ScamShield is now available for Android users after being unveiled at NCPC’s 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner on September 28, 2022.
Protecting the public from fraudulent SMS and calls
As part of their ongoing efforts to combat fraud, on November 20, 2020, the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) and Open Government Products (OGP) developed and launched the ScamShield iOS application (app). The mobile app identifies and filters fraudulent SMS and blocks calls from blacklisted numbers verified as fraudulent. Both of these features reduce opportunities for scammers to reach intended victims. Additionally, the app allows users to report scam news and receive trending scam notifications.
Since its launch, the ScamShield iOS app has been downloaded by more than 315,000 iOS users. Since the app’s launch, more than 5.8 million text messages have been reported and over 29,000 phone numbers suspected of being used for fraudulent calls have been blocked[1].
[1]Figures updated as of September 14, 2022
ScamShield is now available on Android after being officially launched on September 28, 2022 by Mr. Teo Chee Hean, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister of National Security, and Ms. Sun Xueling, Minister of State of the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Social and Family Development NCPC 40th Anniversary Gala Dinner.
The Android app has the same features as the iOS app, e.g. B. blocking and reporting fraudulent SMS and calls. The main difference between the two versions is that the iOS app redirects fraudulent SMS to a junk folder while the Android app only notifies users of fraudulent SMS due to specific limitations of the Android operating system (OS).
Scam SMS detected by ScamShield are sent to NCPC and Singapore Police Force (SPF) for comparison. This keeps the app up to date to better protect users from fraudulent calls and messages. The app blocks calls from a database centrally managed by NCPC and the police.
Benefits of ScamShield
Ahead of its official launch, ScamShield (Android) was launched on the Google Play Store on September 1st, 2022.
Mr. Kai Yao, an app user, said, “ScamShield will warn me when I receive fraudulent messages and I will ignore the flagged messages. It saves me time opening each individual message and deciding what to do with it.”
Ms. Jennifer Liu, Product Manager at OGP, said, “Having already launched the iOS version of ScamShield, our Open Government Products team is excited to launch the Android version of ScamShield on the Play Store. Multiple rounds of user research, beta testing, and technical reviews were key to our approach to developing ScamShield for Android. We designed Android app to block fraudulent calls and notify users of fraudulent messages, which helps users better detect and avoid scams.”
Mr Gerald Singham, Chairman of the NCPC said: “Unthinkable four decades ago, the majority of crime today takes place in cyberspace. NCPC must continue to innovate and remain relevant as crime, particularly fraud, continues to evolve. We are pleased to have strategic partners like OGP to develop ScamShield to protect Singapore residents from fraudulent SMS and calls.”
SINGAPORE SAFE FOR 40 YEARS
The NCPC is also celebrating its 40th anniversary at the event. More than $700,000 was raised from generous corporate and private donors. The Council is committed to doing its part to serve the community so that Singapore can continue to be a safe place for all.
SM Teo Chee Hean, Chairman of NCPC, Mr. Gerald Singham, Director of OGP, Mr. Li Hongyi launches ScamShield (Android) app.
