The Police have observed a trend of parcel delivery phishing scams where scammers obtain the victim’s personal details and banking credentials on the pretext of delivery charges. With the upcoming festive period and major online shopping events (i.e. Singles Day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, 12.12 sales or Christmas sales), members of the public are advised to be more cautious of such scams. Since October 2023, at least 25 victims have fallen prey, with losses amounting to at least $38,000.
In this variant, victims would receive a text message or email requiring additional payment to facilitate the delivery of their purchased items. These text messages or emails are usually designed to appear as if they were sent by postage and eCommerce logistics companies such as Singapore Post (SingPost) and would contain a phishing link. Victims who click on the phishing link are led to a spoofed website to key in their personal details and/or banking credentials. Victims would discover that they had been scammed when they notice unauthorised transactions made to their bank accounts or credit cards.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- ADD - ScamShield App and security features (e.g. enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Multifactor Authentication for banks and set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions, including PayNow).
- CHECK - For scam signs with official sources (e.g. ScamShield WhatsApp bot @ https://go.gov.sg/scamshield-bot, call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688, or visit www.scamalert.sg). Delivery charges are usually paid upfront when purchases are made. SingPost will never send you a text message or email requesting additional payment through an embedded link that demands that you give SingPost your personal or banking information. Any payment to SingPost can only be done via the SingPost Mobile App, at SAM machines, or any post office. Please refer to https://www.singpost.com/online-security-you to stay alert against scams. Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources, even if you are expecting the delivery of a parcel and do not click on links provided in unsolicited messages or emails. Look out for tell-tale signs of a phishing website and never disclose your personal or banking credentials, including One Time Passwords (OTPs) to anyone. Always check the transaction details before approving any transactions (Refer to Annex B)!
- TELL - 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/iwitness. 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.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam helpline at 1800-722-6688. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Annex A
Images of messages sent by scammers ▼
Image of the phishing website ▼
Annex B
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
01 November 2023 @ 4:15 PM