Previously, government agencies used various office landlines and mobile numbers for outgoing calls, making it difficult for citizens to authenticate the source of a call. Under the new protocol, every call from the SPF will be followed by an automated SMS sent from the official “gov.sg” SMS Sender ID. This message will contain instructions on how to contact the SPF for further assistance via the official feedback portal or the feedback hotline at 1800-358-0000. The number 6000 0999 is strictly for outgoing calls; it cannot receive incoming calls and will not be used on messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
The initiative is part of a broader Whole-of-Government effort developed jointly by the SPF, Open Government Products (OGP), the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). The move addresses the specific threat of government official impersonation scams (GOIS). From January to September 2026, authorities reported at least 1,310 cases involving the impersonation of police officers, resulting in financial losses of at least S$53.3 million. During the same period, there were at least 3,230 reported cases of scams involving the impersonation of any government official, with total losses amounting to at least S$142.5 million.
Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo had previously stated in July that the government is developing systems for all agencies to use phone numbers with a common prefix. The SPF is piloting this approach, with the government intending to progressively extend similar recognisable caller IDs to other agencies. Future implementations are expected to include recognisable caller names on the display to further assist the public in verifying the authenticity of government calls.
The authorities advise the public to remain vigilant and not assume a caller is a government official solely based on knowledge of personal details, such as names or NRIC numbers. Citizens are encouraged to verify the identity of callers through official agency channels. For those in doubt, the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline is available at 1799 to check the legitimacy of phone numbers.
