‘Only later did I realise how stupid I was’: Retiree, 85, almost loses $110k to tech support scam
An 85-year-old retiree in Singapore was nearly defrauded of $110,000 by scammers posing as tech support and police officers. Bank staff intervened to freeze the account after the victim was manipulated into believing he was helping authorities catch a criminal.
Why it matters
Technical support scams are seeing a significant surge in financial impact, highlighting the vulnerability of elderly populations to sophisticated social engineering tactics.
In this scam, victims call the number in such pop-up messages and end up speaking to scammers impersonating tech support staff.
Listen Summarise An 85-year-old retiree nearly lost $110,000 to a tech support scam involving fake police. Losses from technical support scams in Singapore rose sharply, from $769,000 in the first half of 2025 to $4.9 million during the same period in 2026. Bank staff spotted the retiree's scam, froze the account, and helped prevent the loss. AI generated
SINGAPORE – As Jim (not his real name) was checking e-mails on his computer, a pop-up saying his device was blocked for security reasons suddenly filled the screen.
When the retired businessman, 85, called the number shown, a scammer impersonating technical support staff told him the police needed to be informed.
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