New SPF Cyber Command aims to be ‘tip of the spear’ in fight against scams
The Cyber Command will not be “a typical police unit”, says Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Wong.
SAC Justin Wong reciting the Commander’s Oath during the Singapore Police Force’s Cyber Command inauguration ceremony at Police Cantonment Complex on Jul 3, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Friday (Jul 3) launched its newest unit that aims to be the “tip of the spear” in the fight against scams and cybercrimes.
First announced in May, the unit, known as Cyber Command, will consolidate cybercrime-fighting units from across the SPF.
“Operating under a unified command, the Cyber Command will provide a full-spectrum response to scams and cybercrime, from dismantling criminal syndicates to raising public awareness,” said the police in a news release.
Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Justin Wong Xing Shun is the commander of the new unit. Having joined the SPF in 2007, he has held several key appointments, including Assistant Director (Major Crime Division) of the Criminal Investigation Department and Deputy Director (Homefront Contingencies) of the Joint Operations Group in the Ministry of Home Affairs.
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Speaking at the launch, he said the Global Anti-Scam Alliance estimated that S$1.26 trillion (US$975 billion) was lost globally to scams in 2025, and nations across the world are now alive to this threat and many efforts have been taken to deal with it.
“From 2015 till now, the Singapore Police Force has been ahead in our fight against scams and cybercrime, putting in efforts when others were not so aware of the threat that we faced,” he added.
The number of scam cases in Singapore fell by 27 per cent to about 37,300 cases last year. This was the first time there had been a decrease since the police began reporting scam statistics separately in 2023.
The total amount lost to scams also dropped by 17 per cent to about S$913 million.
“The Cyber Command brings together four units, and it will be the tip of the spear in SPF’s response to online cybercrime,” said SAC Wong.
The new unit will not be “a typical police unit”, he added.
It will bring together psychologists to understand why people fall prey to scams; civilians versed in media and marketing, as well as Home Team specialists and intelligence analysts who help to piece together various scam reports.
The unit will also comprise commercial affairs officers who will perform fund tracing; national service cybercrime operators; and uniformed police officers experienced in dealing with syndicates who are “prepared to take the fight” both locally and overseas.
Deputy commander of Cyber Command, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police (DAC) Gregory Kang said that the use of artificial intelligence to commit crimes is a trend that the police are concerned with.
“In the past, in order to commit cybercrimes, one had to be rather technically proficient. But as society evolves and becomes increasingly digital native, cyber criminals are also making use of technology to provide what we call cybercrime as a service,” he added.
“What this means is that in order to commit cybercrimes, one no longer needs to have deep expertise in cyber. Instead, with the means to procure packages that you can use to launch exploits, to pay for certain cybercrime-related services, it is much easier to do so than ever before.
“This is an area that we are concerned with, because it changes the mode of use, the ease of use, and the cost of use to commit criminal activities.”
CYBER SKILLS
The Cyber Command will strengthen investigation units and build up operations investigation intelligence capabilities, said SAC Wong.
A cyber operations centre will be established to disrupt online scam enablers that allow criminals to exploit people.
“The people will also be something special. We will … bring together dedicated schemes across the police force in order to strengthen our cyber capabilities,” said SAC Wong.
The new unit will recruit, train, and deploy both uniformed and civilian officers, with complementary skill sets for cyber investigations.
Under the Cyber Command, a more diverse talent pool of uniformed and civilian officers with specialised skill sets will work together across different roles such as investigations, cyber-threat hunting, and disruption.
The police will also expand the number of full-time national service cybercrime operators over time and establish a contingent of national servicemen specialising in scams and cybercrime-fighting capabilities.
DAC Kang said six civilian investigators have already been deployed within the cyber investigation branch, which will be part of the new unit.
“We will be growing this pool by close to another 10 officers this year, so that will bring the number closer to 15,” he added.
SAC Wong highlighted the National Scams List as an example of how the Cyber Command will work with partners.
The platform, developed with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, enables automatic real-time exchange of known scam enablers – such as bank accounts – with partners such as banks, empowering them to proactively identify and suspend potential scam accounts before they can be exploited.
Source: CNA/ng(mi)
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