SINGAPORE - Beware of a fraudulent website using Manpower Minister Josephine Teo's name to solicit personal or financial information from users.

Mrs Teo warned members of the public of the website in a Facebook post on Wednesday evening (May 15).

She said that the website attributed comments to her in order to get users to sign up for an online platform, provide their credit card or bank details and to make a deposit.

Calling the website "highly deceptive and misleading", she added that it mixed some facts about the updated Employment Act to trick readers into believing the whole post.

She said that all statements attributed to her about launching the online platform were completely false.

One Facebook user commented on her post, saying that she could not tell it was fake, but realised when Mrs Teo's surname was misspelt.

"I urge members of the public to exercise extreme caution and to avoid providing any financial and personal information to the online platform, which may be operating outside of Singapore," said Mrs Teo, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs.

She added that the problem of deliberate falsehoods is serious.

Anyone who suspects that an investment could be fraudulent or misused for other unlawful activities should report such cases to the police, she advised.

Last week, Parliament passed a comprehensive piece of legislation to combat fake news after a marathon two-day debate.

The new law is designed to give the Government the tools to deal with falsehoods on the Internet that can go viral in a matter of minutes and cause untold harm, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said then.

In March, Mr Shanmugam also advised the public to be vigilant in the wake of fake Instagram and Facebook accounts impersonating him.