At least $4.8m lost to scams involving conmen posing as Harvey Norman staff since January

SINGAPORE – At least 119 cases of scams involving conmen posing as Harvey Norman employees have been reported since January, with total losses reaching at least $4.8 million.

In an advisory on Sept 21, the police warned of a surge in such scams that also involve the impersonation of government officials.

The Straits Times first reported on this scam variant on Sept 14, with Harvey Norman saying on Sept 10 that it had logged 1,588 scam-related inquiries since May.

This figure excludes walk-in inquiries, the majority of which came from “middle-aged to elderly individuals”, added Harvey Norman, which became aware of this scam tactic in September 2025.

In this scam tactic, victims would receive unsolicited calls from fraudsters pretending to be employees of the retailer.

The conmen would claim that the victims had purchased a TV set or have a pending delivery confirmation, said the police.

Harvey Norman sells household appliances, including TV sets, fridges, washing machines and furniture.

When the victims denied making the purchase, the scammers would claim that the victims’ personal details had been misused and that further investigations were required, the police said.

The victims would subsequently be transferred to another scammer impersonating a Monetary Authority of Singapore officer, who would accuse them of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering.

To facilitate “investigations”, the scammers would ask victims to transfer money to a “safe account”, the police added.

In some cases, the scammers would ask victims to withdraw cash, purchase gold bars or bring along valuables, such as jewellery or luxury watches, to hand over to unknown individuals for “investigation purposes”.

The victims would be given assurances that their money and valuables would be returned to them when “investigations” ended.

Victims would realise that they had been scammed only after making multiple money transfers without receiving the promised refunds.

In their Sept 21 statement, the police reminded the public that government officials will never ask people to transfer or hand over cash, gold or luxury watches.

They will also never ask the public to disclose their bank log-in details, nor ask them to install mobile apps from unverified app stores.

In addition, government officials will never transfer a person’s call to the police or to any other government officials.

The public is encouraged to take precautionary measures, such as downloading the ScamShield app to protect themselves from scam calls and SMSes.

Set up security features, such as by enabling two-factor authentication and setting transaction limits for internet banking transactions, the police advised.

Check for scam signs using official sources, the police said. For instance, one can verify suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or at the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg

Those who encounter scams should alert the authorities, their family and friends, and report any fraudulent transactions to their banks immediately.

Those who are unsure if they are encountering a scam should call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline on 1799.

In response to media queries on Sept 10, Harvey Norman said that it had briefed its staff and put in place guidelines to help them identify and respond to inquiries relating to the scam calls.

Harvey Norman has also urged consumers to remain vigilant and to verify any suspicious calls that are supposedly from the company through its official channels.

“Customers should be cautious when receiving unsolicited calls from individuals claiming to represent Harvey Norman, especially if they are asked to verify personal information, banking details, identification numbers or transactions that they do not recognise,” it said.

“Harvey Norman will never ask customers for ID and banking details when they transact with us.”