The Police would like to alert the public to a new variant of job scam where victims are invited to participate in jobs that allow them to earn commission through buying and selling movie tickets linked to various companies with the name “Filmgo”. Since November 2021, at least 41 victims have fallen prey to this scam, with losses amounting to at least $203,000.
In these cases, the scammers would befriend victims on messaging applications such as MiChat and WeChat. These scammers would then introduce victims to purported job offers that would allow them to earn commission through the buying and selling of movie tickets involving various companies, such as Filmgo Production and Filmgo Digital etc. Victims would be directed to sign up for accounts on the “Filmgo” websites provided by the scammers. These websites would also offer mobile applications for victims to download and use its services conveniently. Victims would be required to top-up their “Filmgo” accounts in order to buy and sell movie tickets and earn commissions, and the scammers would provide victims with bank accounts belonging to unknown individuals for the payment to be made. Most of the time, the victims would be convinced that their work was legitimate as their “Filmgo” account indicated the commissions they received after completing the jobs. However, victims would eventually discover that they had been scammed when they were unable to withdraw the money from their “Filmgo” accounts.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- Do not accept dubious job offers that offer lucrative returns for minimal effort;
- Never download applications from unverified sources; and
- Never send money to anyone whom you do not know or have not met in person.
If you have information related 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. Please dial ‘999’ if you require urgent Police assistance.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Join the ‘Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes’ 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 victim.
Annex A
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
25 November 2021 @ 9:55 AM