In October 2024, the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) worked with the Singpass Anti-Fraud Team and DBS Bank to foil a Government Official Impersonation Scam, leading to the recovery of $250,000.
The ASC and the Singpass Anti-Fraud Team have been collaborating with banks to enhance anti-scam measures aimed at increasing protection against unauthorised access to bank accounts and fraudulent account creation.
In this case, a 77-year-old victim received a call from a scammer who claimed to be a “staff” from Standard Chartered Bank. The victim was informed that a credit card had been issued in her name, and several unauthorised transactions had been made to the card. The victim was then referred to an “officer” from the Monetary Authority of Singapore for assistance. After speaking to the “officer” over the phone, the victim was told that the magnetic strip of her credit card had been compromised and was asked to disclose her personal information, including her bank account balances and online banking credentials, to resolve the issue.
The “officer” then instructed the victim to withdraw money from her bank accounts and deposit it into a DBS bank account for “further investigations”. Following which, the victim made a cheque deposit of $250,000 into the mentioned DBS bank account, among other deposits into other bank accounts amounting to $40,000.
Due to anti-scam measures put in place, the mentioned DBS bank account was flagged as a suspicious account. The deposit of $250,000 made by the victim was then immediately detected by the DBS Anti-Mule Team, who quickly worked with the ASC to trace and intercept the funds. Concurrently, ASC officers engaged the victim, successfully convincing her of the scam she had fallen prey to.
Investigations later revealed that the DBS bank account belonged to a 25-year-old woman who had allegedly sold her Singpass credentials and bank accounts for $600. These credentials were used by criminals to open new bank accounts, facilitating the laundering of illicit proceeds from scams. She was subsequently arrested by the Commercial Affairs Department. Investigations into the case are ongoing.
The offence of assisting another to retain benefits from criminal conduct under Section 55A(5) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both. The offence of facilitating unauthorised access to computer material under Section 3(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term of up to two years, a fine or both, for a first conviction. The offence of unlawful disclosure of password or access code in relation to the national digital identity service under Section 8A(1) of the Computer Misuse Act 1993 carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine or both.
The Police would also like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid falling for such 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, opt not to activate overseas transaction for credit/debit cards). Use Money Lock to secure a portion of your savings.
- CHECK – Government agencies will never request for your banking credentials, Singpass details, or ask you to transfer money over the phone or text messages. If unsure, call the ScamShield Helpline (1799) to check. Check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield Helpline (1799). You can also check the legitimacy of suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or visit the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg.
- TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.
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/i-witness. 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.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
(Left to Right) Mr Ian Matthew Pillay, Singpass Anti-Fraud Team, GovTech, SSS Li Shi Hao, Senior Investigation Officer, Anti-Scam Centre, and Mr Zulkanain Bin Abd Hamid, Anti-Mule Team, DBS Bank ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
01 November 2024 @ 7:30 PM