contact was severed and numbers blocked. In at least one case, a victim was physically directed to travel to a different Indian state for a supposed handover meeting, at which point the scammer disappeared. The Singapore companies named in these reports were either unverifiable, had no traceable presence, or were impersonated entities.

Pattern 4 — IPA submitted without worker knowledge

A distinct cluster of Scam.SG reports — originating primarily from Bangladeshi nationals — describes In-Principle Approvals (IPAs) for Singapore work passes being submitted by construction and engineering companies without the workers' knowledge or consent. Reporters state they did not authorise any company to apply on their behalf, do not recognise the prospective employer, and in some cases object to the salary offered. This pattern suggests a possible intermediary layer — brokers or agents in the origin country — submitting IPA applications using workers' passport details without proper authorisation, potentially as part of a broader deceptive placement scheme.