A pregnant DBS banker Fionice Teoh foiled a $200,000 scam, highlighting the human fight against Singapore’s billion-dollar fraud crisis. (Photo: DBS Bank via Straits Times)

Singapore’s scam epidemic has cost victims billions since 2020. Behind the statistics are frontline heroes who stand between vulnerable customers and relentless fraudsters.

One such hero is DBS employee Fionice Teoh. Heavily pregnant at 38 weeks, she stopped an elderly woman from handing over nearly $200,000 to scammers, even as the victim shouted at her in frustration.

Teoh noticed the woman constantly on her phone, following instructions from unseen parties. Suspicious, she delayed the withdrawal and alerted DBS’s anti-scam team.

The woman, manipulated into believing her cash needed “examination” for money laundering, distrusted even police officers. Teoh’s persistence bought time for authorities to intervene, uncovering that the victim had already withdrawn $12,000 elsewhere.

Scammers in Singapore increasingly impersonate officials, exploiting fear and authority. Victims are pressured into secrecy, reporting their whereabouts daily to criminals who control their every move.

The scale is staggering: more than $4 billion lost since 2020, with impersonation scams alone draining $151.3 million in 2024. Authorities have responded with harsher penalties, including caning, to deter offenders.

Yet laws alone cannot stop scams. Frontline vigilance – the sharp eyes of bank tellers, the persistence of staff like Teoh – remains the most immediate defence. Their courage often comes under fire, as victims lash out in confusion and distrust.

In the end, Teoh’s intervention saved one woman’s life savings. The victim later returned with chocolates to thank her, a small gesture that underscores the human cost of scams and the quiet heroism of those who stop them.

Read on how the pregnant banker stops scam despite hostility from the victim here.