The Police would like to alert members of the public to a re-emerging trend where scammers would send SMSes with spoofed headers of banks to victims, claiming to offer fixed deposits with high interest rates. Since November 2021, at least six victims have fallen prey to this scam, with losses amounting to at least $495,000.
Victims would receive SMSes with spoofed headers, purportedly from a bank, advertising fixed deposit promotions with high interest rates. Victims would be instructed to contact a number provided within the SMS to express their interest and obtain more details about the promotion. Once contacted, scammers would then attempt to get victims to divulge their personal details, such as bank details or One-Time Password (OTP), or get the victims to transfer money to unknown bank accounts.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- Be wary of fake SMSes with spoofed headers and check for grammatical errors in the message;
- Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources;
- Never disclose your personal or credit card details and OTP to anyone; and
- Report any fraudulent credit/debit card charges to your bank and cancel your card immediately.
If you have any information relating 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’.
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.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
08 December 2021 @ 4:00 PM