SINGAPORE - The Community Development Councils (CDCs) have cautioned the public against clicking on unofficial links, as thousands of people joined the virtual queue on Jan 3 to obtain $500 worth of CDC vouchers per Singaporean household.

The councils said they had filed a police report regarding unofficial links circulating online, and are working with the authorities in their investigations.

Meanwhile, The Straits Times found at least two dozen listings of the CDC vouchers up for sale on online marketplace Carousell just hours after the vouchers were open for redemption.

Most listings asked for at least $440.

As at 12.30pm on Jan 3, some 54,000 people were in the queue to claim their vouchers, which can be used at participating supermarkets and heartland businesses. Only one member of each household needs to log in with Singpass to claim the vouchers. 

The official link to claim the CDC vouchers is go.gov.sg/cdcv. The CDCs cautioned against trusting links without the gov.sg domain.

“RedeemSG will never send SMSes requiring your personal or banking details,” said the CDCs. They added that the unique voucher link starts with the following prefix: https://voucher.redeem.gov.sg

When ST contacted one of the sellers attempting to cash in his vouchers, the man said he would send a link to access the vouchers once payment was made.

When asked why he was selling the vouchers, the Carousell user said: “I need cash more than the vouchers, because the vouchers can’t pay bills.”

Shortly after the conversation with the seller, ST observed that at least 14 listings had been removed from Carousell, although others remained online.

According to the platform’s list of prohibited content, the sale of CDC vouchers is not permitted. ST has contacted the People’s Association for more information.

Separately, the CDCs said they had been alerted to a message making the rounds online which stated that the official CDC vouchers 2024 claim link is a scam.

The official link will be used on official communication materials produced by the five CDCs, such as notification letters to households, the CDC Vouchers Scheme website (vouchers.cdc.gov.sg) and the official social media platforms of the CDCs.

Those who have detected any suspicious messages relating to RedeemSG or CDC vouchers can contact the People’s Association on 6225-5322, call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iWitness

The latest tranche of CDC vouchers provides households here with $200 more than the last disbursement in Jan 2023. 

As with the previous round, half the vouchers can be used at supermarkets, and half at hawkers and heartland merchants.

The January 2024 CDC vouchers will be disbursed to about 1.27 million Singaporean households and cost the Government $635 million.

For official information and updates on the CDC Vouchers Scheme, visit https://vouchers.cdc.gov.sg

ALSO READ: CDC vouchers 2024: How to claim, merchant list, and more

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