134 victims lose $375,000 in just over a month to govt agency impersonation scams
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Victims received unsolicited phone calls or in-app video calls, allegedly from government agencies.
PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
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SINGAPORE – At least 134 people lost $375,000 to impersonation scams involving supposed government agencies between June 1 and July 12, the police said on Monday.
The scam involves victims receiving unsolicited phone calls or in-app video calls, allegedly from government agencies such as the Singapore Police Force or the Ministry of Manpower, the police added.
The scammers would claim that there were issues with the victim’s bank accounts which required additional verification.
Victims would then be asked for their banking or personal information such as banking credentials and one-time passwords (OTPs) to resolve these issues.
They may also be asked to show their identity card, work permit or bank cards over the in-app video call.
The victims would discover that they have been scammed only when they see unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts.
The police advised the public to download the ScamShield app and set security features, such as enabling two-factor or multifactor authentication for banks, and transaction limits on Internet banking transactions, including PayNow and PayLah.
Before sharing banking credentials over the phone or WhatsApp, people should check with authorised sources because the police will not ask for banking credentials and OTPs over the phone or WhatsApp, the police said.
The police added that people should report the phone number to WhatsApp to initiate in-app blocking.
If banking details have been disclosed, people should report it to the bank immediately.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg
