Police would like to remind members of the public to remain vigilant against Government Official Impersonation Scams. Since January 2023, at least 148 victims have suffered losses of at least $182,000.
In this variant, victims would receive unsolicited phone calls or in-app calls (e.g. WhatsApp video call) allegedly from government agencies such as the Singapore Police Force (SPF) or the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The scammers would claim that there were issues with the victim’s bank accounts and required additional verification. Victims would then be asked to provide their banking or personal information such as banking credentials and One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to resolve these issues. Victims may also be asked to show their identity cards, work permit or their bank cards when speaking to the “SPF” or “MOM” officer over the in-app video call. The victims would only discover that they had been scammed when they realised that there were unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts.
The Police would like to emphasise that we do not ask members of the public to provide their banki accounts’ information and passwords, or to transfer money to any bank account. The Police would also like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- Add - Install the ScamShield app to protect yourself.
- Check - Before giving banking credentials over the telephone or WhatsApp, check with authorised sources because the Police will never ask you for your banking credentials and OTP over the telephone or WhatsApp. Never share your banking credentials, including your OTPs, 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 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. Please call ‘999’ if you require urgent Police assistance.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline 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.
Example of a scammer pretending to be a “SPF” officer in an in-app call:
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
09 February 2023 @ 9:10 PM