Building his cryptocurrency holdings over eight years and helping out defrauded traders, Singaporean investor Mark Koh had thought he was savvy enough to spot a scam. Until he fell prey to one.

Fraudsters wiped out his entire portfolio last year ¡ª a total loss of around US$120,000 or $130,000, Koh estimates ¡ª leaving him with a sense of ¡°profound shame.¡±

Singapore¡¯s high incomes, hyperconnectivity and public trust in institutions have long made it a prime target for scammers.