The Police would like to alert the public on the re-emergence of phishing scams targeting bank customers, where scammers had spoofed SMSes and tricked victims into thinking that the messages sent by the scammers were from the bank. Between the period of January and May 2021, there were 374 cases of banking-related phishing scams, with the total loss amounting to about S$1.07million.
In this latest variant, victims would receive a message allegedly from the bank, informing them that there were payment attempts detected from their bank accounts and to click on the link provided in the same message if they did not make the transactions. As the scammers had spoofed the bank’s SMS accounts, the scammers’ message might appear in the same SMS conversation thread as a bona fide SMS message from the bank.
When victims click on the link, they would be led to a phishing website that resembles the official website of a bank, requesting for their personal particulars, internet banking details and One-Time Passwords (OTPs). After providing the details, the victims subsequently realised they were scammed after receiving SMSes on monies being transferred from their bank accounts.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following measures to prevent their bank accounts from being compromised:
- Do not click on URL links or call the numbers provided in unsolicited text messages;
- Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources;
- Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTP to anyone. Bank staff or government officials will never request for your internet banking login details and OTPs over the phone.
- Report any fraudulent credit/debit card charges to your bank and cancel your card immediately.
If you wish to provide any information related to such scams, 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’.
To seek scam-related advice, you may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg. Join the ‘Spot the Signs, Stop the Crime’ 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 victims.
Annex A
Image of Phishing Website
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
10 July 2021 @ 10:00 AM