Be on your guard against fake UOB phishing scam that uses the real app: Police

There has been a recent spate of victims being cheated after responding to SMSes supposedly sent by UOB, with seven reports lodged this month alone. PHOTOS: FACEBOOK/BEELENG KAYA NOVEM

SINGAPORE - The police on Tuesday (Jan 16) warned the public against falling for a phishing scam run by scammers posing as United Overseas Bank.

There has been a recent spate of victims being cheated after responding to SMSes supposedly sent by UOB, with seven reports lodged this month alone.

Victims who made the reports said they were cheated of at least S$20,000. One person was cheated of S$5,400. The amounts include Euros and Romanian currency.

The SMS sent to the victims informed them of a new account notification. The message included a link uob-mob.com, and invited the victims to click on it.

Victims were directed to a website resembling the actual UOB site, where they were asked to enter their personal information and credit card details such as their credit card number, date of expiry and card verification value.

Meanwhile, the scammers had downloaded the UOB Mighty app, a legitimate app by the actual bank.

With the app, the scammers entered the details provided by the victims.

The victims received a One-Time Password (OTP) on their mobile phones, which they were prompted to key into the website.

They later received SMS notifications informing them about foreign transactions made on their credit cards.

The police recommended the following preventive measures:

- Be wary when you are asked to disclose your personal information and bank account details over the Internet;

- Beware of phishing websites that may look genuine. Look for signs that you are using a legitimate or secure website. These websites are generally encrypted to protect your details.

- Secure websites use "https" instead of "http" at the start of the Internet address, or display a closed padlock or unbroken key icon at the bottom right corner of your browser window; and

- Report any fraudulent charges detected in your credit card bills to your bank immediately.

For more scam-related advice, visit www.scamalert.sg or call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688.

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