Singapore – YouTube announced at the second iteration of the ‘Creators for Impact’ programme that local YouTuber Naomi Neo has been selected to work with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on a film intended to raise awareness against scams.
Neo’s idea of using humour to highlight how vulnerable people are to scams. It was noteworthy for its ability to convey important lessons in an entertaining way. She will collaborate with Minister of State Sun Xueling on this specialised content in order to provide readers with even more insightful advice on how to avoid falling victim to internet scams.
As part of the program’s efforts to increase consumer knowledge on scam prevention, a collection of anti-scam videos created by local YouTube creators were shown at the event, which was attended by Sun Xueling, Minister of State for the Ministries of home affairs and social and family development.
The Creators for Impact programme, which was supported by the Ministry of Communications and Information and launched in July 2023 in partnership with MHA, focuses on solving the critical problem of scams in Singapore. The reported number of scam cases increased by 64.5% to 22,339 cases in the first half of 2023, compared to 13,576 cases during the same period last year, according to the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Mid-Year Scams and Cybercrime Brief.
Over the course of two months, Creators for Impact worked with 12 local creative channels in support of the national anti-scam programme, “I Can ACT Against Scams,” to develop videos that were intended to raise public awareness and vigilance against scammers. These films include first-hand narratives from scam victims given via podcasts, analysis of the tactics used by con artists from The Astute Parent, and concrete actions people can take to stay alert and protect their families and themselves against scams.
YouTube and MHA launched an open appeal to the larger local YouTube creator community as part of Creators for Impact. The goal is to get more ideas for videos that can improve Singaporeans’ awareness of online scams and their level of participation with it.
Speaking about the initiative, Ajay Vidyasagar, managing director for YouTube Southeast Asia and Emerging Market, said, “Impactful content always has a home on YouTube as we strive to help people stay informed about important issues in society. Our creators know best that knowledge is key to combating online scams, and through their strong responses to the program, we continue to be inspired by their creativity and commitment to impart important know-hows in engaging ways. This is testament to the resolve of our local creator community to use their voice for good through storytelling, and we hope more will join this effort to build a more secure digital world for all Singaporeans.”
Meanwhile, Sun Xueling, Minister of State at Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Social and Family Development, said, “Scams continue to be a key concern in Singapore. With progress in technology, scam operations can easily be scaled up via online means. Scammers are also becoming more adept at using technology to cover their tracks. The Government cannot fight scams alone – we need the community to step up and take actionable steps to prevent scams in Singapore. I am heartened to see our content creators stepping up to this important task of engaging different segments of the population to amplify anti-scam messages within their communities. This partnership with Google underscores the Government’s unwavering commitment to combat scams, through cultivating a vigilant and discerning public capable of ACT-ing against scams.”
