PM Lee warns against fake Covid-19 e-mail purportedly sent by him
An e-mail about the Covid-19 outbreak purportedly sent by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is fake and the public should not respond to or forward it.
Mr Lee warned of the fake e-mail, which has been circulating online, in a Facebook post yesterday, and said he has reported it to the police.
The e-mail claims to have been sent on behalf of the Government by Mr Lee using his personal e-mail account.
It gives an update on the virus outbreak and encourages people to respond with contributions and thoughts.
Warning that it is a phishing scam, Mr Lee urged people to be careful and to stay safe online.
He wrote: "These are unscrupulous characters trying to exploit the current crisis to dupe you... If you receive such an e-mail, do not respond to it.
"Also do not provide any personal information. And please do not forward it to your friends and family."
Last Friday, the Health Ministry warned of scammers using automated voice calls, or impersonating its staff members and contact tracing personnel, to ask for personal information including financial details.
HSBC said last Tuesday it is investigating a phishing e-mail allegedly sent to its credit card customers who have been impacted by Covid-19.
The e-mail claimed to offer a cash incentive if recipients clicked on a link and completed a form.
Since the start of the year, the police have also nabbed at least 18 people over alleged e-commerce scams related to the sale of face masks.
Earlier this month, international policing body Interpol urged the public to be cautious when buying medical supplies online, with fake shops, websites, social media accounts and e-mail addresses popping up.
Other schemes reported by its member countries include phone calls claiming to be from clinics or hospitals, and e-mails claiming to be from national or global health authorities.
Interpol said targeted victims of these frauds were primarily located in Asia, but the criminals have used bank accounts from other regions such as Europe to appear legitimate.
As of March 13, it has assisted with 30 coronavirus-related scams with links to Asia and Europe, blocked 18 bank accounts and frozen more than US$730,000 (S$1 million) in suspected fraudulent transactions.
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