Impersonation, delivery scams claim over 600 victims this year

At least $25 million has been lost by 231 victims to scams involving the impersonation of Chinese law enforcement officials since January, the police have said.

Another $574,000 has been lost by 415 victims to phishing scams involving the delivery of parcels over the same period, police said yesterday.

In an advisory warning the public about the fake officials scam, police said victims would receive automated phone calls allegedly from the Ministry of Health. When they heeded instructions to make further contact, the call would be directed to scammers claiming to be police officers from China.

The scammers would then tell the victims they were purportedly being investigated for money laundering, among other offences, and that there could have been misuse of their identities, leading to the victims being involved in the activities of a transnational crime ring.

The scammers would ask for the victims' particulars or online banking credentials to facilitate money transfers overseas as part of the investigation into the alleged offence, under the guise of helping the victims to clear their names.

In some cases, the victims were instructed to open local bank accounts to carry out money transfers.

The victims would discover they had been scammed only when they did not get back the money that had been transferred, or when there were unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts.

The police advised members of the public to beware of calls with the "+" prefix, especially if they are not expecting an international call.

They should also not share their personal information, such as bank account log-in details and one-time passwords, with anyone.

Government agencies will not ask for payment through unofficial platforms like a telephone call or social messaging platforms, nor ask for personal banking information, said the police.

They also urged the public to verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources, and call a trusted friend or relative before acting.

Any fraudulent transactions should be reported to the bank immediately, they added.

In the parcels scam, victims would get e-mails or text messages informing them that their parcels were awaiting delivery. They were asked to click on a link embedded in the messages to view information about their parcel deliveries.

Upon doing so, victims would be redirected to fraudulent websites which would request their credit or debit card details and one-time passwords (OTPs).

Victims would realise they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions made to their credit or debit cards.

Members of the public should not disclose their personal or Internet banking details and OTPs, and should report any fraudulent card charges to their bank immediately.

Police also advised the public not to click on links in unsolicited e-mails and text messages, and to always verify the authenticity of the information with official websites or sources.

Besides ignoring dubious messages and calls, one should also block or report the number as spam on Telegram and other third-party applications, and on ScamShield if using an iPhone.

Those with information related to scams can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. More information on scams can be obtained at www. scamalert.sg or by calling the anti-scam hotline on 1800-722-6688.

Readers are also encouraged to join the "Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes" campaign on the same website by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share these with family and friends.