Advisory on Scammers Impersonating Officers from the Ministry of Law
4 September 2025 Posted in Press releases
1. The Ministry of Law (“MinLaw”) and the Singapore Police Force (“SPF”) would like to alert members of the public to scammers impersonating officers from MinLaw. There have been multiple calls received by victims from such scammers, including from a caller falsely identifying himself as a Ministry of Law officer by the name of “Jason Lam” or “Lam Teck Yong, Jason”. There is no such officer in MinLaw.
2. In this scam variant, victims would receive unsolicited calls from local numbers, from an individual posing as a MinLaw officer. The scammer would claim to be investigating the victim for their involvement in money laundering and ask for pictures of the victim’s NRIC to be sent for verification. In some instances, following the call, the victim may receive falsified documents resembling official documents from the authorities and a doctored image of a MinLaw staff pass, via WhatsApp message or video call, to enhance the scammer’s credibility and deceive the victims into believing that the scammer is from MinLaw.
3. Victims would be tricked into believing that they are under investigation and to disclose their personal information – including bank account details, personal particulars, SingPass password or one-time passwords – or to transfer money to a bank account to assist in investigations. They may also be asked to meet up with the scammer in person, to hand over cash and valuable items. Victims would comply and only realise that they had been scammed when the scammers become uncontactable.
4. The Police have observed that besides cash and valuables, victims may be asked to hand over pre-signed cheques. These cheques would subsequently be encashed, with funds being withdrawn. Victims would realise they had been scammed when the scammers become uncontactable. The Police would also like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant against Government Official Impersonation Scams involving the use of WhatsApp calls and to activate the “silence unknown callers” function on WhatsApp.
5. Singapore Government officers, including MinLaw officers, will never ask members of the public to do the following over the phone:
(a) Ask you to transfer money
(b) Ask you to disclose banking details
(c) Ask you to install mobile apps from unofficial app store
(d) Transfer your call directly to Police, except when you call 995 for life threatening emergencies
6. Members of the public should not transfer money or disclose your personal details to unknown persons. Do not trust someone just because he/she has your personal information. Members of the public are encouraged to adopt the following precautionary measures:
(a) ADD – Add the ScamShield App to block calls and filter SMSes. Set transaction limits that are adequate for daily expenses, and lower transaction notification thresholds. Alert the bank immediately of any suspicious activity in your bank account. Activate the Money Lock feature of your bank to “lock up” a portion of your money so that it cannot be transferred out digitally by anyone. Change any passwords you have that contain your NRIC immediately.
(b) CHECK – Do not use the website or telephone number that the scammer gives you. If in doubt, check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield App. Call and check with the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Government SMSes will only be sent from the gov.sg SMS Sender ID.
(c) TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends if or when you encounter scams. If you suspect that you have fallen victim to a scam, call your bank immediately to block any fraudulent transactions and make a police report.
7. If in doubt about the authenticity of any calls from MinLaw officers, please contact MinLaw via the online enquiry form at https://eservices.mlaw.gov.sg/enquiry/ or call the MinLaw hotline at 1800 2255 529.
8. For scam-related advice, please call the National Crime Prevention Council’s ScamShield helpline at 1799 or visit https://www.scamshield.gov.sg.
MINISTRY OF LAW
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
4 SEPTEMBER 2025
Last updated on 4 September 2025