At least 10 people lost over $70k to banking-related phishing scams this month: Police

At least 10 people have lost over $70,000 to scammers would impersonate bank staff and target victims through phone calls or SMSes this month, said police.

In one of the scams, victims would receive phone calls from scammers impersonating bank staff. The scammer would tell the victims that their bank cards may have been compromised and would request for the victims’ bank account information to resolve the matter.

After the victims provided the information, they would receive One-Time Passwords (OTPs) on their mobile phones. The caller would then ask the victims for the OTPs.

In another scam, victims would receive an SMS stating that there were issues with their credit or debit cards, and they should dial the number included in the SMS for assistance.

After calling the number, victims would speak to scammers who would confirm that there were issues with the victims’ cards and ask for their card details and OTPs under the pretext of helping the victims.

The victims would realise that they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions made from their bank accounts.

You are advised to follow these crime prevention measures:

• Bank officers will never ask for your banking details and OTP over the phone or via SMS.

• Always verify the authenticity of claims of problems with your bank account or cards issued by the bank with the official bank website or sources.

• Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTP to anyone.

• Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.

If you have any information relating to such crimes, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.

 For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688.