SINGAPORE: Calls from real police officers will soon carry a single, recognisable number as scam losses from fake officials surge. Singaporeans will see the standard prefix when receiving calls from police officers. The move aims to help the public more easily spot scam calls.
The change was announced on Feb 27 during the debate on the Ministry of Home Affairs’ budget. Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming said the Singapore Police Force (SPF) is working with Open Government Products (OGP) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) to roll out one clear, easy-to-recognise number prefix for all official police calls.
If someone calls claiming to be a police officer, but the number does not carry that prefix, it is likely a scam. The move comes as impersonation scams remain a stubborn threat. According to a Channel NewsAsia (CNA) report on Feb 27, government official impersonation scams more than doubled in 2025 compared to 2024. These cases also recorded the highest average loss per victim, at over S$72,000.
While overall scam cases fell by 27.6 per cent last year, the first drop since separate scam reporting began in 2023, more people were still tricked by scammers posing as government officers.
