Government AffairsAuthorities warn of a growing wave of e-commerce scams involving fraudulent cruise deals, fake booking sites and social media listings.

Cruise scams on the rise in Singapore

By Travel Weekly Asia

May 21, 2026

Singapore authorities have cautioned the public to only book cruise packages from the official website of cruise operators or licensed travel agents. Photo Credit: iStock/Moor Studio

The rapid growth of cruise demand and e-commerce bookings across Asia is fuelling a parallel rise in scams targeting cruise travellers.

The latest? E-commerce scams targeting the sale of cruise packages in Singapore.

Fake cruise deals on social media

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued an advisory after receiving over 40 reports of e-commerce scams involving the sale of cruise packages. Losses have hit at least S$53,000 (US$41,305) since 1 April.

According to the SPF, these victims would come across listings of cruise packages on social media platforms such as Facebook.

Once they respond, scammers would convince the victims to carry on their conversations on WhatsApp.

To confirm the packages, victims would be asked to make payment via PayNow QR codes. In some cases, scammers would request further payments for additional fees such as taxes and fuel charges.

Some scammers also issued fake cruise itineraries and booking confirmations, with victims only discovering the fraud after checking directly with cruise operators through official communication channels or after being alerted by the police.

StarDream Cruises warns of fraudulent websites

In response to the growing issue, StarDream Cruises posted an advisory on 18 May, warning travellers of “fraudulent websites that are selling our cruise packages under our StarDream Cruises name”.

The company urged customers to book only through its official channels or licensed travel agents.

Additionally, the SPF cautioned the public to be wary of e-commerce scam red flags – such as sellers offering large discounts in exchange for faster transactions or transferring money to unknown individuals or whose identities they did not verify.

The latest list of licensed travel agents in Singapore can be found on the Singapore Tourism Board’s Travel Agents & Tourist Guides Licensing System (TRUST) website at https://trust.stb.gov.sg.

Consumers who suspect scams or fraudulent activity can also contact Singapore’s 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799.