MOH warns of scams as S'pore begins vaccination drive

MOH put up a notice to urge people to be wary of scams regarding the vaccine. PHOTOS: GRACE CHNG, UNSPLASH

As invitations roll out by text message for some to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations, scammers are getting in on the act to dupe members of the public.

Text messages, purportedly from a pharmaceutical company approved to provide the Covid-19 vaccine, have asked recipients to click on a link or make a phone call to schedule appointments for vaccination.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) last Thursday put up a notice urging people to be wary of such scams and to verify the authenticity of text messages before providing personal or financial information.

"The text messages are not from MOH, and MOH did not approve any pharmaceutical company to contact anyone directly. We urge recipients not to respond to the messages," the notice said.

Ms Grace Chng, 65, a writer, received such a message last Tuesday. It was from a number she did not recognise and bore the name "CHUANXIN".

The message, which read "Modena, an American pharmaceutical company, has been approved to provide you with Covid-19 vaccine", instructed her to message another number on WhatsApp for registration. She did not do so.

Singapore has kicked off its nationwide vaccination drive, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong among those receiving the jab last Friday. MOH has started sending out SMS invitations to those who are eligible to register for the vaccination, starting with healthcare workers.

Those who receive invitations should check that the link in the SMS ends with ".gov.sg" before clicking on it, said the ministry on its website.

They should also not forward messages to others, as each invitation is unique, it added.

MOH has also warned of another scam in which calls or text messages falsely inform recipients that they have been in close proximity to someone who tested positive for Covid-19.

These messages request personal or financial information in return for a test kit and results.

Those who wish to verify the authenticity of such messages, or who have more questions about the Covid-19 vaccination exercise, can call the MOH hotline on 1800-333-9999.

  • Spotting a scam

  • • No government agency will request banking account log-in details or personal particulars over the phone.

    • Ignore calls from unknown numbers. Scammers may mask their actual phone numbers and display a different number using ID-spoofing technology. All incoming international calls are prefixed with a plus sign.

    • Stay vigilant when receiving unexpected international calls, and reject those with spoof local numbers.

    • Never disclose personal or Internet banking details and one-time passwords to anyone.

    • For more information on scams, go to the Scam Alert website or call the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.

    Jean Iau

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 11, 2021, with the headline MOH warns of scams as S'pore begins vaccination drive. Subscribe