The Police would like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant against a government official impersonation scam variant where scammers would impersonate officers from the Anti-Scam Centre (ASC), to seek victims’ assistance in investigations. Since January 2024, at least 2 victims have fallen prey, with total losses amounting to at least $73,000.
In this variant, victims would receive unsolicited robocalls from local mobile lines claiming to be from the ASC. Victims would be informed that they are being investigated and are required to report to Police Cantonment Complex for an interview. They would be guided to press “0” to speak to an operator. However, victims would be directed to scammers who would then request the disclosure of personal details such as identification number as part of the verification process. The call would be transferred to another scammer impersonating a police investigation officer who would re-engage the victim via WhatsApp call to continue the conversation.
Victims of such scam variant could be deceived into disclosing personal details such as bank account details, personal credentials, SingPass password or Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) One-Time Password (OTP) for the purpose of assisting in investigations. Such information may be misused to access victims’ bank account to enable unauthorised transactions or create a new bank account under the victims’ name to enable criminal activities. In previous cases, victims were instructed to transfer money to a bank account for the purpose of assisting in financial investigations. The Police will never ask for an individual’s personal details such as identification number, bank account details, SingPass password or 2FA OTP over phone or social messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to assist in investigations. The Police will never ask an individual to transfer money into a bank account under their name or another person’s name to assist in investigations.
The Police would like to remind members of the public not to disclose your personal details to unknown persons without first ascertaining their identity. Members of the public are encouraged to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- ADD – Add the ScamShield App to protect yourself from scam calls and SMSes.
- CHECK – 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). Before giving personal details such as identification number, bank account, SingPass or 2FA OTP over the phone or WhatsApp, check with authorised sources because the Police will never demand for your personal details through an undocumented medium like phone or social messaging platforms like WhatsApp for verification or to assist in investigations. Never share your personal details with anyone over the phone.
- TELL – Report the number to WhatsApp for them to initiate in-app blocking. If you have disclosed your banking details, report this to your bank immediately. Tell your friends about this scam so they do not fall for it.
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/i-witness. 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. For instructions on how to activate additional security features on WhatsApp, visit https://www.whatsapp.com/security. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Annex A
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
27 May 2024 @ 12:30 PM