The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has warned people on Saturday, January 12 about a re-emergence of the police impersonation scam, involving fake SPF website phishing for confidential information.
In the news release, the authority stated that in this scam the victims would receive calls from scammers, who may claim that the victims are the holders of bank accounts with a large amount of money.
The scammers can also claim that the victims are suspected of being involved in criminal activities such as money laundering. As per the police, people may receive a link to a website that looks almost similar to the original SPF website.
While the victims visit the fake website, they would be asked to provide confidential information such as credit card details and internet banking credentials, purportedly for investigation purposes.
The police clearly stated that such websites are actually "phishing sites in disguise, designed to extract useful personal information and banking details from unsuspecting victims, resulting in extensive monetary losses."
The original website of SPF is www.police.gov.sg.
However, to avoid such scams the members of the public were asked to take some precautions when they receive unsolicited calls, especially from unknown parties.
- Ignore the calls. Scammers may use caller ID spoofing technology to mask the actual phone number and display a different number. Calls that appear to be from a local number may not actually be made from Singapore. If you receive a suspicious call from a local number, hang up, wait a while, then call the number back to check the validity of the request.
- Ignore instructions to remit or transfer money. No government agency will request for personal details or transfer of money over the phone or through automated voice machines, especially to a third party's bank account. Call a trusted friend or talk to a relative before you act as you may be overwhelmed by emotion and err in your judgment.
- Refrain from giving out personal information and bank details, whether on the website or to callers over the phone. Personal information and bank details such as internet bank account usernames and password, OTP codes from tokens, are useful to a criminal.
If anyone has any information about such scams or the scammers, they are asked to inform the authority immediately. The members of the public can call the police hotline number at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
In case of urgent police assistance, they can dial '999.'
Anyone who seeks more information about scams may call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg.
