SINGAPORE — Temasek Holdings has warned the public of fake profiles of individuals claiming to work for it on social media sites such as LinkedIn.

In a news release on March 19, the state investment firm said that connection requests are being made by these individuals and it "may be difficult to tell genuine from fake profiles".

"Like many professionals, Temasek employees have LinkedIn profiles and connect with friends, colleagues and business associates. However, Temasek employees will never conduct Temasek business on social media platforms," the firm said.

It advised the public not to enter into transactions or business dealings as a result of interactions on social media platforms.

"If you are approached by someone on LinkedIn purporting to be a Temasek employee, you should take independent steps to verify that the person you are dealing with is a genuine Temasek employee. You should also report fictitious or dubious profiles to the social media operator," it added.

All Temasek email addresses end in "@temasek.com.sg", the firm said, adding that its employees do not conduct official business using personal email addresses from providers such as Gmail, Yahoo or Outlook.

"Please exercise caution and take steps to satisfy yourself, in any business dealings conducted online, that you are dealing with a genuine Temasek officer who has the authority to conduct or enter into business transactions," the firm said.