Written Answer to PQ by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng on educating MDWs against cyber scams

NOTICE PAPER NO. 751 OF 2021 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 11 OCTOBER 2021
QUESTION NO. 1207 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Christopher de Souza

To ask the Minister for Manpower whether more training can be given to migrant domestic workers to educate them against falling prey to cyber scams.

Answer

1 As part of the Settling-In-Programme (SIP) which all first-time Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) are required to attend, MDWs are educated on the appropriate actions to take in order not to fall prey to scams in Singapore. For example, MDWs are taught not to share their personal information or bank account credentials with anyone. They are also informed to seek help from the Singapore Police Force (SPF), MOM, or Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) when needed.

2 Beyond the SIP, reminders on scam alerts are also regularly disseminated to MDWs and their employers to raise awareness and reinforce key messages. For example, MOM has disseminated infographics in the MDW’s native languages in recent times to caution MDWs of calls impersonating as bank staff or government officials; as well as to seek the assistance of employers to inform their MDWs not to divulge their personal details through text messages, calls or emails when performing online transactions.

3 Other agencies have also undertaken efforts to reach out to the MDW community. For example, the SPF works closely with the NGOs and embassies to share anti-scam advisories whenever trends of online scams emerge. Where relevant, these advisories are translated into native languages for a more targeted outreach. The SPF also conducts talks to the MDW community to raise awareness on scams.

4 MOM will continue to work closely with SPF, NGOs and other relevant agencies and community partners to educate MDWs against falling preys to scams.