Singapore ranks fourth in dealing with tech support scams globally

Singapore, however, still trails behind Japan (65%), China (57%) and Germany (48%).

Nearly half (43%) of Singaporeans opt to shun interactions with tech support scams which makes it the fourth most savvy country in terms of response to such cyberthreats, according to Microsoft’s Global Tech Support Scam Research.

Singapore, however, still trails behind Japan (65%), China (57%) and Germany (48%).

The number of reported tech support scams in Singapore which may range from an unsolicited call, redirect to a website unsolicited email or a pop-up ad or window fell from 65% in 2016 to 57% in 2018, suggesting citizens’ enhanced attitudes towards fraudulent activity.

As a result, the number of respondents who admitted to losing money from tech support scams fell to 4% in 2018 from 7% in 2016.

“Heightened skepticism and distrust about potential tech support scams contributed to better outcomes for consumers,” Microsoft added. “Unsolicited contact has become a red flag for consumers that signals a potential scam.”

When dissected down to demographic groups, millennials in Singapore who are aged between 24 and 37 were highlighted as the most prone to tech support scams, followed by Gen X which are users aged 38 to 53. Across genders, male consumers were also found to be more vulnerable compared to females, the research noted.

Microsoft attributed this vulnerability to these demographic groups being more trusting which may result from a lack of experience or differing expectations with technology.

“Whilst consumers in Singapore have shown that they are increasingly more knowledgeable about tech support scams, it is important to note that tech support scam methods will continue to evolve,” Microsoft Singapore’s chief technology officer Richard Koh said in a statement

Globally, three in five people experienced a tech support scam, whilst one in five have lost money to fraudsters globally in the past year, the report revealed.

The research was conducted by Microsoft’s Digital Crimes unit with 16,048 respondents across 16 countries, including 1,000 from Singapore.