Singapore's Anti-scam Public Education Approach PDF

“I can ACT against Scams” Singapore’s Anti-scam Public Education Approach Scam Public Education Office NTU Public-Private Partnership Module (For Sharing) November 2024 Official (Open)  Scam...

“I can ACT against Scams” Singapore’s Anti-scam Public Education Approach Scam Public Education Office NTU Public-Private Partnership Module (For Sharing) November 2024 Official (Open)  Scam Situation in Singapore Scams is the main driver of crimes in Singapore From 2018-2023, the number of reported scam cases and amount lost to scams have significantly increased In 2023, there were 46,563 reported scam cases, and an overall financial loss of S$651.8m attributable to scams Official (Open) 2 Scam Types of Concern in Singapore Official (Open) 3  Singapore’s attractiveness as a target High rates of digital connectivity in Singapore (Singapore Digital Society Report, 2023) 99% of resident households are connected to the Internet 97% of residents own smartphones. 93% of residents are regular Internet users and use the Internet for a variety of daily activities Official (Open) 4 Scam victim profiles in Singapore: Everyone is vulnerable! Official (Open) 5  Breakdown of Scam Victim Contact Methods Top three contact methods in were: Social media Instant messaging platforms – WA and TG Phone calls Phone calls and messaging platforms remain consistent contact methods for scams Official (Open) 6 Official (Open) 7 Singapore’s adopts a multi-pronged approach to combat scams, with public education being a key pillar Securing comms channels: SMS Sender ID Registry, “+” prefix for overseas calls, blocking overseas calls that spoof local numbers, blocking scam websites, ScamShield app #1: Prevent & Block Block scam activities on online platforms: Introduction of Online Criminal Harms Act, Scammers’ Approach encourage online platforms to implement safety features Secure banking channels: Emergency kill switches, money lock, lower default transaction limits, more friction in high risk transactions Enhanced fraud surveillance mechanisms: Major banks have 24/7 call centres, banks #2: Detect & Report implemented baseline fraud surveillance parameters Scams Occurring Enhanced reporting channels: Ease of reporting through ScamShield, reporting phishing emails to CSA via formSG Swift containment of scams and freezing of scam-tainted accounts and recover #3: Enforce & Recover funds: Emergency kill switches for bank accounts, co-location of major banks with Anti- Scam Command, close collaboration with foreign counterparts. When Scams Happen Strengthened legislative levers: CDSA and CMA amendments to target money mules Broad-based programmes and comms: ACT campaign on protective actions, education on scam types, making anti-scam resources more accessible to public (ScamShield suite, #4: Educate Public to anti-scam resource guide) ACT Against Scams Targeted programmes: Tailored programmes for different population segments Guardianship: Programmes to rally community to amplify anti-scam messages within their networks, and to co-create anti-scam messages and programmes Official (Open) 8  Scam Public Education Office (SPEO) Set up in early 2023 within SPF to: Drive national anti-scam PE efforts Ensure consistent messaging across anti-scam PE efforts Partner the community to co- create and spread anti-scam solutions to protect those around them Evaluate effectiveness of outreach and public education efforts Official (Open) 9 Approach to Scam Public Education Tiering of public education programmes – Spectrum of different programmes to engage the community at different levels Broad-based programmes and consistent comms Targeted outreach to specific population segments by leveraging on partnerships across public and private domains Rally the community to amplify and co-create anti-scam messages and programmes Types of content – ACT campaign, specific content focusing on scams resulting in high volume and losses, timely information on emerging scam types and variants Official (Open) 10 National Crime Prevention Council and SPF has driven national-level public education campaigns on scams since 2014. Campaigns have originally focused on raising awareness on common scam types. Raising awareness on scam types 2014 2015 2016 2017 Included phrases that “Are you sure” aimed to KVs still focused on scam Continued to cover scam tactics scammers typically use, get people to stop and scenarios, and added three main for different scam types, and the to help MOPs identify a think, before making actions to take if they come across three actions to take if they scam when they decisions. a scam– “Don’t Panic, Don’t come across a scam encounter one. Believe, Don’t Give” Official (Open) 11 NCPC and SPF has driven national-level public education campaigns on scams since 2014. Campaigns have originally focused on raising awareness on common scam types. Raising awareness on scam types Common scam signs across scam types 2020 2022 2019 Focused on just one scam tactic often Continuation of “Spot the signs. Stop the Continued to cover scam used for each scam type to help MOPs Crimes”. Focused on scam signs instead of types and tactics identify the red flag. Introduction of “Spot scam types. Scam signs could