Fake SPF pop-up alerts claiming your device is ‘locked’ are back; Police warn of phishing scam demanding urgent fine payment

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued an advisory warning the public about the re-emergence of phishing scams using fraudulent pop-up alerts that impersonate the SPF, claiming victims’ devices have been locked for accessing illegal content and demanding immediate payment to unlock them.

Victims encounter pop-up alerts bearing the SPF logo on their personal devices, including either computers or laptops, claiming their device has been “locked” due to repeated access to websites containing illegal content. The alerts instruct victims to pay purported outstanding fines within hours to unlock their devices, warning that failure to comply will result in permanent device lockout and prosecution.

A countdown timer is displayed within the pop-up to create urgency and pressure victims into entering their bank card details immediately. Victims typically only realise they have been scammed when they notice unauthorised transactions in foreign currency charged to their bank cards, often exceeding the amount of the purported fine.

The SPF issued a clear reminder: pop-up alerts of this kind are fraudulent and are not issued by the Police. The Police do not remotely lock personal devices or demand payment through pop-up alerts. Any such message should be treated as a scam immediately.

Add the ScamShield app to protect against scam calls and text messages, and enable Two-Factor Authentication and transaction limits for bank accounts. Check the authenticity of any suspicious alert through the ScamShield app or at www.scamshield.gov.sg.

The public is also advised to tell family, friends, and authorities about such scams, report fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately, and report phishing websites to your browser provider, such as Google Chrome or Apple Safari.

If in doubt, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799. For more information, visit www.scamshield.gov.sg.

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