Key Scam Trends and Cases in 2024
Scam and cybercrime cases in Singapore rise 10.8% in 2024, with total financial losses surging to over S$1.1 billion
According to the Singapore Police Force Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2024 , Singapore recorded 55,810 scam and cybercrime cases in 2024 — a 10.8% increase from 2023 — with overall scam losses surging by 70.6% to at least S$1.1 billion; while e-commerce scams registered the highest number of reported cases, investment scams drove the largest financial toll, accounting for S$320.7 million in losses.
Key Stat Tiles
Summarise this page with:
Executive Summary
In 2024, Singapore's scam and cybercrime landscape expanded significantly, with total cases growing 10.8% year-on-year to 55,810, driven heavily by scams which accounted for 92.3% of the overall figure. Financial losses escalated dramatically by 70.6% to at least S$1.1 billion, fuelled primarily by high-value investment scams which accounted for a leading S$320.7 million in losses, alongside a surge in cryptocurrency-related theft. E-commerce scams topped case frequencies at 11,655 reported incidents. Notably, 82.4% of recorded offences involved self-effected transfers manipulated through social engineering. In response, the Anti-Scam Command and upstream enforcement interventions successfully recovered over S$182 million and averted S$483 million in potential victim losses.
Methodology Callout
Data Source: Singapore Police Force Annual Scams & Cybercrime Brief 2024 (published Feb 2025)
Coverage Period: Full-year 2024 reporting cycle
- Scam and cybercrime cases reported to Singapore authorities
- Financial losses reported by victims
- Categorisation based on primary scam type
Top Scam Types
Reported Cases By Type
Volume distribution · 2024
| Type | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce | 11,655 | 22.7% |
| Others | 11,248 | 21.8% |
| Job Scam | 9,043 | 17.6% |
| Phishing | 8,552 | 16.6% |
| Investment | 6,814 | 13.2% |
| Fake Friend | 4,179 | 8.1% |
Breakdown by Cases
Case volume ranking
E-commerce
11,655
Others
11,248
Job Scam
9,043
Phishing
8,552
Investment
6,814
Fake Friend
4,179
Financial Losses By Type
Loss distribution · 2024
| Type | Losses (S$M) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | S$320.7M | 28.8% |
| Others | S$266.3M | 23.9% |
| Job Scam | S$156.2M | 14.0% |
| Govt. Impersonation | S$151.3M | 13.6% |
| Malware-enabled | S$129.1M | 11.6% |
| Business Email Compromise | S$88.5M | 8.0% |
Comparative Breakdown
Severity & loss ranking
Investment
S$320.7M
Others
S$266.3M
Job Scam
S$156.2M
Govt. Impersonation
S$151.3M
Malware-enabled
S$129.1M
Business Email Compromise
S$88.5M
Cases vs. Losses Trajectory
2020 — 2024
| Year | Cases | Losses (S$M) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 15,651 | S$265.7M |
| 2021 | 23,933 | S$632M |
| 2022 | 31,728 | S$660.7M |
| 2023 | 46,563 | S$651.8M |
| 2024 | 51,501 | S$1,112.4M ⚠ |
2020–2024: Persistent Case Growth
Total scam cases more than tripled from 15,651 in 2020 to 51,501 in 2024, reflecting a sustained multi-year escalation driven by digital adoption and increasingly sophisticated scam operations.
2024: Loss Anomaly — S$1.1 Billion Milestone
Despite a relatively moderate 10.6% case increase, financial losses surged 70.6% to S$1,112.4M — an outlier driven by high-value investment scams and a sharp rise in cryptocurrency theft accounting for 24.3% of total losses.
2021: First Major Inflection Point
Scam cases jumped 53% from 2020 to 2021, and losses more than doubled to S$632M, signalling a structural shift in the threat landscape accelerated by pandemic-era digital migration.
2022–2023: Cases Rise, Losses Plateau
Case volumes continued growing from 31,728 to 46,563, yet financial losses remained broadly flat around S$650–660M — suggesting enforcement efforts in 2022–2023 contained loss severity even as scam frequency grew.
Victim Demographics
Scam Victims Profile
Age distribution of victims in 2024
| Age group | Share |
|---|---|
| Adults | 41.2% |
| Young Adults | 23.4% |
| Young Seniors | 20.7% |
| Elderly | 8.4% |
| Youths | 6.3% |
Adults (30–49) remained the largest victim cohort at 41.2%, followed by Young Adults (20–29) at 23.4% — together representing nearly two-thirds of all victims in 2024.
Cases by Contact Method
How scammers reached victims in 2024
| Contact method | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging Platforms | 15,145 | 36.1% |
| Social Media | 14,991 | 35.7% |
| Phone Calls | 6,739 | 16.1% |
| Online Shopping Platforms | 5,079 | 12.1% |
Top Messaging Platforms Exploited by Scammers
Platforms most commonly used to contact victims in 2024
Telegram abuse nearly doubled in 2024 (+95.7%), overtaking phone calls as the second most common scammer-to-victim contact channel, signalling a deliberate shift toward encrypted platforms.
Continue with AI
Methodology Appendix
Data is compiled from official reporting by the Singapore Police Force Annual Scams & Cybercrime Brief 2024. All figures reflect cases reported to Singapore Police Force during the full-year 2024 reporting cycle.
Limitations: Figures represent reported cases only; actual scam incidence may be higher due to under-reporting. Loss figures are based on amounts reported by victims and may not capture all indirect financial impacts.
Correction Policy: If errors are identified, this page will be updated with a correction notice. Please contact us to flag any inaccuracies.