apply across the signs. Stop the Crimes” tagline. different scam types (e.g. request for OTPs, requests for urgent money transfers) 12 From 2023 – Deliberate shift from focusing on scam types and tactics, to focusing on protective actions MOPs can take to protect themselves Taking protective actions to enhance scam resilience Awareness of scams was high, but MOPs did not know what actions to take to protect themselves (National Prevalence Survey of Scams, 2020). Scam types and variants also change very quickly. “I can ACT against Scams” Campaign launched in Jan 2023 – focused on encouraging public’s adoption of protective actions to protect themselves and their loved ones against scam. Official (Open) 13 Restricted / Non-Sensitive  What is ACT? The ACT campaign emphasised: Everyone can fall prey to scams. Awareness to detect scams alone is Not Enough. We may not be alert all the time, and there would be times we are vulnerable. The protective actions we take would enhance our scam resilience. ACT represents 3 simple anti-scam actions: ADD, CHECK, TELL, that everyone can take to enhance their scam resilience: ADD ScamShield app and security features (e.g. 2 To encourage adoption of security features to or multi-FA, anti-virus software, Money Lock) enhance the resilience of devices, banking and online accounts against scams CHECK scam signs and with official sources To encourage the cyber hygiene habit of “slowing down and checking” TELL authorities, family and friends about scams To encourage anti-scam ‘guardianship’ behaviours Official (Open) 14 Campaign assets placed across multiple physical and online touchpoints, including OOH media, digital and social media placements Digital and social platforms Physical activations at OOH platforms including videos roadshows with collaterals Official (Open) 15 Campaign video ACT campaign video 60 secs video featuring specially composed song to educate MOPs on actions to take against scams Official (Open) 16  Year 1 focus on “ADD” : To encourage adoption of security features to strengthen resilience of devices/accounts against scams ADD ScamShield ADD Anti-Virus app ADD Money lock Pushing downloads and In light of the surge in malware An initiative by MAS / Banks use of the ScamShield app scams, in collaboration with CSA, where a portion of your was a key focus of the we made a push to include add savings cannot be campaign anti-virus apps in our comms (KV transferred out digitally, not part of ACT campaign) protecting it against scams. Official (Open) 17 Year 1 focus on “ADD” : To encourage adoption of security features to strengthen resilience of devices/accounts against scams ADD Roundup Round up of the ADD phase of ACT campaign, reiterating the four key security measures Official (Open) 18 Raising awareness on latest scam trends / variants / common scam types Official (Open) 19 Even as the national-level campaign shifted focus to preventive measures, we continue to ensure a regular cadence of comms to raise awareness on common scam types and urgent scam variants Police News Releases – Surge in certain scam type, new scam variants Regular scams bulletin and bite-sized videos for circulation through social media SPH Anti-Scam Column – a one-year column space (bi-weekly issue) on four SPH vernacular newspapers to cover ACT campaign, top scam types and anti- scam resources that public can use to ACT against scams Digital display panels, social channels, print media Bite-sized videos, DDP, and SPH Anti- Official (Open) Scam Column 20 Our partners across public and private entities have helped to reach out to different population segments with key messages of the ACT campaign, e.g. youths, elderly, social media users, etc. Many of these initiatives are not created from scratch, but they ride on the existing networks and programmes of our partners to weave in relevant anti-scam components / messages. Such partnerships are critical to our efforts as they help extend our reach. AIC outreach to elderly Silver Generation Ambassadors engagement NCPC Crime Prevention Ambassadors engaging SPF House Visits members of the public Shopee Live Scam-resilience content in Evening Show on school’s CCE curriculum staying “Scam- and computer education Safe” Getai Message Weave in Official (Open)  Engaging Foreign Worker Communities There are also dedicated efforts to reach out to Foreign Worker communities by both MOM and SPF in Singapore to keep them safe from scams. MOM’s Anti-Scam campaign for MDWs, MW Settling-in Programme Engagement of migrant domestic workers via SPF C-SCAMS session on MWs Domestic Guardians Initiative and MW TikTok competition by SPEO Official (Open) 22 Restricted / Non-Sensitive We engage population segments to co-create solutions and to encourage them to act as guardians to their networks Co-create anti-scam messages and programmes with select community groups Rally community partners to proactively spread anti-scam messages among their own networks Group photos from the three Conversation on Safeguarding the Community with Actionable Measures Against Scams (C-SCAMS) conducted Official (Open) 23 Here are some tips for you to enhance your scam resilience today! Official (Open) 24 NTU Public-Private Partnership Module (For Sharing) Official (Open)