Hougang NPC video on love scams goes viral worldwide, fans include American TV host Bobby Berk and actor Andie Chen
A video posted by the official social media accounts of the Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre on Apr 1 has since gone viral worldwide, racking up millions of views and adoring comments.
The 22-second-long video by the Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre in Singapore features ASP Benjamin Cheah playing with viewers' expectations to demonstrate the dangers of online scams. (Photos: Instagram/hougangnpc)
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A video about love scams by the Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre in Singapore has now gained fans from all over the world within a week of its upload. The 22-second-long video, posted on Apr 1, features police officer ASP Benjamin Cheah cleverly playing on viewers' expectations by misdirecting them.
He starts the video by holding a cup and showing that it's empty, before revealing that he wasn't even the one lifting the item. In another twist, Cheah reveals that he had not been speaking in the video up till that point; he had been lip-syncing to a pre-recorded voice message.
The lesson behind these twists and turns: "Don't believe everything you see online."
Cheah then introduces the final twist, "Because what you see is not even the real me," revealing that viewers had been watching a reflection of him the entire time.
Initially popular in Singapore, the video has crossed borders and amassed a global audience, racking up over 5 million views on Instagram alone and going viral on Reddit – with media outlets from Taiwan and Malaysia also covering the story.
Viewers have lauded the video for its creativity in delivering an important message, with one Reddit commenter writing, "That’s a great ad. I’m impressed," while another stated: "Singapore Police has got a great media department, it seems."
Others admitted they were smitten by Cheah's good looks.
One such fan is Emmy Award-winning American media personality Bobby Berk, who commented: "I did it, officer. Take me in."
Other famous faces who have praised the video include actors Andie Chen and Jaze Phua, with the former commenting: "This level of social media awareness is next level."
Even the Taobao Singapore social media account joined in on the fun, jokingly asking: "So what is the colour of the cup?" – a tongue-in-cheek nod to Cheah’s good looks.
This isn't Benjamin Cheah's first time starring in a viral video for the Singapore Police Force. Back in 2024, Cheah appeared in a video celebrating Police Day, which featured him doing dips while upside down.
Similarly, there was a slew of excited comments then, with many viewers begging Cheah to arrest them.
