The Singapore Police Force has published an educational video featuring Prominent actor Hossan Leong pertaining to the rising incidents of phone scam dubbed the “DHL scam”
The video detailed the usual modus operandi of the scammers who will first give potential victims a call identifying herself as DHL employee who is holding to a parcel addressed to them. She will ask for personal particulars such as IC number and full name.
The call will then be transferred to a supposed ‘police officer’ who further asks for more personal particulars such as bank account and credit card number.
The police office inform the potential victims that the ‘package’ contains prohibited materials and ask for them to transfer money to him, in return he will not ‘pursue the matter further’.
Since March 2016, over $4 million have been scammed off the Singapore public by this method.
The video lists 4 steps to take if anyone receives such call:
- Ignore the call
- Do not provide any personal particulars
- Do not transfer any money
- Report the matter to the police immediately
Anyone convicted of aggravated cheating in Singapore is liable to be imprisoned for up to 7 years and be fined or both.
The video was published a week before a scam involving $25,000 was foiled by a money changer staff and a remittance officer. On July 8, Mr Malik Sameer, who works at Samlit Moneychanger, and Ms Li Chunyan from Zhungguo Remittance alerted the police to a suspected case of cheating at about 3.05pm.
Investigations revealed that a 59-year-old victim had received a phone call claiming she had a parcel with 28 credit cards under her name at “Changi Airport DHL” and was directed to transfer money to China.
The money was fully recovered.