Scammers pretending as Anti-Scam Centre officers swindle Singaporean victims of S$73,000

SINGAPORE: At least two victims have lost a total of S$73,000 (US$54,090) to scammers posing as officers from the police’s Anti-Scam Centre since January.

This alarming development has prompted police warnings about a new variant of government official impersonation scams.

On 27 May, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) issued a statement alerting the public to these scams.

Scammers contact victims using robocalls from local mobile numbers, falsely informing them that they are under investigation and must report to the Police Cantonment Complex for an interview.

Victims are then instructed to dial “0” to speak to an “operator.”

Upon dialling, victims are asked for personal details before being transferred to another scammer pretending to be a police investigation officer.

This second scammer typically contacts the victim via WhatsApp, further enhancing the illusion of legitimacy.

SPF has emphasized that these scammers deceive victims into providing sensitive personal information, such as bank account details or SingPass passwords, under the pretence of aiding an investigation.

This stolen information is then exploited to access victims’ bank accounts for unauthorized transactions or to create new accounts for criminal activities, despite the accounts being registered under the victims’ names.

Highlighting previous cases, SPF noted that some victims were instructed to transfer money to a bank account to assist in financial investigations.

SPF clarified that they would never request personal information or money transfers over the phone or social messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

“The police will never ask for an individual’s personal details such as identification number, bank account details, SingPass password, or 2FA OTP over the phone or social messaging platforms such as WhatsApp to assist in investigations,” stated SPF.

SPF strongly advised the public to avoid divulging personal details to unknown individuals without confirming their identity.

They recommended downloading the ScamShield app and verifying potential scams through official sources like the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688.

For those with information about these scams or who have doubts, the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 is available, and reports can also be submitted online through the i-Witness portal.

For more information about scams, visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline.