Scams are becoming more sophisticated than ever, and elderly technology users are among the most targeted profiles. Whether it’s a message scam or a phone one, Singapore’s elderly aren’t being spared from fraud, causing immense financial losses. Understanding why this happens is the first step towards setting up safe digital habits that will protect your loved ones.
Scam Cases Are Falling, but the Risk Remains
In 2025, Singapore made real progress on cybersecurity. Cybercrime declined by almost 25%, and people lost less money as well; financial losses fell from S$1.1 billion to S$913.1 million. These results weren’t tied to one single factor.
It came from a mix of tougher enforcement, more public awareness, and banks teaming up with the authorities to keep things safe. These numbers show a drop in cybercrime, but some groups are still at more risk than others.
Why Scams Cost Elderly People More
Although people aged 65 and above accounted for only around 15% of scam victims in 2025, they experienced the highest average loss per victim — more than S$37,000. While adults between 30 and 49 represented the largest share of victims, elderly citizens were often persuaded to pay with much larger sums.
Trust Is a Powerful Weapon for Scammers
It’s not technical hacking, but social engineering that is behind many scams. Criminals will try to create a feeling of urgency, authority, or emotional pressure to get victims to act without fully grasping or confirming the situation.
Older adults are often the target of scammers because they think they are more likely to:
- Trust people who say they are from banks or government agencies.
- Have saved more over the course of their lives.
- Be less familiar with the fast-changing online threats.
- Feel pressured to reply instantly to intimidating phone calls or texts.
These are the assumptions that fraudsters play off of.
Impersonation Scams Continue to Cause Serious Losses
In Singapore, government official impersonation scams remain among the costliest for elders. The targets often get told that their identity was involved in criminal activities, and giving the real identity information is the only way to protect their finances.
The goal is always the same: convince victims to transfer funds voluntarily. In most scam cases, criminals never gain direct access to bank accounts. Instead, they manipulate people into authorizing the transfers themselves through deception.
Digital Safety Matters More Than Ever
Scammers now reach potential victims through social media, messaging apps, phone calls, and even newer platforms such as TikTok. As communication channels evolve, protecting personal information becomes increasingly important.
Following advice from trusted government and cybersecurity sources and using practical tools such as the ScamShield app to check suspicious messages, banking app “money locks” and transaction limits, and a VPN for securing connections on public Wi-Fi can give regular people meaningful added protection, especially when accessing sensitive accounts while traveling.
Good cybersecurity habits cannot stop every scam, but they offer an extra level of protection alongside awareness and careful decision-making.
How Families Can Inform Elderly Relatives
The most effective defense often starts at home. Regular conversations can reduce the likelihood that a scam succeeds.
Teach family members to pause whenever someone requests money, passwords, or personal information. A legitimate organization will never object to someone independently verifying a request. Teach them how to recognize suspicious messages or calls and not to respond to them. Instead, tell them to use verified numbers and communicate only through official, reliable channels.
Talk About Current Scam Tactics
Scammers constantly adjust their methods as public awareness grows. Staying informed about common fraud techniques helps everyone recognize warning signs before becoming victims. Practical guidance on recognizing phishing attempts and protecting personal information is available from consumer protection resources and cybersecurity guidance.
Awareness Is Still the Best Defense
Singapore’s declining scam numbers show that education, enforcement, and collaboration can make a real difference. Even so, the higher financial losses experienced by elderly victims demonstrate why continued vigilance is essential.
By encouraging open conversations, verifying unexpected requests, and practicing good online security habits, families can help reduce the chances that scammers succeed while giving older adults greater confidence in getting around today’s digital world.
