Police report lodged over WhatsApp message that claims CDC vouchers are a scam

The People's Association Community Development Councils (CDCs) have filed a police report following the circulation of a WhatsApp message stating that the Community Development Council (CDC) voucher disbursement is a scam. 

The erroneous message was believed to have begun circulating on Wednesday (Jan 3), after the People's Association  announced that all Singaporean households would receive $500 worth of CDC vouchers on the same day, reported Lianhe Zaobao. 

In a screenshot of a forwarded message seen by AsiaOne, the message warned people against clicking a link to claim their vouchers. 

The councils have clarified that the link in the WhatsApp message, go.gov.sg/cdcv, is in fact the correct link to redeem the vouchers. 

In a statement released on Wednesday, the CDCs also cautioned members of the public against clicking on any unofficial links online without the gov.sg domain. 

They added that a police report has been made against the unofficial links circulating online, and are working with the authorities in their investigations. 

To redeem the CDC vouchers, members of the public can click on the link sent to their registered mobile phone numbers from "RedeemSG". 

Only one member of each household needs to log in with their SingPass to claim the vouchers. 

About 1.27 million Singaporean households will receive these vouchers, which cost the Government $635 million. 

These CDC vouchers provide households with $200 more than the last tranche of vouchers dispersed in 2023. 

The councils emphasised in their statement that RedeemSG will never send SMSes that require one's personal or banking details. 

Each unique voucher link starts with the following prefix: https://voucher.redeem.gov.sg

The official link will also be shared on official communication materials produced by the CDCs, which include notification letters to households, the CDC Vouchers Scheme website (vouchers.cdc.gov.sg), and CDC's official social media platforms. 

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

READ ALSO: Don't click on unofficial links to get CDC vouchers, People's Association warns

claudiatan@asiaone.com