The Police would like to remind members of the public about a persistent trend observed in relation to the fake friend call scam variant, which involves scammers contacting victims through text messages (e.g. via WhatsApp) or phone/WhatsApp calls, pretending to be someone they know, and thereafter asking for financial assistance. Since January 2023, at least 3,718 victims have fallen prey, with total losses amounting to at least $12 million.
In these cases, victims would receive text messages or phone calls from unknown numbers (with or without the “+65” prefix). The scammers would claim to be a friend or acquaintance and asked the victims to guess his or her real identity. In response, the victims would then provide the name of a friend they believed the caller could be. The scammers would then assume the identity of the said friend and ask the victims to update their contact details.
The scammers would contact the victims subsequently to ask for a loan and would claim that he or she is unable to perform a banking transaction or is experiencing financial difficulties. Victims would then be provided with a local bank account to transfer the money. Victims would only discover that they had been scammed after contacting their actual friends whom the scammers had impersonated, or when their loans were not returned as promised.
A new variant observed by Police is that scammers would send the victims malicious links and ask victims to help them in simple tasks such as making a purchase or making a restaurant reservation or tracking a missing phone. These malicious links will lead victims to either phishing sites and/or the download of an Android Package Kit (APK) file, an application (app) created for Android’s operating system. After keying their banking credentials or card details at phishing sites provided by the scammers to make payment, victims will then discover unauthorised transactions from their bank accounts or incur charges to their bank cards. Once victims download and install the app containing malware, the malware will allow scammers to access the victims’ devices remotely and steal passwords stored in the devices. Victims may also be directed within the app to fake bank application login sites to key in their banking credentials to make payment within the app. The malware with keylogging capabilities would then capture the credentials keyed by the victims in the fake banking sites and send it to the scammers. Unknown to the victims, the scammers would access the victims’ banking accounts to perform unauthorised transactions.
The Police would like to remind members of the public of the dangers of downloading apps from third-party or dubious sites that can lead to malware being installed on victims’ mobile phones, computers, and other Information Communications Technology (ICT) devices. Scammers will trick victims into installing malware-infected apps that are outside the app store. Members of the public are advised not to download any suspicious APK files on their devices as they may contain phishing malware.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- ADD - ScamShield app, set security features (e.g., enable two-factor (2FA) or multifactor authentication for banks, social media, Singpass accounts; set transaction limits on internet banking transactions) and anti-virus/anti-malware apps to your device. Update your devices’ operating systems and applications regularly to be protected by the latest security patches. Disable “Install Unknown App” or “Unknown Sources” in your phone settings. Do not grant permission to persistent pop-ups that request for access to your device’s hardware or data.
- CHECK - for scam signs with official sources (e.g., visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688). Verify whether the request is legitimate by checking with your family and friends through alternative means other than using the new contact details on your phone. When asked to download unknown app, check the developer information on the app listing as well as the number of downloads and user reviews to ensure it is a reputable and legitimate application. Only download and install apps from official app stores (i.e., Google Play Store for Android).
- TELL - authorities, family, and friends about scams. Beware of unusual requests from someone purporting to be someone you know via text messages or phone/WhatsApp calls. Report the number to WhatsApp to initiate in-app blocking and 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. To find out more about malware and the preventive steps that users can take to protect their devices, please refer to CSA's SingCERT advisory at https://www.csa.gov.sg/alerts-advisories/Advisories/2021/ad-2021-008. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Images 1 - 6: Screenshots of new variant whereby victim was asked to install an app to help purchase sofa ▼
Images 7 - 12: Screenshots of new variant whereby victim was asked to install an app to track the scammer’s missing phone ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
05 July 2023 @ 11:20 AM