If someone calls you informing you that you’ve broken COVID-19 rules, you might be inclined to believe them, even if you’re a perfect, law-abiding citizen.
Maybe I took off my mask for a little too long at that restaurant? Maybe I was supposed to serve an SHN after returning from Jurong East?
Out of fear, you believe them, because they also said a report might be lodged against you.
But then they ask for money, as a ‘penalty’ of sorts, and alarm bells start going off in your head.
Sounds sketchy? Well, this is the latest trend in phone scams.
Scam Callers Are Posing As ICA Officers & Telling Victims That They Have Broken COVID-19 Rules
Surprise, surprise, scammers are now posing as officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA)
Callers would claim to be an ICA officer and accuse recipients of breaching COVID-19 regulations or spreading fake news related to the pandemic.
They then threaten that a report would be lodged against them and that they have to pay a “penalty”.
Of course, there was never any offence, and thus no fine to pay.
In a Facebook post, ICA said these calls came from the number +65 6812-5555, which is similar to ICA’s SafeTravel Enquiries Helpline, 6812-5555.
But as you know, calls with a +65 may not be from Singapore and are often used by scammers to deceive victims into thinking so.
“ICA would like to clarify that such calls were not made by officers from ICA or any other government agencies,” it said.
“ICA does not call members of the public to request money in any form over the phone. Members of the public are advised to take precautions when they receive such calls.”
Three Golden Rules of Scam Prevention
In its Facebook post, ICA provided what they called the “three golden rules” of scam prevention.
- Don’t Panic – Ignore the calls and caller’s instructions. No government agency will request personal details or money transfers over the phone or through automated voice machines. Call a trusted friend or talk to a relative before you act as you may be overwhelmed by emotion.
- Don’t Believe – Always check the validity of a request, as scammers may use caller ID spoofing technology to mask their actual phone number and display a different number.
- Don’t Give – Don’t provide your personal information such as name, identification number, passport details, contact details, bank account, or credit card details to suspicious or unknown parties
If you need scam-related advice, you can call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to this website.
If you wish to report a scam, you can also call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit it online here.
If you are wondering why online scams always work, watch this video to the end:
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