The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Police Force published a joint advisory warning the public about impersonation scams involving Chinese messaging and payment platforms such as WeChat, UnionPay and Alipay, citing at least 678 cases reported since January 2025 with total losses of at least SGD 17.4 million. The scam typically involves unsolicited calls from local mobile numbers impersonating platform staff and claiming a subscription is about to expire, followed by a request to continue the conversation on WhatsApp. Victims are told fees will be automatically deducted from bank accounts linked to the platforms unless they cancel, and are asked to provide personal information and make bank transfers to a specified account to “verify” their identities or accounts, sometimes via WhatsApp screen-sharing, with assurances of a refund. In some cases, scammers send fake subscription documents, redirect victims to a second scammer impersonating an MAS officer who claims the victim’s bank accounts are linked to money laundering and demands transfers for “investigations”, or send fake court orders or arrest warrants. The advisory reiterates that MAS officers do not wear uniforms and do not have powers to issue arrest warrants, and urges the public not to transfer money or disclose personal or banking details to unknown persons, avoid screen-sharing during banking, and use official channels and anti-scam tools to verify suspected scams and alert banks and the authorities promptly.

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