SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Power (SPF) has issued an advisory warning dad and mom a couple of new variant of WhatsApp impersonation scams during which fraudsters compromise college students’ accounts and pose as their kids to solicit fee for pretend youth trade programmes or AI-related programs.
Since September 2026, not less than eight circumstances have been reported with whole losses of not less than S$18,000.
Scammers achieve entry to college students’ WhatsApp accounts and use them to contact the scholars’ dad and mom, posing as their kids. They declare the scholar has been chosen for a youth trade programme or an AI-related course and request fee to safe a spot.
To make the request seem legit, victims are supplied with consent types bearing the names and logos of instructional establishments and authorities businesses. In some circumstances, victims are instructed the programme charges shall be subsidised and subsequently refunded. It is a tactic used to decrease resistance to fee.
Victims are then requested to pay through PayNow QR codes. Some are deceived into making further funds on the pretext that the preliminary transaction was processed incorrectly and can be refunded. Victims usually solely uncover the rip-off after calling their baby instantly or receiving alerts from their banks.
What to do
The Police suggested dad and mom to confirm any uncommon requests for cash instantly with their baby by calling them, not by replying on the identical WhatsApp account making the request, and to substantiate the legitimacy of any programme or fee request with the related instructional establishment by official channels earlier than transferring any cash.
To guard WhatsApp accounts from being compromised, customers ought to allow Two-Step Verification by going to Settings > Account > Two-Step Verification. Often examine units linked to your WhatsApp account underneath Settings > Linked Units and log off of any unrecognised system instantly.
The general public can be suggested to use the ACT framework:
