Why Every Filipino in Singapore Should Install ScamShield

Singapore has a scam problem. Phishing SMS, bank impersonation, fake government calls, investment schemes, romance scams, the numbers reported each year are large enough that the government took direct action. One piece of that response is ScamShield, a free app you can install today that stops a real share of these scams before they reach you.

If you’re Filipino and living in Singapore, this app is on the short list of things that belong on your phone.

What ScamShield actually does

ScamShield is developed by the Open Government Products team with the Singapore Police Force and the National Crime Prevention Council. It runs in the background and does three useful things:

• Filters likely scam SMS messages into a separate folder.
• Checks incoming calls against known scam numbers.
• Lets you report suspicious messages, calls, websites, and ads directly to authorities.

For the official source and current features, see scamshield.gov.sg.

It doesn’t read all your messages or sell your data. It’s a government-backed app, not a private company’s tool monetising your phone activity.

Why Filipinos in Singapore are specifically at risk

Scammers target OFWs for a few practical reasons: you’re often busy, tired, remitting money regularly, and connected to overseas family, which makes "your package has arrived", "your bank account is locked", and "your brother is in trouble" all plausible triggers.

We see this constantly in community groups. Someone gets an SMS that looks like DHL or SingPost, clicks, and within hours their bank is draining. Or a call claiming to be "ICA" says their pass is in trouble and demands a transfer to "clear" it. A filter like ScamShield quietly catches a big share of that noise before you even see it.

What you’ll notice after installing

• Obvious spam and scam SMS routed to a "junk" or "filtered" folder.
• Some calls flagged as "Likely Scam" before you answer.
• A small reporting button inside messages and calls, so you can flag anything the filter missed.
• Peace of mind when waking up to 10 missed notifications.

It doesn’t stop every scam, and it can’t protect you from clicking a link inside WhatsApp or Telegram (those aren’t SMS). But it visibly reduces the daily scam-noise level in your phone.

How to set it up

1. Download ScamShield from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Only from those official stores. If anyone sends you an APK file via SMS or Telegram claiming to be ScamShield, delete it, that’s a scam pretending to be the app.
2. Open it and follow the setup. On iPhone, you’ll enable it under Settings → Messages → Unknown & Spam. On Android, you’ll grant call and SMS permissions.
3. Done. It runs in the background.

What ScamShield will NOT do

• It doesn’t protect you inside WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Viber, or email.
• It doesn’t stop you from clicking a scam link yourself.
• It doesn’t recover money already sent.

So install it as a layer, not as your only protection. The rest is habit: don’t click SMS links, verify calls by hanging up and dialing the official number, and treat any "urgent" money request with suspicion.

When in doubt

Singapore’s anti-scam hotline is 1800-722-6688. You can also check suspected scams via scamshield.gov.sg and report via police.gov.sg. If you’ve already been scammed, see our common money scams guide for next steps, and if it’s loan or remittance-related, our loan shark and fake loan scams guide.

Five minutes now, fewer scams later

Most scams don’t succeed because of the scammer’s skill. They succeed because of timing, you’re tired, busy, or emotional. Tools like ScamShield give you a second pair of eyes, especially on the days you don’t have them yourself. It takes five minutes to install. Do it today.

Last reviewed April 2026. App features, scam hotlines, and reporting procedures change, always verify via scamshield.gov.sg and police.gov.sg.