At least $16,000 lost to phishing scams involving YouTrip e-wallets in two months in Singapore
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
By obtaining the PIN, the scammers will be able to take over the victim’s YouTrip account.
PHOTO: YOUTRIP
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE - At least $16,000 has been lost to phishing scams involving e-wallets in the past two months.
The police said in a statement on Aug 15 that there have been at least 21 reported cases since June 14, and they involved the takeover of victims’ YouTrip accounts.
In this scam variant, victims would come across food-related advertisements or social media posts promoting discounted items such as durians.
Enticed by the promotions, victims would click on URL links in the posts that would redirect them to phishing websites.
Phishing is a type of scam where conmen deceive victims into revealing sensitive information such as bank login details.
In this latest scam variant, victims would then be prompted to key in their YouTrip card details, delivery details and phone numbers, to complete the purchase.
Scammers would use the victims’ phone number to log in to their YouTrip account, said the police.
Victims would receive a one-time password that they would key into the phishing site, under the assumption that this would authorise their purchase. They would then be prompted to input their six-digit YouTrip login PIN.
By obtaining the PIN, scammers would be able to take over the victim’s YouTrip account, said the police.
Victims will realise they have been scammed when they discover a takeover of their YouTrip account with unauthorised transactions made on it.
“Although the current spate of cases involves food-related promotions on social media platforms, scammers may evolve their tactics and narratives to lure potential victims,” said the police.
They advise the public not to enter their e-wallet login PIN on any platform or website, unless it is the e-wallet provider’s official mobile application or online platform.
If an unauthorised transaction is detected, victims should contact their financial institution immediately, added the police.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg
