MAS issues warning on fraudulent emails, impersonating the authority and containing malware

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) warns the public on Saturday (6 October) of fraudulent emails purportedly sent from @mas.gov.sg email accounts with subject titles like “Fund Transmittal” and “Singapore Compliance Information”.

In a press release, the authority stated that the emails ask recipients to click on links or open attachments which contain malware. Members of the public should not respond to the emails, open the email attachments or divulge any personal information including login IDs or passwords.

It noted that some of the emails claim that MAS has received funds from foreign central banks remitted to the email recipients, who are then asked to pay a transaction fee and provide details of their bank accounts to a specified email address.

According to the authority, another group of emails claims that MAS is updating information on the training status of compliance officers for programmes related to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

Recipients are asked to provide this information by filling out documents attached in the emails, MAS said.

Source: MAS.

MAS stressed that it will never ask members of the public to provide their personal or bank account information under any circumstances.

If members of the public receive any unsolicited or suspicious emails purportedly from MAS requesting personal or bank account information, they should report this to MAS at [email protected], it added.

MAS advised financial institutions receiving emails purportedly from MAS to be alert to any anomaly in the details of the sender or nature of request and contact the relevant MAS review officer if in doubt.

For more tips to guard against phishing activities, please refer to the MoneySENSE website.