The Police and the Commissioner of Charities would like to alert the public to donation scams that may arise during the COVID-19 Circuit Breaker period. During this period, scammers may take advantage of the situation and solicit donations from unsuspecting members of the public by impersonating organisations such as the World Health Organization or other legitimate charities.Members of the public are advised to adopt these crime prevention tips:
a) Don’t assume that all pleas for help on social media or crowdfunding sites are legitimate, especially in the wake of crises or disasters. Scammers often use real-world circumstances to cheat people. Don’t fall for it! Give, before you Check and Ask Always
b) Donate directly through the organisation’s official website. Scammers often impersonate the names of familiar, trusted organisations to fool donors. You may also check the Charity Portal (www.charities.gov.sg) to validate whether the organisation is a registered charity or has a valid fund-raising permit.
c) Never send money or give personal information, credit card details or online account details to anyone you do not know or trust.
If you wish to provide any information relating to such cases, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
You may also call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg to seek scam-related advice. Join the ‘let’s fight scams’ campaign at www.scamalert.sg/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends. Together, we can help stop scams and prevent our loved ones from becoming the next scam victim.
Example of a fake donation scam impersonating WHO
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
30 April 2020 @ 11:35 AM