The Police have continued to see an increase in phishing scams cases involving emails, text messages and phone calls from scammers impersonating staff from e-commerce marketplaces. In September 2021, at least $764,000 was lost due to non-banking related phishing scams.
Victims of such phishing scams would receive phone calls from scammers impersonating as staff from e-commerce marketplaces. The scammers would claim that there were issues with the victims’ accounts or payment discrepancies detected for victims’ purchases. Under the pretext of assisting to rectify the issue, the victims would be tricked into providing their credit/debit card details and One-Time Password (OTP). Victims would only realise that they have been scammed when they discover unauthorised transactions made using their credit or debit card.
Members of the public are advised to follow these crime prevention measures:
- Do not provide your personal information, including financial information, to unknown callers over the phone;
- Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or official sources;
- Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTP to anyone; and
- Report any fraudulent credit or debit card charges to your bank and cancel your card immediately.
If you have information related to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. Please dial ‘999’ if you require urgent Police assistance.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Join the ‘Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes.’ 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 victim.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
26 October 2021 @ 7:20 PM