SINGAPORE: Fraudsters pretending to be officers from the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) have stolen at least S$231,000 from victims in Singapore since January, The New Paper reported.
The victims were first contacted by phone and told their mobile numbers were linked to criminal activities in Malaysia, according to a joint statement issued by the PDPC and Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Monday (Feb 17)
They were then asked to visit the PDPC office to assist with investigations only to discover that the scammers, pretending to be PDPC officers, were not there. This prompted the victims to call the scammers.
The fraudsters would offer an excuse, persuading the victims to transfer money to certain bank accounts under the pretence of assisting with the investigation.
In some cases, the victim would be handed over to another scammer, who claimed to be a member of a Malaysian law enforcement agency. This second scammer would then trick the victim into verifying a fake “staff ID card” on the fake agency’s website.
The victims would then be told to send money or disclose banking details and Singpass passwords, allowing the scammers to access their accounts. The scam is only uncovered when victims realise they can no longer reach the scammers or contact the PDPC directly for help.
Both the PDPC and the SPF have stressed that foreign police agencies “do not have powers” to conduct investigations in Singapore and will never ask people to send money or provide personal information over the phone or by text message.
They added that government officials would never ask individuals to send money, share personal information, click on links to banking websites, or request the installation of apps or software from third-party sites.
To check the identity of someone claiming to be from the PDPC, contact the commission directly at 6377-3131 or by email at info@pdpc.gov.sg. /TISG
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