Over 100 victims lose $160k after falling prey to bank impersonation scams in December

SINGAPORE – More than 100 people have fallen prey to bank impersonation scams in December.

The 103 victims, who lost a total of at least $161,000, were duped by scammers who spoofed bank SMSes in order to gain access to their online banking credentials.

In a statement released on Friday (Dec 29), the police alerted the public to the resurgence of this phishing scam variant.

Victims received SMSes from numbers starting with +65, falsely claiming to be from their banks and warning them of unauthorised access attempts.

The messages contained links leading to fake banking websites where victims were tricked into entering their usernames, passwords and one-time passwords (OTPs).

In some instances, individuals also received WhatsApp messages from fraudsters posing as bank security officers, who provided fake bank statements showing unauthorised transactions in the victims’ e-wallets.

The deceit was discovered only when victims noticed unauthorised transactions in their bank accounts.

To combat such scams, the police advise the public to download the ScamShield app and to set up security features such as transaction limits and two-factor or multi-factor authentication for Internet banking and e-wallets.

Members of the public are also advised to verify with official sources if they spot signs of scams and to never share personal or banking details, including OTPs, with anyone. If in doubt, they are encouraged to report suspicious activities or seek assistance.

For further information on scams or to report fraudulent activities, visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688.

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