134 victims lose $375,000 in just over a month to govt agency impersonation scams
At least 134 people lost $375,000 to impersonation scams involving government agencies between June 1 and July 12, the police said on Monday.
The police explained that victims would receive unsolicited phone calls or in-app video calls, allegedly from government agencies such as the Singapore Police Force (SPF) or the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The scammers would claim that there were issues with the victim’s bank accounts and required additional verification.
Victims would then be asked for their banking or personal information such as banking credentials and one-time passwords (OTPs) to resolve these issues.
They may also be asked to show their identity cards, work permit or their bank cards over the in-app video call. The victims would only discover that they had been scammed when they see unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts.
The police advised the public to download the ScamShield app and set security features, such as enabling two-factor (2FA), or multifactor authentication for banks and set transaction limits on internet banking transactions, including PayNow and PayLah.
Before giving out banking credentials over the telephone or WhatsApp, people should check with authorised sources because the police will not ask for banking credentials and OTP over the telephone or WhatsApp.
The police added that people should report the number to WhatsApp to initiate in-app blocking. If banking details have been disclosed, people should report it to the bank immediately.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now