In a press release on Sep. 1, the Singapore Police Force said that they have observed the re-emergence of social media impersonation scams.
S$2.7 million scammed
The police said that in the first half of 2020, they received at least 1,175 reports involving scammers using compromised or spoofed social media accounts to impersonate as the victims' friends or followers on Facebook or Instagram.
There were only 83 cases in the same period in 2019, and at least S$2.7 million has since been lost to such scams.
Under the premise of helping them sign up for fake contests held on Grab, Lazada or Shoppee, the scammers would then proceed to ask the victims for their personal details, such as their mobile number, internet banking account details, and their One-Time Password (OTP).
Victims would then realise that unauthorised transactions have been made from their bank accounts and mobile wallets to purchase online gaming credits.
The police thus advise members of the public to:
- Be wary of unexpected requests or offers from social media contacts, especially if it's related to luck draws or contests
- Verify whether the account is legitimate by checking with your family and friends offline
- Never give out your personal details and/or your OTP to anyone, including family and friends.
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Top image via Pixabay