Maybank Singapore turns scam tactics into calligraphy artworks

Maybank Singapore is turning familiar phrases used by scammers into calligraphy artworks, attaching reported financial losses to each piece in a campaign designed to encourage the public to pause and question what they are told before acting.

Called “The most expensive words”, the campaign features phrases such as “Do you remember me?”, “High returns, zero risk” and “Send me the OTP”, highlighting how seemingly ordinary language can be used to build trust, create urgency and manipulate financial decisions.

Launched on 23 October, the free public exhibition runs until 1 November at the Fashion Gallery, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) Campus 2. Each artwork carries a “price” representing the reported losses associated with its respective scam category, drawing attention to the financial consequences behind the words.

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According to the Singapore Police Force’s Annual Scam and Cybercrime Brief 2025, Singapore recorded 37,308 scam cases and approximately S$913.1 million in reported losses last year. While the number of cases fell 27.6% and total losses declined 17.9% from 2024, 81.8% of scam cases involved self-effected transfers, in which victims were manipulated into transferring money themselves.

Annie Lee, head of country corporate office at Maybank Singapore, said the creative insight stemmed from how scams often begin with language that sounds familiar, reassuring or urgent rather than overtly suspicious. Phrases that appear harmless in isolation can be used to establish credibility or pressure people into acting before they have verified a request.

“Scams can affect anyone, regardless of age, so we wanted this to be as inclusive a campaign as possible,” she said. 

Calligraphy was chosen to encourage audiences to pay closer attention to the words and their meanings. The approach draws on xi zi, a practice of learning through repeated writing, in which attention is paid to the form and meaning of each word. By applying this practice to scam awareness, the campaign invites visitors to slow down, look again and reconsider familiar phrases in the context in which they are used. 

As Lee puts it:

The scam variants may evolve, but many continue to rely on the same triggers of trust, urgency and fear. Recognising those triggers is an important first step in protecting ourselves and those around us.

The works are presented in both Chinese and English, with the English pieces marking the first time calligrapher and NAFA Centre for Lifelong Education (NAFA CLE) educator Tan Puay Hock has produced calligraphy artworks in the language. The bilingual approach aims to preserve the tradition and discipline of calligraphy while making the campaign accessible to a broader audience.

The exhibition focuses on five scam categories with the highest reported case volumes in Singapore in 2025: eCommerce scams, phishing scams, job scams, investment scams and government-official impersonation scams. The phrases reflect familiar language and approaches associated with these categories, including attempts to build trust, manufacture urgency or present offers that appear unusually attractive.

The figures displayed alongside the artworks represent reported 2025 losses for the relevant scam categories, rather than losses attributable to individual phrases. By presenting the figures as price tags, the campaign makes the collective financial cost of scams more tangible and reinforces the importance of pausing, checking and verifying before acting.

The campaign was created in collaboratin with NAFA CLE, Sweatshop Agency and Ampersand Advisory. Sweatshop led the creative concept and execution, including the exhibition and supporting campaign content. NAFA CLE contributed its artistic and educational expertise, working with Tan to develop the calligraphy artworks, while Ampersand Advisory leads communications and media engagement.

Beyond the physical exhibition, Maybank intends for “The most expensive words” to become a sustained public-education campaign rather than a one-off activation. The bank plans to amplify the initiative through media engagement, social media content and digital storytelling, including campaign visuals and videos that explain the scam tactics behind the featured phrases.

Plans are also underway to display the artworks at Maybank branches, bringing the messages closer to customers and members of the public. Looking further ahead, Maybank intends to work with its campaign partners to explore opportunities to incorporate the artworks and their scam-prevention messages into public service and community outreach initiatives in 2027. These efforts could extend the campaign beyond the bank's own locations and reach wider segments of the community.

“The current exhibition is therefore only the beginning,” Lee said. “Our intention is to continue building on the campaign across different platforms, locations and partnerships, so that its message remains visible and relevant beyond the initial exhibition period.”

Maybank Singapore has previously used humour to tackle scam awareness through its “Let’s lay off scammers” campaign in 2024. The campaign featured a series of videos depicting scammers struggling when their usual tactics failed, using a lighter approach to encourage the public to be more alert to scam attempts.

Other brands have also explored creative ways to make scam prevention more accessible. Meta, for instance, partnered with youth-focused creative platform EYEYAH! in 2025 on an educational initiative that used visual storytelling to help yonger audiences recognise online scams and understand digital safety risks.

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