At least $51,000 lost to online job scams linked to Pokemon trading cards this year

SINGAPORE – The public is reminded to stay vigilant against job scams, with reports of con jobs that involve online tasks linked to digital Pokemon trading cards.

In an advisory on Feb 5, the police said there have been at least seven reported cases of such scams since Jan 1, with total losses of at least $51,600.

These victims would receive unsolicited calls from Malaysian phone numbers on a job opportunity involving online tasks.

They would be asked to register for an account and deposit cryptocurrency to the account on a fraudulent website. With their deposit, the victims would then be able to select digital Pokemon trading cards on the website and “earn” a commission based on the value of the card.

The commission would be “deposited” into their account on the website. Victims would later come across high-value cards, which would require them to make larger deposits on the website before they could “earn” the commission.

In some cases, the victims would be left with negative account balances, and asked to make more deposits to restore their accounts. They would realise they had been scammed only when they were unable to withdraw their “earnings” from the website.

The public is advised to use the ScamShield app to guard against scam calls and messages.

Those who come across potential scams can also verify them with official sources, such as the ScamShield Helpline on 1799. The authenticity of messages, phone numbers and website links that appear fraudulent can also be verified with the ScamShield app or at www.scamshield.gov.sg

“Do not accept dubious job offers that offer lucrative returns for minimal effort,” warned the police.

Those who come across scams should alert the authorities, and their family and friends. They should call their bank immediately to report and block any fraudulent transactions and lodge a police report.