The Police would like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant against phishing scams perpetuated via food-related advertisements on social media platforms. Since 15 June 2025, there were at least 77 cases reported, with losses amounting to at least $48,000.
In this scam variant, victims would come across food-related advertisements or social media posts featuring various heavily discounted food items such as durians and crackers, on social media platforms like Tik Tok, Facebook and Instagram. Enticed by the attractive promotions, victims would click on URL links in the posts and be redirected to phishing websites. Victims would then be prompted to key in their credit or debit card details, banking credentials and/or One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to complete the purchase. In some cases, victims would receive a subsequent SMS request to key in their YouTrip login code, upon which they would receive an SMS, email or application notification that there had been a “new” login to their YouTrip account.
Victims would realise that they had been scammed when they discover:
- Unauthorised transactions to merchants in their bank accounts or credit cards;
- Unauthorised transactions and a takeover of their YouTrip accounts;
- Unauthorised top-ups to YouTrip wallets from unknown parties, some transactions were also made in foreign currencies.
Members of the public are also advised to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid falling for scams:
- 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, use the Money Lock feature of your bank to “lock up” a portion of your money so that it cannot be transferred out digitally by anyone, further protecting your savings from scams). Do not disclose your personal information, bank/card details and One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to anyone.
- CHECK – Check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield App. Call and check with the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Look out for tell-tale signs of a phishing website. Do not click on dubious URL links provided in social media advertisements. Be cautious of attractive deals that seem too good to be true. Always check the transaction amount and merchant details before keying in the One-Time Password (OTP).
- TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately and report any suspicious advertisements to the company or platform.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
[Screenshots of online phishing scam advertisements.] ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
02 July 2025 @ 7:35 PM