SINGAPORE - A 22-year-old man had $49,500 transferred from his bank account without his consent after he gave his bank account details in a kidnapping scam.

He had earlier received a call informing him that he had been linked to an alleged kidnapping incident and was directed to two separate phishing websites, said the police in a statement on Wednesday (Oct 24).

He was instructed to key in his bank account details at each website and download a software to allow the computer to be accessed remotely. When he found out the money had been transferred, the man made a police report on Oct 17.

The police reminds the public to take the following precautions when receiving unsolicited calls, especially from strangers:

• Ignore the calls. Calls that seem to be from a local number may not be from Singapore due to spoofing technology. If you receive a suspicious call from a local number, hang up, wait for five minutes and call the number back to check its validity
• Look for signs you are visiting a secure website, which uses "https:" instead of "http:" at the start of the Internet address. Always type in the full URL of the bank into the address bar or use the official mobile banking app to ensure you are using legitimate services
• Refrain from giving out personal details, such as Internet bank account usernames and passwords
• Report suspicious transactions to your bank immediately
• Do not download software from untrustworthy sources
• Call a trusted friend or relative before you act so you are not overwhelmed by emotions.