Scam alert: Beware of SMSes with spoofed headers of banks

The police have cautioned members of the public about a re-emerging trend in which scammers would send SMSes with spoofed headers of banks to victims, claiming to offer fixed deposits with high interest rates.

Victims would receive SMSes with spoofed headers, purportedly from a bank, advertising fixed deposit promotions offering high interest rates.

They would then be instructed to contact a number provided within the SMS to express their interest and obtain more details about the promotion.

Once contacted, scammers would then attempt to get victims to divulge their personal details, such as bank details or OneTime Password (OTP), or transfer money to unknown bank accounts.

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

• Be wary of fake SMSes with spoofed headers and check for grammatical errors in the message;

• Always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources;

• Never disclose your personal or credit card details and OTP to anyone; and

• Report any fraudulent credit/debit card charges to your bank and cancel your card immediately.

If you have information related to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. Call '999' for urgent police assistance.

More information on scams can be found on www.scamalert.sg or via the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688.