Police warn of scam targeting BigPay users

Police said the caller may share fake BigPay employee ID to reinforce that they were working for the services provider. PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

SINGAPORE - Users of digital payment services provider BigPay are being advised to keep a lookout for scammers targeting them.

In a statement on Tuesday (Aug 31), police said that scammers would impersonate BigPay staff to convince would-be victims to provide their personal details.

These unsolicited calls are made from unknown numbers via WhatsApp.

The users are then told they are being assisted in a new card application or informed of issues with their BigPay accounts.

The scammers want the BigPay account details and one-time password or bank account details.

They may do this by getting the BigPay user to fill an online form with their account details.

Police said the caller may share a fake BigPay employee ID to reinforce that they were working for the services provider.

Victims only realise they have been scammed when they discover unauthorised transactions made to their BigPay accounts or bank accounts.

In their mid-year crime statistics released on Monday (Aug 30), police said there was a 16 per cent increase in the number of reported scam cases between January and June this year, as compared to the same period last year.

The total amount cheated in the top ten scam types had increased to $168 million in the first half of this year, from $63.5 million in the same period last year.

The police advise members of the public to always verify the authenticity of the call with the official website or sources, such as through the BigPay in-app customer service chat function.

They add that members of the public should never provide their personal information such as their bank account login details, Singpass login details, BigPay account login details and one-time password to anyone.

If they notice a fraudulent transaction involving their e-payment or bank accounts, they should report it to the respective e-payment service provider or bank immediately.

Anyone with information on scams may call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or visit the I-Witness website to submit information. Those who require urgent police assistance should call 999.

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