SINGAPORE, Nov 1 — Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat has issued a warning to the public regarding fake Facebook profiles impersonating him.
In a post on October 30, he advised individuals to be cautious when receiving friend requests or messages from accounts claiming to be him, according to a report published in The Straits Times yesterday.
“Recently, I have noticed a few fake Facebook profiles that are pretending to be me.
“This scammer went as far as to add Friends as well as send Friend requests to those in my network,” DPM Heng noted in his post.
“Please do not be fooled by these impersonation accounts!”
He emphasised the importance of verifying accounts, stating that his official Facebook and Instagram profiles carry a blue checkmark, signifying their authenticity.
Heng’s verified handle is @hengsweekeat, without any spaces or numbers.
He encouraged anyone encountering fake accounts to report them directly on the platform and thanked those who have already alerted him about such scams.
This warning follows Heng’s earlier alert in June regarding a phishing email scam using his name, highlighting a growing trend of impersonation scams targeting government officials.
Other prominent figures in Singapore, such as Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon, have also been victims of similar fake accounts.
Deepfake scams have exploited the likenesses of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, while ads featuring Opposition Leader Pritam Singh’s name and image have surfaced online.
