SINGAPORE, Oct 24 — More than S$2.7 billion (RM8.9 billion) has been lost to scams in the republic since 2019, with victims losing a record S$385.6 million (RM1.27 billion) in the first half of 2024 alone.
In hopes of educating and raising awareness among Singaporeans, the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is offering S$55,000 in cash (RM181,000), iPhones, PlayStations and more prizes totalling S$200,000 (RM659 million) in a new anti-scam game launched today, reported TNP.
Chairman Gerald Singham said: “Scams are fast evolving and employ complex tactics that can be deceiving. Many scams appear legitimate and are pervasive in our daily lives.
“By taking on this innovative gamification approach, NCPC aims to engage the public in a fun yet educational way.”
Web game #XiamTheScams was developed by gamification marketing company Sqkii.
Sqkii is best known for the #HuntTheMouse game, which involves players finding hidden coins for cash prizes of up to S$500,000 (RM1.65 billion)
The new #XiamTheScams game, however, involves players choosing one of three characters and making decisions in the game to up their scores while avoiding scams in hundreds of scenarios across some 90 storylines in the game, which will run for three months, ending on January 22, 2025.
The top 100 players will then receive a total of S$55,000 (RM181,000) in cash prizes, including a grand prize of S$10,000 (RM32,950) for the top player.
The game will also award players with Stars that can be used to open gift boxes containing vouchers and other non-cash prizes such as iPhones, PlayStations and Logitech computer peripherals.
The game can be accessed at xiamthescams.sqkii.com/start or through the Shopee app beginning today.