We'd like to alert the public about a new variation of the China Officials impersonation scam, in which callers pose as Ministry of Health (MOH) employees before forwarding victims to scammers posing as China Officials. Since March 2020, the Police have received at least five similar reports, totalling more than $110,000 in losses.
We'd like to warn the public about a new form of the China Officials impersonation scam, in which callers impersonate Ministry of Health (MOH) employees before passing victims on to scammers impersonating China Officials. At least five similar allegations have been received by the Police since March 2020, totalling more than $110,000 in losses.
Scammers impersonated personnel from courier firms, telecommunication service providers, or government officers in previous examples of China Official's impersonation scams, notifying victims of the following:
The Police want to make it clear to the public that they will not be asked for their banking passwords or money to be transferred to bank accounts. When receiving unwanted calls, especially from unknown individuals, members of the public are encouraged to adopt the following precautions:
We recommend that the general public take the following steps:
Do not be alarmed; simply ignore the calls and the caller's instructions. Over the phone, no government agency will ask for money, personal information, or bank account login credentials. Before you act, call a trusted friend or speak with a relative, as you may be overcome by emotion and make a mistake.
Believe it or not, scammers may utilize caller ID spoofing technology to conceal the actual phone number and display a fake one. It's possible that calls that appear to come from a local number aren't actually coming from Singapore. All incoming international calls will be prefixed with a plus (+) sign beginning April 15, 2020. When receiving unexpected foreign calls, be cautious and reject those that appear to be from a local number.
Don't give – Don't give your name, ID number, passport information, contact information, bank account or credit card information, or One-time password (OTP). Criminals benefit from such information.
We can assist combat fraud and keeping our loved ones from being the next victim if we work together!