3,600 bank customers identified as potential scam victims saved from losing $36 million
More than 3,600 bank customers were identified as potential scam victims by the police.
The police anti-scam centre sent over 4,600 SMS alerts to the potential victims between May 1 and June 30.
In collaboration with DBS Bank, UOB, OCBC, SCB and HSBC, approximately $36 million in potential losses to over 800 scams were prevented.
Using robotic process automation technology, more than 800 scam attempts were successfully foiled. These include government official impersonation scams, fake friend call scams, and job, investment and e-commerce scams.
This technology quickened the sharing of information between the police and banks, helping find victims and intervene before any losses.
The police urge members of the public to take these precautionary measures to prevent falling victims to scams:
- ADD - Add security features such as the ScamShield app and two-factor authentication for personal accounts, such as banks, social media, and SingPass accounts. Transaction limits for internet banking, including PayNow, could also be set up to limit the amount of funds that can be lost in the event of a scam.
- CHECK - Check for potential signs of a scam by asking questions, fact-checking requests for personal information and money transfers, and verifying the legitimacy of online listings and reviews. Take the time to pause
and check. If it is too good to be true, it is probably untrue, and a scam
. - TELL - Tell the authorities and others about scam encounters by reporting to the bank, ScamShield, or by filing a police report. Tell others about ongoing scams and preventive steps they can take. Report the fraudulent pages and/or monikers to the respective platforms.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield helpline at 1799. Anyone with information on such scams may call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
