Scammers are getting more creative these days. Whether it’s upping their game to appear more “legit” or simply hacking their way through well-oiled systems, these tactics can get to even the most discerning of folks.
Here are some of the ongoing scams in Singapore that you can share with your family WhatsApp chats to help them avoid finding themselves in these pickles:
Dating apps used to be the place where you’d meet your one true bae, but scammers have now infiltrated the platform to plot against unsuspecting romantics.
Even the smartest of folks can fall prey to sweet talk. Coupled with daily updates on branded watches and sports cars – all acquired due to their “success” in crypto – who can blame anyone for buying into this lavish web of deceit?
Scammers will send you a link to join their crypto trading platform. The first few small investments you make will seem like it’s showing success, such as returns being credited into your account. But, subsequent ones will require heavier investments for higher returns.
This is when the ball will drop – withdrawal of your investments is suddenly not allowed, and coincidentally, your “lover” will go MIA.
This may seem like a rudimentary scam, but you can read about this dating app crypto scam to get a better idea.
Tip: We’re not saying true love doesn’t exist on dating apps, but be wary when your partner starts aggressively pushing you to transfer money to their supposed bank account, especially at early stages of your relationship.
Image credit: Olivia Craig
Majority of us have probably deferred to ordering everything online, from food to clothes to everyday essentials, so chances are we’re probably always expecting parcels.
This scam starts with an SMS from a courier service such as DHL, FedEx or UPS that includes a link for you to check on a package delivery status.
Upon clicking the link, you’ll be redirected to a dummy courier website where you’ll have to key in personal and credit card details in order to access your “delivery” updates. Before you know it, you’re getting a call from your bank checking if you’ve just made a $5,000 purchase from an unknown website.
We’ve also seen cases where the SMS states that your parcel has already been delivered or failed to be delivered, along with a link for you to reschedule the delivery.
Another old trick in the book would be receiving a call from these scammers claiming to be from your courier company. They’ll inform you that your parcel is stuck at customs and the only way to release it would be to transfer a certain sum of money to their bank account.
Tip: Avoid clicking on suspicious links from text messages. Always check on your delivery details via the official courier website, or call the respective customer service and speak to the staff.
Image credit: Joycelyn Yeow
With many of us booking our booster shot appointments, scammers have since jumped on the bandwagon to mimic calls from the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Phone numbers – typically starting with +65 – have been impersonating MOH and calling their victims about “vaccination issues”. In a pre-recorded message, scammers will state that this is the “final notification”, and that the issue must be dealt with immediately.
The message will then instruct you to press “1” if you would like to proceed. Those who end the call immediately are safe, but those who take the bait will then receive further instructions to enter a website. You’ll then be told to key in personal deets such as home address and NRIC in order to login and resolve the issue.
Tip: Avoid picking up calls from a number with +65 prefix, as MCI and IMDA have shared that these are actually calls coming from other countries.
Image credit: Oh Qian Yi
Amid the hype of CNY season, you may have found an innocent-looking “FairPrice” flyer in your mailbox. This festive piece of paper comes with instructions for you to scan a QR code to get a free $20 voucher.
Upon scanning the code, you will be led to an online financial survey requiring you to share your personal particulars. As of 24th January 2022, FairPrice has warned that the flyers aren’t from them, and there are no related ongoing promotions.
Tip: Make it a habit to research online and check out the brand’s official social media platforms or outlets to see if a promotion is legit.
We’re always on high alert when receiving notifications relating to our bank account, because well, it’s to do with our hard-earned money. The above screenshot was provided by Maybelline, a 34-year-old marketing manager who almost fell for the scam.
She shared that she was very close to clicking on the link as the sender’s address had seemed legit, and the message was grammatically coherent with no random punctuations to give the scam away.
Upon further inspection of the message, a few warning signs surfaced:
OCBC, along with several other banks, has since stated that their SMSes will not contain any links, in an attempt to help recipients identify scams.
Tip: Banks typically give multiple warnings like SMS notifications and physical letters before suspending an account. Messages like these that require prompt actions are highly likely to be scammers requiring your information ASAP before they get discovered by authorities.
Many of us thrive on social media giveaways. After all, if that friend of a friend can win freebies, can’t we win one too? Just be wary if a giveaway seems too good to be true, because scammers also target the hopeful.
