SINGAPORE — Some 14 people have fallen prey since November to a new phishing scam promising cheap suitcases, said the police as they warned about fake advertisements or posts on Facebook.
The victims have lost at least $799, added the police in a statement on Dec 7. In some of these cases, the police said, victims came across Facebook advertisements or posts offering travel suitcases for as low as $2 from "Singapore Airlines Travel".
The scam account also used the Singapore Airlines logo as its Facebook profile picture to give it "a degree of legitimacy", the police said.
After clicking on the post, victims were taken to a phishing website and asked to provide their credentials, such as their names, e-mail addresses and payment card details, to pay for the suitcases at the discounted price.
Scammers would then misuse their credit card details.
Victims would realise they had been scammed after finding unauthorised transactions on their card statements.
The police have advised the public to add the ScamShield application and enable security features, such as two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication for banks and transaction limits for Internet banking transactions.
They can check for scam signs using the ScamShield WhatsApp bot, call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg, the police said.
The police urged the public to look out for tell-tale signs of a phishing website, and to verify if such deals are available by visiting the company's official website.
If in doubt, remember to never share personal information and payment card details with anyone.
The public are encouraged to tell the authorities, family and friends about scams, as well as report any fraudulent transactions to the bank immediately.
Those with information about such crimes can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or visit www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. For urgent police assistance, dial 999.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
