Victims were cheated into providing their personal information and credit card details on phishing websites or over the phone after responding to online advertisements or Short Message Services (SMSes) that were purportedly from DBS Bank or OCBC Bank.
This was revealed in a Facebook post on Thursday (30 August) by Singapore Police Force (SPF), where they stated that reports regarding the matter have been received and that some of the victims later realised that unauthorised transactions in various foreign currencies were made to their credit cards.
According to the police, in these cases, the victims would either come across a Facebook advertisement or receive an SMS purportedly from one of the banks regarding investment. Upon clicking the link provided, victims were then directed to a website which promoted a new investment program or software.
To sign up, victims were asked to provide their personal information, credit card details and one-time password (OTP) via an online form. In some instances, victims had provided the information over the phone after receiving a call from someone purportedly from the bank.
The Police advise members of the public to be wary when they are asked to click on links provided in emails and SMSes, even if the link seems to be sent by organisations that they are familiar with.
“You should always type the URL of the official website directly onto the address bar of your web browser,” it stated.
Members of the public are also advised to look for signs that you are visiting a secure website, as phishing websites may appear genuine. Secure websites use ‘https:’ instead of ‘http:’ at the start of the internet address, or display a closed padlock or unbroken key icon at the bottom right corner of your browser window.
They are generally encrypted to protect your details,” it noted.
Members of the public are asked to be wary when they are asked to disclose their personal or banking details over the internet. Call the bank’s customer hotline number if they have any queries and report any fraudulent charges detected in their credit card bills to their bank immediately.
Members of the public can seek scam-related advice by calling the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to Scam Alert website. They may also refer to the advisory posted on DBS Bank and OCBC Bank websites for more information.
