The Police would like to alert members of the public to a phishing scam variant involving scammers impersonating as the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) and targeting victims via e-mail. Since 9 December 2023, at least 10 victims have fallen prey and with losses amounting to at least $9000.
In these cases, victims would receive unsolicited emails from scammers purportedly from “IRAS” and informing that they are eligible for refunds due to prior overcharging of payments. Victims would be provided a weblink, which directed them to a phishing website masquerading as the IRAS website. Victims would be required to select their preferred refund method via debit or credit card. The victims would then provide their bank card details and One-Time Passwords (OTPs) on the phishing website. They would only discover that they had been scammed when they were later notified of unauthorised transactions made on their debit or credit cards.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- ADD – ScamShield App to protect yourself from scam calls and SMSes. Set security features (e.g. set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Multifactor Authentication for banks.
- 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). Look out for tell-tale signs of a phishing website. Do not click on suspicious emails and always verify the authenticity of claims of problems with your income tax status with the official IRAS website. Never disclose your personal or banking credentials and/or OTPs to anyone!
- 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
Screenshots of the email and website impersonating IRAS
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
20 December 2023 @ 12:45 PM