Uptick in fake Singapore-based websites targeting people with access to sensitive information: Shanmugam
Authorities will investigate such attempts and take decisive action to neutralise the threat, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam.
Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam speaks to the media in the Ministry of Home Affairs building, on Jul 27, 2026. (File photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)
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SINGAPORE: Singapore has detected an uptick in attempts by threat actors to set up websites pretending to be Singapore-based entities, said Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam on Tuesday (Sep 8).
The websites recruit individuals to gain access to sensitive or classified information, with most of them set up overseas, he added in a parliamentary reply to a question by Member of Parliament Yip Hon Weng (PAP-Yio Chu Kang).
Mr Yip had asked, in view of suspicious entities masquerading as Singapore-based think tanks and recruiting former public officers for privileged information, about the safeguards against foreign actors who attempt to exploit Singapore as a base for covert intelligence-gathering.
He also asked about ways that the authorities use to thwart entities suspected of facilitating such activities.
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Mr Shanmugam, who is also Home Affairs Minister, said that the ministry takes a “serious view” of entities who try to use Singapore as a cover to obtain sensitive information via deceptive means.
“We will investigate any such attempts and take decisive action to neutralise the threat.”
He added that MHA has not found any increase in Singapore-registered entities offering employment opportunities as a means of recruiting individuals for foreign intelligence purposes.
On the increase in threat actors setting up websites that purport to represent Singapore-based entities, Mr Shanmugam said that the government has a range of legislative levers to guard against them.
He cited the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) as an example – it allows authorities to deal with online activities that are criminal in nature, including offences that affect national security, national harmony and individual safety.
For instance, the government recently issued an Access Blocking Direction under OCHA against the Global Asia Think Tank website, following an assessment prompted by a police report lodged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
In August, CNA reported on a number of suspicious websites masquerading as Singapore-based think tanks and consultancies, including Global Asia Think Tank.
Global Asia claimed on its website that it was supported by MFA and works with both the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) in the National University of Singapore, and the Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
All three institutions denied the purported links when contacted by CNA.
MFA said it “does not and has not supported” Global Asia. LKYSPP said it had “no relationship” with the entity while RSIS said it had “no knowledge” of it.
Global Asia also claimed to have held an in-person seminar at LKYSPP in June, but CNA’s checks found that no such event appeared on the school’s calendar.
An image on Global Asia’s website purportedly showing the event was generated using one of OpenAI’s image generation models, CNA found.
In Mr Shanmugam’s reply on Tuesday, he also cited other legislative levers such as the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act and the Statutory Bodies and Government Companies (Protection of Secrecy) Act.
In addition, he said that MHA monitors and acts against threats of espionage and foreign interference using various ways, though it is unable to disclose details for operational reasons
“Both serving and former public officers, as well as others who have access to sensitive/classified information, must remain vigilant to such threats and report suspicious approaches to the relevant authorities,” said Mr Shanmugam.
“We will also raise awareness of these threats among the wider public. If individuals encounter a suspicious approach, they should take steps to verify if an entity is legitimate before providing further information.”
Source: CNA/dy
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