Day: May 18, 2022

The Police have arrested a 28-year-old woman for her suspected involvement in using stolen credit card information to make unauthorised transactions amounting to more than S$3,200.

On 7 April 2022, the Police received a report from a victim who discovered that several unauthorised online transactions had been made using his credit card information.

Through investigations, officers from the Commercial Affairs Department established the identity of the woman and arrested her on 17 May 2022. Preliminary investigations revealed that the woman had allegedly stolen the victim’s credit card information, and later used it to make more than 30 unauthorised transactions. The woman is also believed to be involved in two other similar reports lodged in March and May 2022. Some apparel and three suitcases, which are believed to have been purchased using the victim’s credit card information, were seized as case exhibits.

The woman will be charged in court on 19 May 2022 with cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code 1871, which is punishable with an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine.

The Police would like to remind members of the public that unauthorised use of another person’s credit or debit card is a serious offence. The Police take a serious view against any person who commits fraud and the perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

The Police would like to advise all credit/debit card holders to call their card-issuing banks immediately if their credit or debit cards are lost or stolen, and to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

Do’s

Keep your credit or debit cards safe with you at all times;

Opt in for SMS notifications to be sent to your mobile phone for any charges incurred on your credit or debit cards; and

Check your bank statements and alert the bank immediately should there be any discrepancies or unauthorised charges

Don’t’s

Do not give out your credit or debit card details to unknown persons;

Do not reveal your OTPs to anyone; and

Do not expose your credit or debit cards. Keep them in your purse or wallet until you are ready to make your purchases.

Source: Singapore Police Force

The Police would like to alert members of the public to a new variant of technical support scam where scammers would impersonate PayPal in order to gain access to and steal money from the victim’s bank account. Since January 2022, at least four victims have fallen prey to this new variant. One of the victims had lost about $33,000.

In this new variant, potential victims would receive e-mails containing PayPal invoices that listed details of unauthorised transactions, for goods or services from third-party vendors. Victims who noticed this would then proceed to contact the helpline contact number included in the e-mail to dispute the transaction and request for a refund. Victims would then be transferred to a scammer impersonating an “agent from the third-party vendor” who would claim to be able to assist them.

The scammer would instruct the victims to download a software on their computers to facilitate the cancellation of transaction. Victims would not realise that the software would enable the scammers to remotely control the victims’ computers. Once the software was installed on the victims’ computers, the scammers would request for the victims to log into their online bank accounts. After the victims log into their bank accounts, the scammers would take over control of the victims’ computers and transfer funds out of victims’ bank accounts without their consent.

If any member of the public believes they that have fallen prey to the scam, they should immediately:

Turn off their computer to halt further activities on their computer;

Report the incident to their bank to halt further unauthorised access to their bank accounts;

Change their iBanking credentials and remove any unauthorised payees added to their bank accounts; and

Report the matter to the Police.

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following preventive measures:

Beware of unsolicited emails from dubious parties;

Do not panic and do not follow instructions to install applications, type commands into your computer or log into your online banking accounts. You should also not provide your name, identification number, passport details, contact details, bank account or credit card details when the callers request for the information. When in doubt, always call the official hotline of your telecommunications service provider to verify the call. Call a trusted friend or speak with a relative before you comply with the scammer’s instructions as you may be pressured or confused by the scammers to act impulsively; and

Do not click on any links if you believe the email or invoice may be fake. You can forward the email to phishing@paypal.com. PayPal is continuously working to protect its customers by identifying and taking necessary action against bad actors, including against fraudulent invoices created by them. Rest assured your PayPal account will not be charged for any item you did not purchase.

For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Anyone with information on such scams may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Source: Singapore Police Force