The Police would like to alert members of the public to a recent uptick of phishing scams involving the impersonation of POSB. Since April 2025, there were at least 13 cases reported, with losses amounting to at least $172,000.
In these cases, the victims would receive an email purportedly from POSB notifying them of the expiry of their mobile banking digital token and requiring them to activate or update the expired digital token by clicking on an embedded URL (Uniform Resource Locator) link. Upon clicking on the link, the victims would be directed to a phishing website where they were prompted to fill in their banking credentials, card details and/or One-Time Passwords (OTP). The victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions, typically in foreign currencies e.g., AED, IDR, being made on their bank accounts and/or bank cards.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to ignore urgent emails, SMSes or messages from non-SMS channels such as iMessage and Rich Communication Services (RCS), claiming to be from banks and containing clickable links. Your bank will never send you clickable links through email, SMS, non-SMS message. Members of the public may also adopt the following precautionary measures:
- ADD – Add the ScamShield app and set security features (e.g. set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Multifactor Authentication for banks and e-wallets, opt not to activate overseas transaction for credit/debit cards). Use Money Lock to secure a portion of your savings.
- CHECK – Legitimate SMSes from banks will reflect the officially registered SMS Sender ID and will never contain clickable links. Always check webpage addresses for discrepancies. Do not click on clickable links provided by unknown persons. You can also check the legitimacy of suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or website at www.scamshield.gov.sg.
- TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Call your bank immediately and make a police report if you think you have fallen victim to a scam.
If you are in doubt, call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 to check. For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamshield.gov.sg. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Screenshots of email purportedly sent by POSB
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
06 May 2025 @ 3:45 PM