IMDA warns of fake survey on WhatsApp about online shopping

This article is more than 12 months old

Sep 15, 2023 09:58 pm

SINGAPORE – Received a survey on consumer attitudes towards online shopping purportedly by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Consumers Association of Singapore (Case)?

This is a scam, according to IMDA in a Facebook post on Friday.

IMDA warned of the message circulating via WhatsApp from a scammer who claimed to be conducting a survey on consumer’s attitudes towards online shopping on behalf of the authority and Case. The message promises a reward of $13 if the respondent completes the survey by answering “a few questions”.

“Members of the public are advised not to respond and to report and block the sender immediately before deleting the message,” it added.

Those who need scam-related advice can call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to scamalert.sg

The number of scam victims rose in the first half of 2023, with 22,339 scam cases logged, a 64.5 per cent increase from the 13,576 cases during the same period in 2022.

Scammer would list their contact numbers on property rental listings shared on social media platforms such as Facebook.

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However, the total amount victims lost in the first half of 2023 dropped slightly to $334.5 million, from $342.1 million during the same period in 2022.