SINGAPORE - The police have warned the public of a scam involving a fake Singapore Police Force (SPF) website.
It is a variant of the impersonation of police officer scam, SPF said in a news release on Wednesday (April 19).
In the latest scam, victims typically receive calls from scammers claiming that their bank accounts contain excessively large amounts of money.
They are told that they are suspected of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering, and directed to a website link that bears resemblance to the SPF website.
Instructions are then given to provide confidential information such as credit card details and Internet banking details, under the guise of using them for investigation purposes.
However, it is actually a phishing site designed to extract personal information from the victims, resulting in "extensive monetary losses" in most reported cases.
The police clarified that the official website is www.police.gov.sg. The public are advised to take the following precautions if they receive unsolicited calls:
- Ignore the calls. Scammers may use Caller ID spoofing technology to mask the actual phone number and display a different number. Calls that appear to be from a local number may not actually be made from Singapore. If you receive a suspicious call from a local number, hang up, wait five minutes, then call the number back to check the validity of the request;
- Ignore instructions to remit or transfer money. No government agency will ask you to make a payment through a telephone call, especially to a third party's bank account;
- Refrain from giving out personal information and bank details, whether on the website or to callers over the phone. Personal information and bank details such as internet bank account usernames and passwords, OTP codes from tokens, are useful to criminals;
- If you have information related to such crimes or if you are in doubt, call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or submit the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. Dial 999 if you require urgent police assistance.
Scam-related advice is also available via the anti-scam helpline on 1800-722-6688.
