What to Do If You Got Scammed by a Fake Loan Offer

First, breathe. Being scammed does not mean you are dumb. These people are good at this; it is their full-time job. What matters now is what you do in the next few hours and the next few days.

This guide is for Filipinos in Singapore who have already clicked the link, sent the "processing fee", shared banking details, or handed over an ID photo. If you are trying to avoid scams in the first place, read our guide to loan shark and fake loan scams.

Step 1: Stop talking to the scammer

Block the number. Delete the WhatsApp chat (or keep it if you need evidence, see Step 3 first). Do not reply to "confirm" anything. Do not send "one more fee" because they promise it will "release the loan". That money is already lost. Sending more will not bring it back.

Scammers often escalate once they know you are panicking. They may threaten to share your ID photo, spam your contacts, or pretend to call from the police. Do not engage.

Step 2: Lock down your bank and Singpass

If you shared banking credentials, OTPs, or installed any remote access app (TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or any "verification" app), assume your account can be drained.

Call your bank’s 24-hour fraud hotline now. The number is on the back of your ATM card and on the bank’s website. Freeze or lock your account through the app if your bank allows it, then change your online banking password and digital token. If you shared your Singpass credentials, go to singpass.gov.sg and reset them immediately. If you installed any app at the scammer’s request, uninstall it, and if possible, factory-reset the phone. That is extreme, but if the scammer had remote access, malware may persist.

Speed matters here. Every minute is money, and banks are far more likely to recover funds if they hear from you in the first few hours.

Step 3: Keep your evidence

Before you delete anything, screenshot or export:

You do not need to carry this alone. A sibling, a close friend, your kumpare, a pastor, anyone who will sit with you and help you think straight.

If you share a room or a flat, give your housemates a heads up that suspicious callers may try to reach you, and that they should not answer on your behalf.

Step 6: Watch out for "recovery" scams

Once your number is on a scammer list, a second scam often arrives within days. Someone claims to be a "lawyer", "police investigator", or "recovery agent" who can get your money back, for a fee. It is almost always the same network.

No legitimate agency charges you upfront to recover scam money. Not the Singapore Police. Not the embassy. Not a real lawyer acting through proper channels. If you are asked to pay to get your money back, it is a second scam.

Step 7: Know what help is available

The Singapore Police Force handles the criminal report, investigation, and case updates. Your bank’s fraud team can possibly reverse recent transfers and help secure your account. The ScamShield Helpline offers guidance, number and live chat on scamshield.gov.sg.

If you need support as an OFW, the Philippine Embassy in Singapore handles consular and assistance services, contact details on philembassy.sg. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Singapore post is another channel for Filipinos on overseas employment, reachable via dmw.gov.ph.

Step 8: If a loan shark is harassing you

If the "loan" did come through but you now realise it was from an unlicensed moneylender, and they are harassing you or your family, you are the victim, not the criminal. The law targets the unlicensed lender.

Report via the Police X-Ah Long hotline (current number on police.gov.sg). Keep the messages. Do not make any further payments based on threats.

A word about embarrassment

Most scam victims do not report because they are ashamed. That silence is exactly what the scammers rely on, it lets them keep hitting the next kababayan.

You did not do anything shameful. You just got hit by people who do this for a living. Reporting helps the next person. That is not nothing.

What could change

Scam reporting channels, hotlines, and bank fraud processes update often. Always verify the latest on police.gov.sg and scamshield.gov.sg.

Move fast, stop paying, tell someone

Move fast: stop the scammer, lock your bank, keep the evidence, report to the police, tell someone. Do not pay any more "fees". And do not carry this alone, that is how these people keep winning.

Last reviewed April 2026. Singapore’s scam-reporting channels and bank fraud processes change, verify current contact details before acting.