The Police would like to alert members of the public to a job scam variant, where scammers would entice victims by giving them commission for the completion of simple surveys before offering them fake job opportunities. Since January 2023, at least 6,600 victims have fallen prey to job scams, with losses amounting to at least $96.8 million.
In this scam variant, victims would receive unsolicited WhatsApp or Telegram messages asking them to participate in a survey or questionnaire. Victims may also be asked to boost social media posts (e.g. Instagram posts) by liking these posts. Upon completion of these “tasks", the victims would receive a small commission. After victims were convinced that they could earn commission, scammers would provide another WhatsApp or Telegram contact to the victims to join another group to perform more rewarding tasks. These tasks include “boosting” the value of cryptocurrencies and/or “reviewing” online merchants. To perform these tasks, victims had to create accounts on scam websites and transfer money to bank accounts provided by the scammers. In some cases, victims would be instructed by scammers to provide an advance payment of large sums of their own money for various reasons. Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they failed to withdraw their commission, or when the scammers could no longer be contacted.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- ADD - ScamShield App and set security features (e.g., enable two-factor (2FA) or multifactor authentication for banks, social media, Singpass accounts and set transaction limits on internet banking transactions, including PayNow).
- CHECK - For scam signs with official sources (e.g. ScamShield WhatsApp bot @ https://go.gov.sg/scamshield-bot, call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688, or visit www.scamalert.sg). Do not accept dubious job offers that offer lucrative returns for minimal effort. Do not send money to anyone whom you do not know or have not met in person before.
- TELL - Authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report the scammers to WhatsApp and Telegram.
If you have any information relating 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. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Annex
Example of a conversation between a scammer and a victim ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
16 September 2023 @ 10:00 AM