SINGAPORE: A 22-year-old man had S$49,500 transferred from his bank account without his consent due to a phishing scam, police said on Wednesday (Oct 24) in a news release.
The police received a report from the man on Oct 17. The man had received a call from someone who informed him that he had been linked to an alleged kidnapping incident.
AdvertisementThe man was instructed to key in his bank account details in two separate phishing websites. He then downloaded a software which allowed the computer to be accessed remotely. A total of S$49,500 was later transferred without his consent.
Police have advised members of the public to take the following precautions when they receive unsolicited calls, especially from unknown parties:
- Ignore the calls. Scammers may use Caller ID spoofing technology to mask the actual phone number and display a different number. Calls that appear to be from a local number may not actually be made from Singapore. If you receive a suspicious call from a local number, hang up, wait five minutes, then call the number back to check the validity of the request.
- Look for signs that you are visiting a secure website as phishing websites may look 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. Always type in the full URL of the bank into the address bar or use the official mobile banking application to ensure that you are using legitimate banking services.
- Refrain from giving out personal information and bank details, whether on the website or to callers over the phone. Personal information and bank details such as internet bank account usernames and passwords, OTP codes from tokens, are useful to criminals.
- Report any suspicious transactions to your bank immediately.
- Do not download any software from untrusted sources.
- Call a trusted friend or talk to a relative before you act. You may be overwhelmed by emotion and err in your judgment.
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