Beware of new impersonation scam involving fake bank officers, China officials

Beware of a new scam involving the impersonation of government officials, the police warned in an advisory on Thursday (Sept 28).

In this scam, members of the public would receive unsolicited calls from someone impersonating a bank officer.

This first scammer would allege that the victims have outstanding credit card charges on their cards that are linked to criminal or money laundering activities. They would then transfer the victim's call to a second scammer impersonating a China official.

The second scammer would inform victims that they were under investigation for criminal or money laundering activities.

The communication between the second scammer and the victim may subsequently move to messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

The second scammer would then instruct the victims to download a remote access application such as AirDroid, to assist in 'Chinese Police investigations'.

Victims would be instructed to activate the remote access application and log into their Internet banking account. They would also be told not to touch and/or place their mobile devices facing down while the scammers conduct the 'investigations'.

Having been granted remote access to the victim’s mobile device, the scammers would proceed to perform unauthorised funds transfers from the victims' bank accounts.

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following precautionary measures:

• ADD - ScamShield App and security features (e.g. enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Multifactor Authentication for banks and set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions, including PayNow).

• CHECK - For scam signs with official sources (e.g. ScamShield WhatsApp bot @ https://go.gov.sg/scamshield-bot, call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688, or visit www.scamalert.sg). Never install software from unverified sources as they may be remote access software allowing others to observe what you do on your device or even take control of it. Additionally, you should never allow others to watch you enter your personal particulars or bank login details.

• TELL - Authorities, family, and friends about scams and do not be pressured by the caller to act impulsively. Report the number to WhatsApp and Telegram to initiate in-app blocking and report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.

If you have any information relating to such crimes or if you are in doubt, call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent police assistance, dial '999'.

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