In an attempt to take advantage of a seemingly irresistible $2 deal for glutinous rice dumplings, a man named Lin unwittingly fell victim to a sophisticated scam that resulted in the loss of S$6,000 from his bank account, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Tempting $2 deal for cheap bak zhang
On June 12, Lin stumbled upon a Facebook advertisement promoting glutinous rice dumplings priced at an incredibly low S$2 each.
Intrigued by the offer, he promptly contacted the seller through Facebook Messenger, expressing his interest in purchasing 15 dumplings.
After their initial conversation on Facebook, the seller redirected Lin to continue their communication on WhatsApp, claiming it would be more convenient.
Lin complied, believing it to be a harmless request. However, this move allowed the scammer to exploit the perceived credibility of the messaging platform and establish a direct line of communication with Lin outside the public eye.
Upon transitioning to WhatsApp, Lin received a payment link from the seller, urging him to click on it. With a desire to complete his purchase, Lin followed the instructions and ended up downloading an app onto his phone.
Subsequently, he followed the step-by-step guidelines provided by the seller to create an account and set a password. The app even promised Lin a S$10 discount and assured him that payment would be made upon delivery.
As Lin progressed through the app’s setup process, he reached a point where the seller requested his bank account details.
Sensing the inherent risk involved in divulging such sensitive information, Lin expressed his concerns to the seller. However, instead of addressing his fears directly, the scammer managed to convince Lin to provide his home address and contact details, ostensibly to complete the order.
On June 13, Lin made a shocking realization. The number linked to his WhatsApp account had been changed without his knowledge.
This discovery came to light when his colleague attempted to contact him via WhatsApp but received no response.
Lin, suspecting a technical glitch, dialed his colleague’s number but noticed a different number displayed on the screen, albeit with the same WhatsApp profile picture.
Later that day, Lin received distressing news from his bank. Approximately S$6,000 had been transferred out of his account that very morning.
Alarmed and bewildered, Lin contacted his bank to inquire about the suspicious activity. It was during this interaction that he learned of unsuccessful login attempts made on his iBanking account, resulting in its temporary lock.
Lin, understandably confused about the breach of his account’s security, questioned how scammers gained access without his banking details.
Despite his cautious approach to password management, Lin recalled seeing a blue sign on his phone screen after downloading the app.
Unbeknownst to him, this was a telltale sign of a malicious application that can compromise a phone’s security and allow scammers to remotely control the device or access stored information.
Lin eventually managed to remove the suspicious app from his phone, reclaiming the use of his original WhatsApp number.
Following this incident, he promptly lodged a police report and the police also confirmed thas they are investigating the incident at the moment.