Police warn of scams involving text messages purportedly from banks
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has alerted the public to a new trend of scams involving fake text messages purportedly from banks with claims that victims' cards have been suspended.
Victims of the scams received text messages with spoofed headers, informing them that their cards had been suspended due to security reasons.
They would then be asked to contact a phone number included in the message for verification, the police warned yesterday.
Upon contacting the number, the victims would allegedly be instructed by the scammer to provide their NRIC and credit card details for further verification.
"Victims realised they had fallen prey to a scam when they discovered unauthorised transactions made with their credit cards," added the police.
In the statement, the police advised the public to follow four precautionary measures when they receive such text messages.
VERIFY
First, they should be wary of fake text messages with spoofed headers and check for grammatical errors in the message.
Second, they should always verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources.
They should also never disclose their credit card details and OTP (one-time password) to anyone.
Finally, they should report any fraudulent credit or debit card charges to their bank and cancel their cards immediately.
Those who have information related to such crimes may call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
