The Scam Radar – Measuring Scam Susceptibility Through a Novel Assessment Tool

Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, often leveraging psychological manipulation that can deceive even well-informed individuals. Singapore, despite its high levels of digital literacy and regulatory vigilance, has recorded one of the highest scam-related financial losses per capita globally, with investment scams accounting for the largest share locally. As scammers continue to evolve their tactics, there is an urgent need for robust, evidence-based tools that can help identify individuals most at risk and guide more targeted and effective prevention strategies.

In collaboration with the Behavioural Insights and Research Unit at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, this project develops a locally grounded measure of scam susceptibility tailored to the Singapore context. The systematic validation of the tool will offer both an immediately actionable product for local implementation and a scalable methodological framework. By integrating behavioural science with local data and insights, this project contributes to a new generation of scam prevention strategies which are not only responsive to the psychological mechanisms of scam compliance, but also adaptable across diverse social and cultural settings.