It doesn’t help that they impersonate popular brands with big ticket price tags, such as cars and fancy gadgets. Plus, these posts often contain professionally shot images, complete with comments to make the giveaway look legit.
Alongside its well-written captions stating the giveaway requirements, these posts are seemingly harmless as they don’t require your personal details. Yet.
A fake giveaway that promised two lucky participants a “free” Audi R8
Image credit: Zululand Observer
The scammers will then reach out to the unlucky winners to congratulate them on winning the giveaway. Here comes the catch – you’ll have to submit personal information such as your bank account details in order to redeem your prize. Victims have shared that upon submitting their bank account details, the scammer will go MIA and the reward will be left unclaimed.
Tip: Always check that the social media page is legit – verified Facebook or Instagram pages of brands, banks or government organisations usually have a blue tick beside its name to prove that it is the official page.
Left image depicts the fake website while right image is the actual website
Image credit: Oh Qian Yi
Singaporeans are a lawful bunch, and most of us don’t like to be on the wrong side of the law. That’s why it’s easy to fall for scams that involve impersonations of government bodies.
One such scam involves an SMS that includes a link to a reimbursement request form on a fake Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) website.
This promises a refund of around $1,000, but requires the user’s personal information, credit card or bank account details. In some cases, victims were tasked to make payments to a third party’s bank account in order to retrieve the promised sum.
Tip: Double-check the website URL even when the user interface appears real. Fake websites usually only have one differing alphabet or punctuation.
Image credit: Komicer
This one’s for all business owners who sell their products online.
Local illustration studio manager Komicer informed us of an art scam they experienced, where the scammer posed as an interested buyer. The scammer feigned interest in purchasing a highly-priced artwork and shared personal details like how his wife fell in love with the artwork. These background stories paint a believable persona, making it easy to fall prey.
Image credit: Komicer
Scammers will usually suggest less secure forms of payment such as payment by check, so that it may bounce and they score a free artwork. They’ll also try to get personal information from you such as your phone number and address.
Image credit: Komicer
After suggesting for the fake buyer to use PayPal instead, Komicer realised that this was a quintessential art scam when the scammer requested for their PayPal password.
Tip: Never, ever, disclose your banking passwords or OTPs, whether it’s to a stranger or to someone you know.
Image credits: Joycelyn Yeow
There are many legit job-hunting platforms these days, including Telegram channels that share available openings to subscribers. However, there’s been a slew of scammers pretending to be recruiters in the recent months, sharing lobangs for “promising” jobs with good work benefits.
Recipient playing along to call out scammer
Image credit: Liew Wan Ning
Once victims have expressed interest, the scammers will tell you that you’re hired, asking you to then provide your phone number and bank account details to “seal the deal”.
Image credit: Joycelyn Yeow
There’s also been a recent spike in fake TikTok job offers. After a “successful” job, scammers will then request that you top up money into the company’s bank account in order to retrieve your salary.
Tip: You shouldn’t have to fork out money before you’re able to get your pay. One other red flag to watch out for is when “recruiters” ask specific questions related to your bank account and details right after hiring.
Image credit: Singapore Police Force
Like the previous scam, fake part-time jobs have been offered via WhatsApp for popular e-commerce websites such as Shopee.
Part-timers are promised $300 – $500 daily upon completion of tasks. The main scope of work will require them to help e-commerce platform sellers boost their sales and ratings through advance purchases.
Image credit: Singapore Police Force
These advance purchases of the shop items are made by, you guessed it, the victims. With a promise of “commission”, payment is done by transferring funds to a specific bank account provided by the scammer.
The transferring of funds will start small, with victims paying for items that amount to slightly more than a few hundred dollars. Subsequently, this amount gets higher and scammers will suddenly claim technical issues when attempting refunds, and victims fail to secure their promised refunds.
Tip: Avoid situations where your money has to be spent first in order to receive payment, especially when there is no written guarantee for you to get your money back.
While some of us luckier ones may not have fallen prey to such situations, it doesn’t mean we should let our guard down. After all, hubris always seems ridiculous – until it’s our own.
Besides the tips shared above, a useful rule of thumb is to stay updated with the latest news to be in the know of scams that may be taking place and to guard your personal details with your life.
Here are previous scams to watch out for:
Cover images adapted from: Oh Qian Yi, Joycelyn Yeow
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