The nexus of scam and fake news: An exploratory study of cases of fake news-scams in Singapore

The increasing prevalence of fake news as well as scams has been a cause for concern for authorities in Singapore in recent years. In particular, the concurrent rise in fake news and online scams has shown signs of convergence in the form of fake news-scams, where false information is manipulated and employed in scams. However, literature examining this emerging phenomenon is scarce. As such, this study aims to deepen our understanding of this novel issue by exploring how scammers employ fake news in terms of type, channels of transmission, and persuasion techniques. Drawing from local case studies ( n = 90) collected from 2016 to 2021, it was found that authority appeals were the most common theme employed in fake news-scams, and persuasion cues of authority were the most prevalent. In addition, Facebook was identified as the most common channel of transmission in the spread of fake news-scams. These findings serve to inform anti-scam prevention measures by local authorities and suggestions are made as to how various stakeholders (e.g. authorities, companies, and individuals) can be involved in dealing with fake news-scams.