41 people conned out of $203,000 in movie ticket scam
At least 41 individuals fell prey to a movie ticket scam here and lost a total of $203,000 this month.
The police said yesterday the scam was linked to companies with "Filmgo" in their names.
Victims were invited to participate in a job commission scheme over messaging platforms such as MiChat and WeChat.
Filmgo Production and Filmgo Digital were part of the scheme that tricked the victims into thinking they could earn a commission by buying and selling movie tickets.
The victims were told to create accounts on Filmgo websites and download mobile applications to use the service more conveniently.
They would then be required to top up their accounts to fund the purchase of the movie tickets and to receive commission from ticket sales.
Payments were made into bank accounts provided by the scammers.
CONVINCED
As their Filmgo accounts indicated that commissions could be earned only after the completion of the job, the victims were convinced of the legitimate nature of their work.
They realised they were scammed only after they were unable to withdraw funds from their accounts.
A quick search by The Straits Times revealed that Filmgo Digital is a sole proprietorship with its business activity listed as a wholesaler of electronic components.
The company is listed as having been created on Nov 5.
The police advise the public not to accept dubious job offers that promise lucrative returns for minimal effort, to avoid downloading applications from unverified sources, and to not send money to anyone they do not know or have not met in person.
For more information on scams, visit the Scam Alert website at scamalert.sg or call the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.
The public is also advised to call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 if they have information about a crime, or to submit a report online at the Singapore Police Force's website. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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