Curbing Scam Calls Made From +65 Prefix Phone Numbers

6 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether the Ministry is able to do more to limit the number of +65 scam calls made to unsuspecting Singaporeans; and (b) whether the Ministry and local telcos can expand its scam awareness outreach efforts offline particularly to the elderly who have no knowledge of such apps.

The Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Communications and Information): Mr Deputy Speaker, the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) work closely with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the Inter-Ministry Committee on Scams to strengthen our whole-of-Government efforts to protect Singaporeans against scams. One key initiative, which the Member cited is our effort to combat scam phone calls from overseas. The +65 prefix which we implemented with telecommunication companies (telcos) in April last year helps to alert the public that these are calls coming from overseas and that the public should not pick up such calls if they are not expecting anyone calling from overseas. This is part of our broader anti-scam efforts, including the expeditious blocking of known numbers used to perpetuate scams or those attempting to spoof the numbers of Government agencies.

IMDA will continue to work with telcos on solutions that telcos can deploy within their networks to enhance their ability to detect and block suspected scam calls, while ensuring that genuine calls continue to be efficiently connected.

The technological solutions that we implement need to be complemented by measures to heighten the awareness and vigilance of the public. In this spirit, IMDA teaches seniors cyber safety tips such as how to identify spoofed scam calls via its Seniors Go Digital programme. The Government has also partnered key stakeholders like the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), banks and telcos to disseminate anti-scam messages. These efforts take place online and offline, in order to reach out to a wider audience, including vulnerable segments in our society.

For instance, the Police work with Residents’ Committees and grassroots volunteers to spread scam alerts to residents, including senior citizens, via WhatsApp and community events like block parties, roadshows, festive events and Community Safety and Security Programmes. The NCPC’s crime prevention ambassadors also reach out to seniors to share crime prevention tips at various community events.

A vigilant public remains critical in our defence against scams. We urge members of the public to join in the fight against scams by looking out for family members and for one another.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. I have two supplementary questions. I believe many Members in this House have asked this question about the +65 scam calls. The first question I have is, I have been receiving a lot of questions from residents about the +65 scam calls and it seems that the trend has increased quite significantly. So, the first question is whether MCI and MHA would look into blocking the source of these +65 calls in a more concerted way.

Secondly, how much more can we educate our elderly residents and even young residents or adults who may unsuspectingly pick these calls up and combined with scam and phishing efforts of these perpetrators, lead to further worsening exposure of our residents to such efforts.

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Mr Deputy Speaker, indeed, the Ministries and agencies involved will continue to monitor and are concerned about an increased trend in attempted scam calls and spoof calls using the +65 prefix. We will try to work upstream.

There is unfortunately a problem in that there are also legitimate calls that will end up using the +65 prefix, for example, Singaporeans who are roaming overseas and calling back home. But we will continue our efforts and we are as concerned as the Member.

As far as education, indeed, that is the key. The main prevention is going to be the vigilance of the public, the awareness of what a scam might look like, what they may be trying to get away with. In this, the education and outreach is not confined only to the specifics of a scam call or a spoof call, as our general efforts to education the public around using online technologies, digital technologies – which are often what the scam calls are trying to extract value from; as people have a comfort and understanding about those things; they will become more vigilant, more understanding about what is possible and what needs to be protected in this space. We thank all stakeholders in our community who have helped to spread the word on this.