At least $31,000 lost in past two weeks to phishing scams via Apple iMessage

SINGAPORE – If you receive a text on Apple iMessage that appears to be from a courier company or a SingHealth polyclinic, be on your guard.

The police cautioned in a statement on Nov 14 that at least $31,000 has been lost since Oct 31 to scam Apple iMessages impersonating courier delivery firms or polyclinics.

In such scams, the victims would receive messages that seem to belong to recognised couriers companies. The messages would inform the recipients of failed parcel deliveries due to incomplete delivery information.

Some victims would receive messages that seem to be from SingHealth polyclinics, that claim that the recipients have outstanding outpatient bills.

These messages contain phishing links directing the recipients to fraudulent websites to get their personal, banking or credit card information, or to make payment, said the police.

The police advised the public not to reply to such messages.

They also urged the public to check the legitimacy of courier-related messages and links using the ScamShield app or through the courier’s official website.

Recipients should check with the courier using contact details obtained from official sources before providing any information or making payment, said the police.

Apple users are also advised to keep their devices updated with the latest software version to benefit from the latest security and anti-scam safeguards.

The police had issued a similar advisory on Nov 3, reporting a spate of such phishing scams. Messages received seemed to belong to couriers such as TracX Logis, uParcel and Park N Parcel.

Scams remain the dominant crime type in Singapore, with $410.6 million lost to these ruses in the first half of 2026 alone.

E-commerce was the most common scam type, with 3,865 cases in the first half of 2026 and losses of more than $8 million, police statistics showed.