CyberXCenter CEO quoted on Straitstimes: How do scammers exploit government directories

https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/st-explains-how-do-scammers-exploit-government-directories-and-how-to-stop-it

SINGAPORE – An online directory containing the names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and job titles of Singapore public officers has been pared down in ongoing attempts to counter government impersonation scams.

The move comes after government official impersonation scams more than doubled to 3,363 cases in 2025 from 1,504 cases the year before.

CyberXCenter CEO Matthias Yeo was asked how this move could help deter scammers.

The following is his quote:

Mr Matthias Yeo, chief executive of Singapore-based cybersecurity research company CyberXCenter, suggested that agencies use a general e-mail address to communicate with the public instead of publishing individual officers’ e-mail addresses.

“When people are used to communicating through a generic official e-mail, they are more likely to question an e-mail that suddenly claims to come from a specific officer,” said Yeo.