Police warn bank customers not to fall for bank cards, accounts reactivation scam

SINGAPORE - A new variant of a scam targeting bank customers has emerged, the police warned on Monday (Nov 25).

In this scam, the bank customers received SMS messages claiming that their bank cards were either blocked or deactivated, or that their bank accounts were locked. The victims were told to dial a phone number to reactivate their cards or accounts.

During the phone calls, the scammers pretended to be bank staff and asked the customers for their personal particulars, Internet banking details and one-time passwords. Subsequently, the victims discovered that unauthorised transactions were made from their bank accounts.

The police have received 12 reports of the scam this month, with total losses amounting to at least $65,000.

The police advised members of the public to be careful of unsolicited messages or calls from people impersonating as bank staff.

Scammers might also use spoofing technology to mask their actual phone numbers and display the bank's number.

The public should also not disclose their Internet banking details or respond to digital token authentication requests via phone calls if they did not initiate any Internet banking transactions.

Should the public receive a suspicious call purportedly from the bank, they should hang up and call the hotline published on the bank's website to verify the authenticity of the request, the police said.

Those who wish to provide information on such scams may call the police on 1800-255-0000, or send the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness

For scam-related advice, they can call the anti-scam helpline on 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.