IN THE space of six months this year, employees at POSB branches foiled 14 attempts at kidnap scams, saving customers from being cheated of thousands of dollars.

Staff at eight bank branches spotted scam victims in time. All the victims had been told that a family member had been kidnapped and they would have to withdraw a ransom of between $8,000 and $80,000 to secure their release.

Bogus call, real scam FOURTEEN kidnap scam attempts were foiled by alert POSB bank staff from April to September, but by the first half of this year, 21 people had already been cheated out of a total of $322,000. In the case of the foiled scams, victims were asked to transfer from $8,000 to $80,000 for the safe return of a kidnapped relative. ... more

The POSB's Nanyang Estate branch in Jurong West Street 92 topped them all in spotting potential victims.

Between April and September, staff at the branch prevented five customers from being conned through some sharp-eyed deduction.

The branch's service manager, Madam Tan Cheng Kim, said it helped that staff at the branch were familiar with their regular customers.

Madam Tan, 48, who has been at the Nanyang Estate branch for 17 years, said: 'We know our regulars very well and can notice anything out of the ordinary.'

The antenna goes up, for example, if a customer who is usually chatty and jovial arrives all flustered and snappy.

Or if someone who usually withdraws small sums suddenly asks for a big money transfer.

Two telltale signs: Remitting the money to an overseas account; or the customer has her cellphone plastered to her ear the entire time that the transaction is being made.

In April, a regular customer came to the Nanyang Estate branch and wanted to withdraw $12,000.

The counter officer, recognising the woman as someone who usually took out small amounts each time, asked if anything was wrong.

The woman, a 50-year-old housewife, scribbled on the withdrawal slip: 'My son has been kidnapped.'

Madam Tan and branch manager Wong Woon Khee, 29, ushered the woman, a mother of three children aged 20, 25 and 27, upstairs.

They communicated with her in writing so that the conmen, who were waiting on the line of her cellphone, could not hear them.

When they finally contacted the woman's son and determined that he was safe, they advised the family to call the police to make a report.

Madam Tan, herself a mother of two teenagers, said: 'We're glad that we prevented our clients from falling prey to criminals and they are very grateful.'

Last year, four people fell victim to these kidnap phone scams, losing $80,000 between them.

In the first half of this year, 21 people have already been cheated of a total of $322,000.

Victims typically get a phone call informing them that a family member has been kidnapped and would be harmed if a ransom is not paid. The call may include someone screaming, which makes victims believe their relative is being hurt.

Sometimes, victims are told that their 'kidnapped' relative has not repaid illegal loans which must be settled.

But it takes vigilance to keep one step ahead of scammers, who are modifying their tactics now to foil those who have become wise to them.

They now no longer insist on having the 'ransom' remitted to an overseas account and ask the victim to withdraw the money and await further instructions on how to make payment.

They ask the victim to stay on his cellphone, but ask that it be kept out of sight, like in the pocket, rather than stuck to the ear.

The husband of the woman who was almost cheated at the Nanyang Estate branch in April, said he had read previous reports in The Straits Times about such kidnap scams and had cautioned his wife not to fall for it when she called him after receiving the call.

Giving his name as only Mr Lee, the 52-year-old quality control officer said: 'But she panicked, and being fearful for the safety of our son, decided to do what the kidnappers ordered her to do.'

khush@sph.com.sg