According to the Police media release, a SMS scam is currently active and 18 people have fallen to the latest SMS scam variation. The total amount lost is over $120,000.
The Police said that the victims would receive an SMS stating that there were issues with their credit/debit cards, and they should dial the number included in the message for assistance.
After calling, the scammers will start painting a story to the victim that their credit or debit card has problems. They would then start probe the victim on the credit card details and request for the SMS One-Time Password under the pretext of assisting the victims. Victims would later realise they had fallen prey to a scam when they discovered fraudulent transactions made to their credit/debit card.
Take Note of such SMS:
Banks will never ask for credit card numbers:
Banks will never ever ask for credit/debit card details or OTP or any kind of sensitive information.
If you receive such an SMS please block the number or delete it.
Police advise:
- Always verify the authenticity of the information with the numbers listed on official bank website or printed on the cards issued by the banks;
- Never transfer funds into bank accounts belonging to someone you do not know;
- Never disclose your personal information, credit/debit card details or OTP to anyone; and
- Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.