SINGAPORE, Sept 26 — At least 45 reports of fake bulk order scams have been filed in the past four months, Singapore’s Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming told Parliament on Friday.

According to CNA, he said this particular scam method is not new, but police have observed a resurgence in cases since May.

“In these scams, scammers posing as SAF personnel would contact restaurants or other small businesses to make bulk orders,” said Goh.

“The fake suppliers are part of the scam syndicate and deceive the victim into making payment, without delivering the actual items. Victims often only realise they have been scammed when the bulk order is not collected.”

The Minister was responding to parliamentary questions following recent incidents in which scammers impersonated Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel and targeted local businesses.

One of the victims, a hawker stall, was tricked into cooking 150 packets of chicken and mutton briyani, only to discover the order was fictitious.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Defence said it had been alerted to three new suspected cases involving falsified order documents, compared to earlier scams which had relied on phone calls, CNA reported.

Goh stated that police received at least six reports involving SAF impersonation between May and mid-September.

He shared some of the scammers’ modus operandi, in which victims were asked to procure additional items from “suppliers” recommended by the scammers, leading to payments made to fictitious sellers.

CNA reported that as of September 19, six people had been arrested in connection with SAF impersonation scams, including a 22-year-old woman, who has been charged.

In separate incidents, other scammers posed as staff from Singapore Chinese Girls’ School to target a fruit vendor and a bedding company.

Goh emphasised that police would continue enforcement and education efforts, but warned that “it is often not possible for the police to protect all businesses and the public from all forms of scams and fraud.”

He urged businesses to verify identities, avoid advance payments to new suppliers, and note that government agencies will not request payment to third parties unless this has been formally agreed in writing.