Beware of new scam offering 'nude chat' or 'girl of your choice': At least $13k lost since July

The police are warning of a new scam involving malicious dating applications, with at least 19 victims falling prey and losing $13,000 since July 2023.

In these cases, victims would receive in-app messages from female subjects on TikTok or over dating apps like MI Chat or Tagged. The victims would be asked to continue the engagement on WhatsApp.

The scammers would then entice the victims by asking if they would like to continue chatting via a one-to-one video call while being naked or date the girl of their choice, or to access nude videos/ photographs of the female subjects.

The scammers would send victims a uniform resource locator (URL) link over WhatsApp, requiring the victims to download an Android Package Kit (APK) file, an app created for Android’s operating system.

After downloading and installing the APK file, the scammers would be able to retrieve the victims’ banking credentials once they log in to their internet banking accounts.

Subsequently, victims would discover unauthorised transactions from their banking accounts.

Members of the public are reminded of the dangers of downloading apps from third-party or dubious sites, and to adopt the following precautionary measures:

• ADD - anti-virus/anti-malware apps available on official Play Store or App Store to your device. Update your devices’ operating systems and applications regularly to be protected by the latest security patches. Disable “Install Unknown App” or “Unknown Sources” in your phone settings. Do not grant permission to persistent pop-ups that request for access to your device’s hardware or data.

• CHECK - for scam signs with official sources (e.g., visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688). When asked to download unknown apps, check the developer information on the app listing as well as the number of downloads and user reviews to ensure it is a reputable and legitimate application.

• TELL - authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report the number to WhatsApp to initiate in-app blocking and report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately.

Those who have already downloaded and installed the app, or suspect that their phone is infected with malware, should take the following steps:

1. Turn your phone to 'flight mode'.

2. Run an anti-virus scan on your phone.

3. Check your bank/Singpass/CPF accounts etc for any unauthorised transaction(s) using other device(s).

4. If there are unauthorised transaction(s), report to the bank, relevant authorities, and lodge a police report.

5. After completing the above steps, if you believe that your phone has not been infected with malware, you may resume usage of your phone. As a further precaution, you may consider doing a 'factory reset' of your phone and changing important passwords.

If you have any information relating to such crimes or 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.

Dial '999' for urgent police assistance.

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