AntiScam Pango scam detection app

This approach aims to help users recognise social engineering tactics, through which scammers manipulate people into trusting them and taking actions that may put their money or personal information at risk.

Users can then decide whether to continue the exchange, report it or take precautions, such as independently verifying the sender’s identity. The app does not automatically block or delete messages.

Message content is not sent to external servers unless the user chooses to report it, GovTech said.

Neither the agency nor its partners can access users’ personal information or private messages through the app, it added.

AntiScam Pango’s AI model was trained on scam patterns and scenarios to recognise manipulation tactics and characteristics commonly found in scams targeting people here.

Training data comes from ScamShield, developed by GovTech’s Open Government Products unit, the police and the National Crime Prevention Council.

ScamShield blocks calls from blacklisted numbers reported by users. It also uses AI to assess whether phone numbers, messages or links submitted by users are likely linked to scams. Its enhanced app has recorded 1.61 million installations since August 2024.

Training data also comes from an in-house AI-powered classifier tool that evaluates suspicious web links.

“With AntiScam Pango, we want to show people that they do not have to choose between protection from scams and keeping their personal messages private,” said GovTech’s director of trust and safety Mark Chen.

“Our collaboration with Google DeepMind is pushing the boundaries of what small AI models can do to deliver both,” he added.

AntiScam Pango adds to the existing protections offered by ScamShield, which helps users block scam calls, filter suspicious SMS messages, and check or report potentially fraudulent messages, phone numbers and links.

Unlike ScamShield, AntiScam Pango proactively assesses conversations as messages arrive across supported messaging platforms, rather than relying on users to submit them for checking. It can also flag suspicious exchanges involving numbers that have not previously been identified as risky.

GovTech said it is exploring the integration of AntiScam Pango into ScamShield, but no timeline has been provided.

The agency is also assessing other messaging platforms to expand Pango’s coverage beyond WhatsApp, Telegram and SMS.

For now, AntiScam Pango is available only on Android because the operating system allows apps to request access to incoming notifications from messaging services.

GovTech is exploring ways to offer similar protection on other operating systems, including Apple’s iOS, while retaining on-device analysis and the same privacy and security standards.

Source: The Straits Times

Note: This article was written by Lee Li Ying and first appeared in The Straits Times on 4 November 2026.