Students duped by fake emails requesting tuition fee payment lost $38k to scammers this month
The police are warning the public about fake emails purportedly from educational institutions requesting payment of tuition fees.
At least 16 such cases were reported in August with total losses amounting to at least $38,000.
The scammers would use compromised school email accounts to ask students for urgent and prompt payment of school or tuition fees, said the police in a news release on Aug 23.
The students would be asked to make payment to a bank account number listed in the email and warned that failure to do so would lead to legal consequences.
Facebook user Kelvin Huang posted a screenshot of one such email targeting Temasek Polytechnic students.
The email read: "Despite our previous reminder, we are still seeing a delay in payment of your tuition fees in the amount of $2,850.
"Furthermore, if your debt is not settled before Aug 21, we will have to forward your file to our litigation department."
A DBS account number is included for the recipient to transfer payment.
The email added: "Once your situation has been regularized, you will receive your result within two to three days after receipt of your payment. It will therefore not be necessary to contact us again."
The police said the scam victims would realise they had been scammed after checking or receiving notifications from the schools.
Students are advised to check with the school via official channels before transferring any money, especially for unscheduled payment requests.
In a media reply, a Temasek Polytechnic spokesperson said that a police report has been filed and investigations are ongoing, reported The Straits Times.
The spokesperson added that the polytechnic "conducts regular system reviews, implements robust protective measures, and provides ongoing education to ensure our community remains informed of the dangers of scam incidences".
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education said the ministry is aware of the scam emails.
"We advise students and parents to exercise caution when receiving emails requesting direct payment, immediate bank transfers, or providing payment links outside official student portals," the spokesperson said.
"Those who have transferred money or provided personal information are advised to file a police report and notify their bank immediately."
The Straits Times has also seen similar e-mail advisories sent by the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, the National Institute of Education, Singapore Management University and Republic Polytechnic to their students on Aug 21 and 22.
Institute of Technical Education (ITE) chief information officer Kravitz Hwang said the school received reports of these scam emails on Aug 20 and that it did not send them.
ITE has alerted its staff, students and their parents about this scam and advised them not to make any payments.
"A police report has been made, and ITE is working with the authorities to investigate and address this matter," said Mr Hwang.
