Investment Scams

Discover how scammer lure victims with promises of high returns, identify the red flags of a suspicious investment, and safeguard your funds.

Last updated 26 May 2026

Key takeaways

Be cautious of investment opportunities found online or recommended by someone you have never met in person, especially if it promises high returns at low or no risk.
If you cannot withdraw your money, stop transferring funds immediately and report it to the Police.

Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief 2025

Initial contact
Victims usually come across fake investment opportunities through their own internet searches or recommendations from online friends or strangers.
Convice victims to pay
Scammers use false testimonies and fake success stories to lure victims into believing the investment is real. Victims are then asked to transfer money to specific bank accounts or cryptocurrency wallets, or make payments via their bank cards.
Entice victims to "invest" more
In some cases, the victims would receive initial small “profits” which led them to believe that their “investments” were genuine, enticing them to invest more money by transferring larger amounts of monies or cryptocurrencies to the scammers. The victims might also be deceived by the scammers’ use of “investment” websites or apps to display their “profits” and be convinced to invest more monies.
No withdrawals
After larger amounts of monies or cryptocurrencies were transferred to the scammers for their “investment”, they would experience difficulties withdrawing their earnings from their “investments” and only then realise that they had been scammed.

Promises of high returns at low or no risk.
Scams use lucrative promises to lure investors. The greater the promised returns, the higher the risks should be. It’s crucial to understand what you're investing in.
Involvement of pressure tactics.
Scammers may use limited offers, timed gifts, or rebates to rush you into committing your money.
Unverified track record.
Phony investment opportunities are often offered by individuals or organisations that are not located on MAS’s listing of registered financial institutions, representative and investor alert list.

Privacy settings to your messaging app to avoid being added into unknown chatgroups.
Security features such as 2 or multi-FA for banking apps, transaction limits on payment accounts (bank, PayNow and PayLah).
Money Lock to your bank accounts to further secure a portion of your savings.

Resources on the MAS website (i.e., Financial Institutions Directory, Financial Institution Representatives Register, and Investor Alert List) on whether the company offering the investment opportunity is regulated by MAS.
With someone you trust about the offer.
Call the ScamShield Helpline (1799) to check if you are unsure.
Call the official hotline of the company to check if this investment product is legitimate.

Warn friends and family about this scam encounter.
Report and block suspected scam accounts/chat groups.
Call your bank immediately and make a police report if you think you have fallen victim.

If you have transferred money to a scammer, please visit this page for a list of immediate actions: I've Been Scammed!

Help keep the community safe by reporting any instances of this scam you’ve seen or experienced with the ScamShield App.