Crime Advisory: Impersonation of government officials to obtain SingPass credentials
The Police have observed an increase in reports on individuals impersonating themselves as government officials to deceive members of the public into divulging their Singapore Personal Access (“SingPass”) credentials.
Since July 2017, the Police have received at least 10 reports on individuals impersonating as government officials and going door-to-door to promote the use of SkillsFuture Credit. The impersonators requested the victims’ personal particulars, SingPass credentials and mobile phone number on pretext of assisting the victims to check their eligibility for SkillsFuture Credit. Victims were also asked to surrender their mobile phones as well as OneKey tokens (if any), which many agreed to.
The impersonators then used the victims’ particulars and mobile phone/token to apply for courses using their SkillsFuture Credit without their knowledge. These impersonators have largely been targeting elderly retirees.
The Police advise members of the public to take the following precautions:
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Always ask for and check the identification pass of the person claiming to be a government official;
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Call the government agency’s official telephone number to confirm the identity of the person; and
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Do not provide your personal particulars, SingPass credential, mobile phone or tokens to strangers. The information can be used to access various digital services provided by government agencies.
If you wish to provide any information related to such crimes, 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. Help spread the word and share this advisory with your family and friends to prevent them from being the next victim of scam.
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) takes a stern view of any abuse of the SkillsFuture Credit and is working closely with the Singapore Police Force to take the necessary action against the parties involved.
To provide feedback on SkillsFuture Credit, please contact SSG at portal.ssg-wsg.gov.sg.
About SkillsFuture Singapore
SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) drives and coordinates the implementation of the national SkillsFuture movement, promotes a culture of lifelong learning and strengthens the ecosystem of quality education and training in Singapore. Through a holistic system of national SkillsFuture initiatives, SSG enables Singaporeans to take charge of their learning journey in their pursuit of skills mastery. SSG also works with key stakeholders to ensure that students and adults have access to high quality and industry-relevant training that meet the demands of different sectors of the economy for an innovative and productive workforce. For more information, visit www.ssg.gov.sg
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
18 August 2017 @ 7:15 PM