13 victims lose over $362,000 to scammers posing as M1 and MAS staff
Police are warning the public to beware of a new scam in which callers pose as staff from telecommunications company M1 and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
Since September, at least 13 victims have fallen prey to such scams, losing a total of more than $362,000, the police said in an advisory.
Victims would receive unexpected phone or WhatsApp calls from people claiming to be M1 staff. The scammers would allege that victims had outstanding payments or unauthorised mobile subscriptions.
When the victims denied this, they would be told to contact "customer service" via WhatsApp - where another scammer, posing as an MAS officer, would claim the victims' personal details were linked to criminal activities like money laundering.
The scammers would then instruct victims to transfer money "for investigation purposes", including via PayNow, cash handovers, or cryptocurrency transactions.
Some victims were even told to screen-share their phones while logging into bank accounts.
The police stressed that MAS and other government officials will never ask for money transfers, banking details or app downloads over the phone.
Those who suspect they have been scammed should contact their bank immediately to block unauthorised transactions and make a police report.
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