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How to Spot AI Scams and Deepfakes: A Singapore Guide

September 28, 2026 · Kova Core

In short: AI makes scams look and sound real — a familiar voice, a video of a public figure, a perfectly written message. The best defence isn't spotting the fake. It's following a few simple rules: slow down, verify through a channel you already trust, and never move money or share codes under pressure. In Singapore, if you're unsure, call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799.

Scams in Singapore: the numbers

According to the Singapore Police Force, there were 37,308 scam cases in 2025, with S$913.1 million lost. That's down from 51,501 cases and S$1.1 billion in 2024 — the first time both numbers fell — but it is still an enormous amount of money.

The scam types that cost people the most were investment scams, government official impersonation scams, job scams, phishing scams and business email compromise.

How scammers use AI

1. Cloned voices

AI can imitate a person's voice from a short recording — for example, a video posted on social media. Scammers call pretending to be a child, parent or boss in trouble: "Mum, I've been in an accident, I need money now."

2. Deepfake videos and video calls

AI can put a real person's face and voice into a fake video. Deepfake videos of Singapore's leaders, including then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, have been used to promote fake investment schemes, and the government has publicly warned about them. In Hong Kong in 2024, a finance employee was reportedly tricked into paying out about US$25 million after a video call in which the "colleagues" — including the company's finance chief — were deepfakes.

3. Flawless phishing messages

Bad grammar used to give scams away. AI now writes perfect, personalised messages in any language, pretending to be your bank, a delivery company or a government agency. Good grammar is no longer a sign that a message is real.

4. Fake investment "experts"

Scam groups on Telegram and WhatsApp use AI-generated profiles, fake testimonials and chatbots to run "investment clubs" that show impressive profits on screen — until you try to withdraw your money.

5. Fake job offers

"Earn money just by liking videos." AI helps scammers run thousands of these chats at once. Job scams often start by paying you a few small amounts to build trust, then ask you to "top up" money to unlock bigger tasks.

Warning signs — AI or not

  • Urgency: "Act now", "your account will be frozen", "you will be arrested".
  • Secrecy: "Don't tell anyone", "stay on the line with me".
  • Unusual payments: gift cards, crypto, transfers to a personal account or a so-called "safe account".
  • Requests for codes: no real bank or government officer needs your OTP or Singpass password, or asks you to approve a login you didn't start.
  • Moving you off the platform: from a shopping site to WhatsApp or Telegram.
  • Too good to be true: guaranteed returns or easy money.
  • A "government official" asking you to transfer money — Singapore government officials will not ask you to transfer money over a phone call.

Can you spot a deepfake?

Sometimes. In videos, look for lips slightly out of sync, odd blinking, blurry edges around the face or hair, lighting that doesn't match, and strange-looking hands or teeth. In voices, listen for flat emotion, unnatural pauses, or background noise that cuts in and out.

But don't rely on it. Deepfakes improve every month. Instead of trusting your eyes and ears, verify.

The habits that actually protect you

  1. Pause. Scams depend on panic. Any request for money or codes can wait ten minutes.
  2. Verify through another channel. If "your son" calls from a new number, hang up and call his usual number. If "your bank" messages you, call the number on the back of your card — never the number in the message.
  3. Agree on a family code word that only your family knows, to use in a real emergency. A cloned voice can't guess it.
  4. Never share OTPs or Singpass details, and never approve a login you didn't start yourself.
  5. Install the ScamShield app, which can check suspicious messages, links and phone numbers. Also turn on your banking app's alerts and transaction limits.
  6. Use strong, unique passwords — our free Password Generator makes one in a second — and switch on two-factor authentication.
  7. Check QR codes before you scan them. Fake QR codes get stuck over real ones on posters, parking machines and shop counters. Our free QR Code Safety Checker shows where a code really leads — or who a PayNow code pays — without opening it.
  8. Watermark copies of your ID. If a landlord, agent or seller asks for your IC or passport, send a copy marked with who it is for, made with the ID Copy Protector, so it can't be reused.
  9. Remove the location from photos you post. Phone photos can contain the exact place they were taken. The Photo Location Remover shows and removes it.
  10. Talk to older relatives. Share this guide with them; they are frequent targets of impersonation and voice scams.

If you think you've been scammed

  1. Call your bank immediately to freeze your account or card. Singapore banks also offer an emergency "kill switch" to freeze accounts quickly. The faster you act, the better the chance of recovering money.
  2. Call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799 (24/7; +65 6869 1799 from overseas).
  3. Make a police report online through the Singapore Police Force website, or at a neighbourhood police centre.
  4. Change your passwords and sign out of other devices.
  5. Warn your contacts if one of your accounts was taken over.

Useful official links: ScamShield and SPF scam advisories.

Want to understand the technology behind these scams? Read The Generations of AI Explained.