Updated: 09/08/2014 14:42 | By Channel NewsAsia
Rise in online scams: Police are on the case, says Masagos
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SINGAPORE: The authorities will step up public education on online scams to raise awareness and vigilance, said Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Masagos Zulkifli in Parliament on Monday (Sep 8).
The minister's comments come on the back of an increasing number of online cheating and cyber-extortion cases reported. There were 787 cases reported in the first six months of this year - an almost five-fold increase compared to the same period last year.
Mr Masagos said the rise in the number of police reports could be due to greater public awareness and willingness to report such crimes.
To tackle such crimes, he said the police have worked with the community and key stakeholders to increase public education. For example, police will highlight cases of online purchase and identity theft scams in the upcoming episodes of CrimeWatch this year.
The Police and the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) have also jointly developed public education collaterals for display on bus stop panels, at MRT stations and over the Internet, including online forums and shopping sites.
By the end of this year, major financial institutions will feature crime prevention advisories on their Internet banking websites, he added. - CNA/kk
