The Police have observed an increasing trend of phishing scams where scammers would impersonate bank staff and target victims through phone calls or SMSes. Since May 2022, at least 10 victims have fallen prey, with total losses amounting to at least $70,000.
In one of the variants, members of the public would receive phone calls from callers impersonating bank staff. The caller would tell the victims that their bank cards may have been compromised and would request for the victims’ bank account information to enable them to resolve the matter. After the victims provided their bank account numbers, they would receive One-Time Passwords (OTPs) on their mobile phones. The caller would then ask the victims for the OTPs.
In another variant, victims would receive an SMS stating that there were issues with their credit/debit cards, and they should dial the number included in the SMS for assistance. After calling the number, victims would speak to scammers who would confirm that there were issues with the victims’ credit/debit cards and request for their credit/debit card details and OTPs under the pretext of assisting the victims.
The victims would realise that they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts.
Members of the public are advised to follow these crime prevention measures:
- Bank officers will never ask for your banking details and OTP over the phone or via SMS;
- Always verify the authenticity of claims of problems with your bank account or cards issued by the bank with the official bank website or sources;
- Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTP to anyone; and
- Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank 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.
Annex A
Example of SMS received
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
22 May 2022 @ 8:00 AM