four ways to check
- call or chat
ScamShield Helpline · 1799 ↗
Singapore’s anti-scam helpline, open 24 hours. Call 1799 and ask a person whether the message, call or link you got is a scam. You can also chat with the operators on the ScamShield website. Best for older parents who would rather talk to someone.
- on your phone
ScamShield app
The government’s free app for iPhone and Android. It checks numbers, websites and messages from SMS, WhatsApp and Telegram, filters scam calls and SMS, and lets you report a scam.
- any link, any browser
Malwarebytes Scam Link Check ↗
Paste a link and it scans the site, and any sites it redirects to, for known threats. It looks at how old the domain is, its reputation and its technical set-up, then tells you whether it looks safe to open. Handy on a laptop, or for links from outside Singapore.
- a phone number
Malwarebytes Scam Number Check ↗
Type in a number from a missed call, SMS or voicemail, including overseas numbers. It shows whether the number is reported as a scam, spam or telemarketer, and whether it’s a mobile, landline or internet number. Free, and Malwarebytes says it doesn’t keep the numbers you search.
before you paste a link
- keep it private
Don’t paste links that carry your own details, like a password-reset link or a “view your parcel” link with your name or number in it. Check those by going to the company’s site yourself.
- clean ≠ safe
A clean result means the link isn’t known to be bad yet. New scam sites appear every day, so a pass is one signal, not a promise.
- go direct
If a message says it’s from your bank, CPF, IRAS or a delivery company, close it and open their app or type their address yourself. Don’t trust a link in the message that claims to take you to ScamShield either.
- caller id lies
Scammers can fake the number that shows on your screen, even a real bank’s. A clean number check doesn’t prove who is calling. Hang up and call back on the official number.
- slow down
Rushing you is the scam’s main tool. A real bank or agency will still be there in ten minutes.
if you already clicked
- money or cards
Call your bank on the number printed on your card or in its app, and ask them to freeze your accounts or cards.
- passwords
Change the password for that account from a different device, and turn on two-step login if it isn’t on already.
- not sure
Call 1799 and tell them what happened. They’ll tell you what to do next.