The Police have arrested a 39-year-old man for his suspected involvement in a series of fraudulent QR codes, masquerading as the OneService (OS) Lite QR code, pasted at the Bukit Batok estate to obtain personal particulars.
Between December 2022 and January 2023, the Police received reports of fraudulent QR codes put up at their lift lobby to obtain personal particulars. The fraudulent QR codes, as well as the website it was linked to, have since been taken down. The Municipal Services Office (MSO) has also alerted all town councils to the incident, and the town councils have conducted necessary checks on the OS Lite QR codes in their towns.
Through follow-up investigations, officers from Jurong Police Division established the identity of the man and arrested him on 26 January 2023. The man is believed to be involved in multiple similar cases islandwide.
Police investigations are ongoing. The offence of illegally obtaining personal information under Section 416A of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term which may extend to three years, a fine of up to $10000, or both.
We urge members of the public to remain vigilant when accessing websites, and to always check the authenticity of the website before providing your personal details. QR codes and links associated with OneService always lead to websites on the “gov.sg” domain (in this case, www.oneservice.gov.sg). All OneService feedback channels, including OS Lite, are also designed to work without feedback providers having to provide any personally identifiable information. OS Lite users who want to be updated about their cases need only provide their mobile number (which MSO will verify via a one-time password), and how they would like to be addressed. It is not necessary to provide a full name. Lastly, genuine OS Lite QR codes are A4-sized and printed on wall-mounted, hard acrylic board (they are not stickers). Members of the public who prefer an app-based interface can continue to use the OneService App, or download LifeSG at www.life.gov.sg/app.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
Annex: Images of Real OS Lite Posters
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
03 February 2023 @ 6:00 PM