eCommerce scams surge in SG as online platforms remain scammers’ top hunting ground

Ecommerce scams emerged as the most reported scam type in Singapore in the first half of 2026, even as the country's overall scam situation improved, according to the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) latest "Mid-year scam and cybercrime brief".

Reported eCommerce scam cases rose 19.3% to 3,865 between January and June, up from 3,240 during the same period last year. Losses from these scams also increased 18.9% to about SG$8.3 million, compared with SG$7 million a year earlier.

The increase comes as online platforms remain the primary way scammers reach victims. Some 89% of scam cases involved an online platform as the first point of contact, with messaging platforms accounting for 27.6% of approaches, followed closely by social media at 26.7% and online shopping platforms at 11.2%.

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Meta's Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram collectively accounted for 34.1% of total scam cases across platforms used by scammers to contact victims. Meanwhile, cases involving TikTok fell 16.2% to 1,244, from 1,485 during the same period last year.

Carousell bucked the broader downward trend, with scam cases on the platform rising 17.1% to 1,555, from 1,328 in the first half of 2025. According to SPF, it was the only designated online service to record an increase in scam cases during the period.

The rise in eCommerce scams was partly fuelled by demand for collectibles and fan merchandise. Pokémon trading cards remained the most common item involved, with related cases more than doubling by 116.8% to 605. These cases accounted for 15.7% of all reported eCommerce scams.

Losses linked to Pokémon trading card scams also surged 172.4% to SG$1.2 million, from about SG$472,000 a year earlier. SPF attributed the increase largely to the growing popularity of pre-orders, where victims encounter listings for trading cards and other sought-after merchandise, including K-pop lightsticks, before being asked to pay deposits or the full amount months ahead of delivery.

Victims typically only discovered the scam after the promised delivery date passed or after encountering posts from other buyers who had dealt with the same seller.

Social media impersonation scams rise

Social media impersonation scams also climbed sharply during the period. Reported cases increased 47.9% to 587, from 397 a year earlier, while losses rose 71.3% to SG$3.9 million. The increase in losses was largely driven by a single cryptocurrency case involving about SG$2.1 million.

Compromised WhatsApp accounts were behind a significant portion of these cases. There were 391 such reports in the first half of the year, representing 66.6% of social media impersonation scams. Scammers typically posed as the victim's contact and sought money for reasons such as an emergency loan or problems with a bank transfer.

Despite these increases, scam cases overall fell 14.4% to 16,821 in the first half of 2026, while total scam losses dropped 17.9% to about SG$410.6 million. Scams continued to account for 91.5% of all scam and cybercrime cases recorded during the period.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and SPF have also proposed legislative amendments that would allow the relevant authority to impose penalties of up to SG$10 million for non-compliance with Codes of Practice and Implementation Directives issued under OCHA.

The latest requirements build on measures already directed at major technology companies. According to SPF, Implementation Directives have been issued to Apple, Google and Meta to tackle impersonation scams, while authorities disrupted 37,500 WhatsApp lines, 31,600 online monikers and 52,200 malicious websites in the first half of 2026.

SPF said the decline in scam cases involving designated online service providers highlights the role of upstream platform safeguards, but warned that scammers continue to adapt by exploiting messaging applications, online advertisements and newer platform features.

The police has also introduced the "eCommerce scam situation report", replacing the "eCommerce marketplace transaction safety ratings". The new report broadens the assessment beyond individual platform safety features and ranks the top 10 platforms based on reported scam cases and losses, in a bid to give consumers greater visibility into risks when transacting online.

The latest figures come shortly after Singapore tightened its safeguards against scams across social media, messaging and eCommerce platforms, with new rules requiring services including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp and Telegram to strengthen protections for users in the country.

Earlier this month, SPF issued three Codes of Practice (COPs) under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), comprising a new code for online messaging and conferencing services, a new social media code and an enhanced eCommerce code.

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