The Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board has introduced two new anti-scam measures aimed at protecting members from increasingly sophisticated scam tactics, as cases and losses continue to rise nationwide.
Announced on Monday, February 2, the new features — the CPF Safety Switch and the Trusted Contact Notification Service — build on existing safeguards such as daily online withdrawal limits, biometric authentication for online nominations and a mandatory cooling-off period for increases in withdrawal limits.
The CPF Safety Switch is available to members aged 55 and above and allows them to immediately secure their CPF accounts if they suspect they have been targeted by scammers. Once activated, access to online CPF services via the website and mobile app will be disabled, all ongoing and future withdrawals will be halted, and disbursements to the member's registered bank account will be stopped.
The CPF Board said the measure is designed to prevent unauthorised transactions and protect personal information if a member's Singpass account has been compromised. Incoming CPF contributions, as well as recurring housing loan and insurance premium payments, will not be affected, ensuring that members' savings remain protected with minimal disruption to daily arrangements.
Eligible members can activate the CPF Safety Switch by calling the CPF hotline at 1800-227-1188. Deactivation can only be done in person at a CPF service centre or via the hotline during operating hours, to ensure additional security.
The second measure, the Trusted Contact Notification Service, allows CPF members aged 21 and above to nominate up to two trusted individuals who will receive copies of notifications after key CPF transactions are made, such as lump sum withdrawals for immediate retirement needs.
While members already receive transaction alerts through their registered contact channels, the CPF Board said this optional service adds another layer of protection by enabling family members or trusted individuals to help identify suspicious activity and step in early.
Trusted contacts who suspect a scam are encouraged to advise the member to contact their bank to freeze affected accounts, reset their Singpass, file a police report, inform the CPF Board and activate the CPF Safety Switch.
Members who do not plan to make CPF withdrawals in the near term can also activate the CPF Withdrawal Lock, which sets the daily withdrawal limit to zero as a preventive measure.
The rollout comes amid persistently high scam losses in Singapore. In the first half of 2025 alone, 19,665 scam cases were reported, with victims losing a total of S$456.4 million.
The CPF Board said it will continue to enhance its anti-scam measures and work closely with banks and government agencies to respond to evolving threats. Members are reminded to remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of calls or messages claiming to be from the CPF Board, as scammers often impersonate officials or use automated voice recordings.
The board added that legitimate calls from CPF are made only from the number 6227 1188.
