Woman avoids losing additional $200k to job scam thanks to StanChart and Anti-Scam Centre
The police's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC), in collaboration with Standard Chartered and DBS, successfully averted losses exceeding $218,900 in two separate scam cases in December 2024.
Through swift intervention, the ASC and the banks managed to intercept funds and alert the victims to the schemes they had unwittingly fallen prey to.
In November 2024, a 69-year-old woman was targeted by an online scammer who posed as a friendly acquaintance before introducing her to a supposed dropshipping job opportunity.
The fraudulent role required her to access a platform where she would facilitate transactions between "customers" and a "supplier".
Under the guise of purchasing goods, the victim made payments totalling $112,000 to the accounts of the alleged supplier by the end of November.
As the demand for orders grew, the scammer encouraged her to top up her account further.
On Dec 3, 2024, she attempted to withdraw $200,000 in cash from a StanChart branch to fulfil the increasing orders.
Alert branch staff, noticing frequent cash withdrawals and her inability to produce supporting invoices, raised suspicions and escalated the matter to the bank's fraud team.
The case was subsequently referred to the ASC, whose officers quickly engaged the victim.
After their intervention, she was convinced of the fraudulent nature of the scheme, preventing her from losing an additional $200,000.
ASP Lau Wai Khin (left) and Ms Juliana Jasmani, Investigation Specialist from DBS Anti-Scam Team (right), helped to prevent a victim from losing more than $18,900 to an impersonation scam. PHOTO: SPF
In December 2024, a 56-year-old woman received a call from a scammer claiming to represent WeChat.
She was falsely informed that her WeChat insurance policy was nearing its expiry and that an upfront payment was required to cancel the policy and avoid extra charges.
Following the scammer's instructions, she transferred over $69,000 to a designated bank account.
On Dec 7, 2024, the victim attempted to transfer an additional $18,900, which was flagged by DBS's Anti-Scam Team as a suspicious transaction.
The bank promptly placed a hold on the funds and alerted the ASC.
Officers from the ASC engaged the victim, highlighting the red flags in the situation.
Convinced of the scam, the victim avoided further losses of more than $18,900.
In a statement, the ASC commended the proactive efforts of the bank staff and fraud teams for recognising the warning signs and escalating the cases promptly.
Members of the public are advised to remain cautious and report any suspicious transactions or interactions.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799.
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