Musang King durians for $1.99? Beware of such scams where victims have lost $48,000
Beware of advertisements promoting cheap food items on social media as they might be phishing scams, warned the police.
Unsuspecting victims would be lured by these ads offering heavily discounted prices on popular goods like Musang King durian for prices as low as $1.99.
They would click on URL links in the ads to purchase the goods, only to be redirected to phishing websites requesting their personal information and banking details.
Some would even receive SMS requests to key in their YouTrip login code, before being notified of a 'new' login to their YouTrip account.
At least $48,000 has been lost to phishing scams from food-related advertisements since June 15, with over 77 cases reported.
Victims would realise that they have been scammed when they discovered:
(a) Unauthorised transactions with merchants in their bank accounts or credit cards;
(b) Unauthorised transactions and a takeover of their YouTrip accounts;
(c) Unauthorised top-ups to YouTrip wallets from unknown parties, with some transactions made in foreign currencies.
Members of the public are also advised to adopt the following measures to avoid falling for scams:
- ADD - Add the ScamShield app and set security features (e.g. set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions, enable two-factor authentication (2FA), multifactor authentication for banks and e-wallets, use the money lock feature of your bank to "lock up" a portion of your money so that it cannot be transferred out digitally by anyone, further protecting your savings from scams). Do not disclose your personal information, bank/card details and one-time passwords (OTPs) to anyone.
- CHECK - Check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield app. Call and check with the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799. Look out for tell-tale signs of a phishing website. Do not click on dubious URL links provided in social media advertisements. Be cautious of attractive deals that seem too good to be true. Always check the transaction amount and merchant details before keying in the One-Time Password (OTP).
- TELL - Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately and report any suspicious advertisements to the company or platform.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg.
