Question:
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry tracks the number of migrant domestic workers who have fallen prey to scams; and (b) what measures have been taken by the Ministry to raise awareness of such scams to these workers during their training prior to their commencement of work in Singapore.
Answer:
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:
1. In 2023, 500 migrant domestic workers fell prey to scams, an 18% increase from 423 workers in 2022.
2. The Police have been working with the Ministry of Manpower to raise migrant domestic workers’ awareness of scams. As part of the Settling-In Programme, which all of them must attend when they first arrive in Singapore, they are educated on measures which they can adopt to protect themselves from scams.
3. In addition, agencies regularly conduct anti-scam education for migrant domestic workers already working in Singapore. They are educated on the latest scam trends, so that they are equipped to detect scams and become advocates for scam prevention within their own community. For example, the Ministry of Manpower runs an anti-scam campaign which leverages social media and out-of-home media, such as bus stop ads. The Police run the Domestic Guardians Programme to train migrant domestic workers in preventing crimes, including scams.
