The Singapore Police Force warned on Monday 28 September 2026 that scammers are hijacking students’ WhatsApp accounts and messaging parents for payment on fake youth exchange programmes and AI-related courses, with at least eight cases and losses of at least S$18,000 since the start of September.
Posing as the child, the scammer claims to have been selected for a youth exchange programme or AI-related course and asks for payment to secure a place, backed by consent forms bearing the names and logos of educational institutions and government agencies. Some parents are told fees are subsidised and will be refunded later, then asked to pay via PayNow QR. A second payment may follow with a claim that the first transfer was processed wrongly and will be returned. Victims only realised it was a scam after checking with their children or receiving bank alerts.
What Police want parents to do
Turn on WhatsApp Two-Step Verification under Settings > Account, and review Linked Devices so unknown sessions are logged out. Verify any sudden money request by calling your child directly, not by replying in the same chat, and verify programmes and payment requests with the school or institution through its official channels before paying. ScamShield at 1799 and the ScamShield app remain the check points for suspicious messages.
If money has already moved, contact the bank immediately to block further transfers and lodge a Police report. Tips can go to the Police Hotline on 1800-255-0000 or i-Witness on police.gov.sg; dial 999 for urgent help.
