SINGAPORE - Do not fall prey to a new variant of scams involving the recruitment of Apple iOS "game testers", police cautioned on Friday (July 19).

Sounding the alert on such scams which have been reported overseas, police said fraudsters would use social media platforms such as Facebook to recruit unsuspecting victims, luring them to take up the job offer of "playing games" in exchange for lucrative payments.

The scammers would ask victims to log into their Apple ID account on their iPhone with a specific name and password, before activating the "lost mode" in the "find my iPhone" function. This causes the victim's iPhone to be locked.

The scammers would then extort money from their victims, promising that they would regain control of their phones after the money has been paid.

To avoid falling prey to such scams, police have advised members of the public not to log into accounts provided by unknown individuals or transfer money and personal information, such as bank and card details, to strangers.

Should your iPhone be locked by a scammer, Apple Support can be contacted here. Those who wish to provide information about such scams may call the police on 1800-255-0000, or send the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness

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