Have someone approached you on Instagram lately asking you to sell them “old bank notes & coins” for an attractive amount of money? Or have someone commented on your images, asking for the same thing?
Well, don’t be so eager to say “yes” because you might just end up like these victims we’re going to talk about.
IG Users in S’pore Have Lost $30,000 in ‘Old Bank Notes & Coins’ Since Sept 2021
It’s only been two months since September 2021 but within this short timeframe, at least S$30,000 has been lost to scammers by Instagram users.
On 9 Nov 2021, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) revealed the return of a scam involving the sale of “old bank notes and coins” among Singapore users.
Here’s How It Works:
First, the scammer would approach a victim on social media to ask for old banknotes and coins.
To gain the victim’s trust, they would provide “proof of identification”, which include identification documents and photographs.
They would also send over proof of previous successful purchases to increase the victim’s confidence.
Once the victim bit the bait and sent the notes and coins over, the scammer would pretend to have difficulty processing the payment.
They would then ask the victim to purchase a gift card for “administrative fee payments”.
Upon receiving the gift card one-time use code, the scammer would ghost the victim.
And that’s usually when the victim knew that they were scammed.
Follow These Crime Prevention Measures
To prevent yourself from falling for such scams, SPF has the following tips for you:
- Be careful of unexpected offers or requests from strangers on social media
- If possible, always try to make transactions via the “in-platform secured payment method”; In other words, no gift cards.
- Don’t provide PINs or serial codes of online shopping credits to strangers
Meanwhile, for those who have information on such scams, you can contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000.
Alternatively, you can submit online as well via www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
You should also visit the Scam Alert website or call the Anti-Scam hotline at 1800-722-6688 to find out more about scams.
Spot The Signs. Stop The Crimes
Eager to do your part for society and help people become less likely to fall for scams?
Had a bad experience with scams and wish no one else would fall victim to it?
Well, now you have a chance to do so via the Spot the Signs, Stop the Crimes campaign.
Basically, you’ll sign up and receive up-to-date messages about scams in Singapore, and in turn, spread the message to your family and friends.
You can find out more about the campaign here.
Read Also:
- 296 People Under Police Probe for Scams in S’pore & 1 is 80 Years Old
- SPF: S$6.5 Million Lost To Job Scams in First Half of 2021
- 36YO Man Scams E-Scooters Using a Fake Rolex Watch Multiple Times
Feature Image: Sapadia Aku / Shutterstock.com