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Scammers targeting phone numbers starting with ‘6363’

SINGAPORE — If your residential phone number is “6364xxxx”, you could be one of those that kidnap scammers may call.

SINGAPORE — If your residential phone number is “6364xxxx”, you could be one of those that kidnap scammers may call.

The police have warned that scammers are likely to target households with such numbers after receiving reports of cases from residents whose home phone numbers start with 6363. They believe scammers are likely to next target those with numbers starting with 6364.

The modus operandus of such scams is to dupe victims into paying up to prevent their “kidnapped” loved ones from being harmed.

One of those who almost fell prey, who only wanted to be known as Madam Choo, said she got frightened after hearing a boy sounding like her son yelling over the phone for help.

“The person at the other end of the line refused to let me hang up. He asked for my mobile number and said, ‘You just stay on the line and walk to the ATM to withdraw money’,” she added.

In the first quarter of 2012, 83 such cases were reported, with five people falling prey to the scams. Total losses amounted to S$30,000.

In the same period last year, 49 cases were reported. But from January to March this year, the figure soared to 91 cases, with 12 successful scams and losses reaching S$60,000.

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