According to the Police media release, the Police are noticing an increasing trend of phishing scams.
The victims will receive calls from scammers impersonating staff from e-commerce marketplaces. Since January 2022, at least 66 victims have fallen prey, with total losses amounting to at least $466,000.
“You have won a prize”
Victims of such phishing scams would receive phone calls from scammers impersonating staff from e-commerce marketplaces.
The scammers would claim that there were issues with the victims’ accounts, raise payment discrepancies in the victims’ purchases or claim that the victims had won a prize from the e-commerce marketplace. Under the pretext of assisting to rectify the issue or to claim the prize, the victims would be tricked into providing their e-commerce marketplace account login details, credit/debit card details and one-time password (OTP).
Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions made to their credit or debit card.
Scam prevention
Here is what the Police advised:
- Do not provide your personal information, including financial information, to unknown callers over the phone;
- Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTP to anyone;
- Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or official sources; and
- Report any fraudulent credit or debit card charges to your bank and cancel your card immediately.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
All information will be kept strictly confidential.