SINGAPORE - As Jim (not his real name) was checking e-mails on his computer, a pop-up saying his device was blocked for security reasons suddenly filled the screen.
When the retired businessman, 85, called the number shown, a scammer impersonating technical support staff told him the police needed to be informed.
Despite not being among the top 10 scam types, the amount lost to technical support scams rose from $769,000 in the first half of 2025 to $4.9 million during the same period in 2026.
The police said the number of such scams rose by almost 50 per cent, from 33 cases in the first six months of 2025 to 49 cases during the same period in 2026.
Speaking to the media on Sept 2, Jim said a fake policeman called him and said his account had been used by someone to transfer illicit funds.
"He even said to me: 'I'm glad you're on the line with me, because you can help me catch this culprit.'"
Convinced he was speaking to the authorities, Jim gave the scammer details of the joint OCBC Bank account he shared with his wife and almost lost $110,000, the bulk of his life savings.
"Only later did I realise how stupid I was," said Jim.
Scam victims in Singapore lost $410.6 million in the first six months of 2026, with e-commerce, phishing and investment scams being the most common scam types.
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The scammer told Jim, who uses a wheelchair, that the money had to be transferred to another account to set a trap for the culprit. Jim asked his helper to push him to OCBC's Marine Parade branch.
He told bank teller Robert Tan, 33, he needed to make a transfer and handed Tan a piece of paper with a name and bank account number belonging to his "cousin".
Tan said: "That was one of the first red flags, as his cousin's name showed he was of a different race.
"When I asked why he was making the transfer, he insisted I transfer the funds without asking questions."
Suspecting that Jim was a scam victim, Tan alerted customer service officer Chai Mei Li, 50, who escorted Jim to a private room.
Chai recalled: "I explained we needed more information on the transfer to proceed with it. But Jim threatened to make a complaint against me to my boss.
"He also kept saying 'This is my money, and I have the right to transfer it to anyone.'"
Chai checked and realised the transaction limit on Jim's account had just been increased from $3,000 to $200,000. The scammers just needed him to transfer the money at the bank.
During their meeting, Chai noticed Jim was constantly getting calls, with the voice on the other line repeatedly asking if the transfer had been done.
Said Chai: "When I warned him he was getting scammed, he was not convinced and even called me a scammer."
After at least an hour, Jim left in a huff, saying he would make the transfer some other way.
Worried he would lose his life savings, Chai reported his case to OCBC's anti-fraud team. His account was frozen, and the police were alerted.
Jim realised he had been scammed only when officers from the Singapore Police Force arrived at his home that day. His son is a retired police officer.
He said: "At first, when I didn't make the transfer, I thought I had disappointed the 'police'. But after speaking to the (real) officers and my son, I felt terrible for treating the bank staff the way that I did."
The next day, he returned to the bank to apologise to Tan and Chai.
Said Jim: "What they did was really a good thing. If the transaction had gone through, I would have lost a huge chunk of my life savings."
He added: "Before this incident, I would read about scams in the papers. But when it happened to me, I realised how easily I could be influenced.
"It is easy to fall prey to scammers, so everyone should be on guard."
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
