Victims received SMS messages informing them of expiring Singtel points and were directed to a phishing website. - Photos: Singapore Police Force
SINGAPORE: At least S$100,000 was lost in less than a week to an SMS phishing scam involving the impersonation of Singtel.
The police said in a statement on Saturday (Sept 7) that since Sept 2, they have received at least 14 reports of this scam.
Victims received SMSes informing them of expiring Singtel points and were directed to a phishing website resembling the actual Singtel redemption page.
There, they were asked to select gifts and input their credit or debit card details, along with one-time passwords.
Victims realised they had been scammed only when they were notified by their banks about unauthorised transactions.
The police advised the public to protect themselves through measures such as blocking international calls and SMSes, using only official banking apps from recognised app stores and setting security features such as two-factor authentication for banking apps, social media and Singpass accounts.
The police also recommended setting transaction limits on internet banking transactions, including PayNow and PayLah.
Additionally, the public should check the authenticity of unsolicited clickable links, and check webpage addresses for discrepancies.
They should not reveal personal information, as well as internet banking or social media account details and OTPs, to anyone.
The public should be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true, and verify information directly with the company if in doubt, the police added.
Singapore experienced a record high of more than 46,000 reported scam cases in 2023, with victims losing a total of $651.8 million.
Phishing scams were among the top 10 scam types in Singapore in 2023, with 5,938 cases reported.
For more information on scams, visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688. If urgent police assistance is needed, dial 999. - The Straits Times/ANN
