Wrong address? Beware of failed-delivery scams, police say
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Victims of such scams received messages or e-mails that seemed to come from couriers such as Ninja Van and J&T Express, and were redirected to fake websites resembling the couriers’ official pages.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
- Since June 24, scam victims in Singapore have lost over $259,000 through fake courier messages asking to update delivery addresses.
- Scammers use messages from Morocco's country code and fake links resembling courier websites to steal card details and charge small re-delivery fees.
- Victims find unauthorised transactions only after the scam; police advise reporting scams via ScamShield or the police website for help.
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Scam victims have lost more than $259,000 since June 24 through ruses involving fake courier companies phishing for personal and banking information.
At least 43 cases of such scams have been reported since June 24, with no fewer than 20 reported on July 13 alone, the police said in a statement on July 15.
In these scams, victims received messages from numbers bearing Morocco’s country code, +212, or e-mails seemingly sent by couriers such as Ninja Van and J&T Express, telling them that their parcels could not be delivered due to an “invalid” address.
Victims were urged to update their delivery address within 24 hours via a link that closely resembled the respective couriers’ real web addresses.
In some cases, the messages included a local helpline number and directed victims to access the phishing link through various means, such as replying “Y” to receive the link or opening a separate message containing the link.
Victims who clicked on the link were redirected to a fake website that looked like the couriers’ official pages and were prompted to pay a “re-delivery fee”, typically between six cents and $1.64.
Victims were asked to enter their card details and authorise the transaction using their digital tokens.
In some cases, their credit cards were added to online payment platforms such as Google Pay or Apple Pay without their knowledge.
Victims discovered they had been scammed only when they saw unauthorised transactions on their cards or bank accounts.
For more information on scams, go to www.scamshield.gov.sg, or call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799.
To report scams, call 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness
