CNA’s Steven Chia warns Singaporeans after his image was used in scam article

SINGAPORE: Steven Chia, the popular presenter from CNA, took to social media to warn the public about a fake news article that featured his image. The piece appears to be a money-making scheme for the people behind it, but it could lead to people losing money in a scam.

On June 15, he posted a screenshot of the piece, which showed a picture of him alongside one of DBS CEO Tan Su Shan.

The piece, dated June 14, was supposed to have been written by CNA correspondent Lydia Lam and carries the title “‘You are simply robbing Singaporean families!’ — CNA’s Money Mind ended in scandal: Steven Chia forced the CEO of DBS Group to lead the studio in anger on live air.”

The screenshot showed that Mr Chia had allegedly accused banks in Singapore of hiding a way for ordinary people to grow wealthy “while damaging the interests of the banks.”

The CNA presenter warned in the caption: “Take note! Another fake scam has come up. If you see this please don’t believe any of it and do not share it with others!”

On Tuesday (June 16), he put up another post, saying that some commenters had asked what the scam was about, and he provided more screenshots, including one that was supposedly from The Straits Times, by way of an explanation.

The piece used CNA, which Mr Chia noted was named as Singapore’s most trusted news source according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026, as well as Mr Chia, one of the city-state’s most recognisable journalists.

“A fake story is then created with some drama and excitement (check out my bloody nose!) about how banks are ‘robbing us’.  And while I’m calling the banks out, it just so happens that I also know how you can really make money! So I share this information. This is, of course, backed by fake testimonials of others who have made money from it too,” he wrote.

Mr Chia added that the photos look genuine, making it difficult for people to discern if they are real or not. However, he pointed out the signs that the story had been fabricated, such as the appearance of the ST logo when the story was supposed to have come from CNA, the fact that he and Ms Tan were wearing different clothes in a photo that was supposed to be the same interview, and that he was wearing a watch in some of the pictures, which he never does in real life.

“Just remember, no one should ever tell you they have a guaranteed way to make money because there is no such thing!” Mr Chia warned, adding that if anyone is unsure about something that he supposedly said, they could ask him about it.

“Always check, especially before you give money away! Stay safe, my friends!” he wrote. /TISG

Read also: Beware of scams! Singapore police reported over 3,000 fraud cases in May, resulting in nearly $67 million losses