SINGAPORE — In the first two weeks of this month alone, nearly 400 people have fallen prey to phishing scams by email or text messages, the police said in an advisory on Thursday (Nov 18).

They also said that such scams were on the rise. “In the first two weeks of November 2021, at least 378 victims had fallen prey to such scams.”  

Victims would receive email or text messages from people impersonating known or trusted entities. These include banks, government agencies, trade unions or companies such as postal service provider SingPost or ride-hailing firm Grab.

The messages would have fake offers or claims to dupe recipients into clicking on a phishing weblink or website address.

The offers or claims include refunds, promotions, outstanding payments for parcel deliveries as well as disruptions to services or subscriptions.

Those who click on the links would be redirected to fraudulent websites, where they would be tricked into providing details of their credit or debit cards and one-time passwords.

They would realise that they were scammed only when they find unauthorised transactions on their credit or debit cards.

The police reminded the public to always verify the authenticity of information in email or text messages with official websites or sources. 

Members of the public should also not click on weblinks in unsolicited email and text messages. They must never disclose their banking details or one-time passwords to anyone.

Victims of phishing scams should report fraudulent transactions to their bank and cancel their card immediately.

Anyone with information about such crimes can call the police on 1800 255 0000 or submit details at police.gov.sg/iwitness.