With the Hari Raya Puasa festive season coming up, there’s no doubt that Singaporeans from all walks of life have been looking forward to enjoying themselves.
However, the festive season’s definitely not an excuse to let our guard down when preventing crime.
In fact, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) released an announcement yesterday (6 April) to remind Singaporeans to stay vigilant regarding crimes during the festive season.
In particular, the three types of crimes highlighted by the SPF were car rental scams, e-commerce scams and loan scams.
Here’s why they’re so important and what to look out for.
Car Rental Scams
Most of us would probably want to visit our relatives during the festive season, and a car would make the process of doing so much more efficient for sure.
So, for those looking to rent cars to visit relatives during the holiday period, here’s what you need to look out for when sourcing these services.
In the announcement, SPF explained that car rental scams take place by scamming customers of their money after customers pay the initial deposit.
Or even all the fees.
After payment is made to these “car rental companies” (i.e. scammers), they will fail to “deliver” the car to the victims.
These “car rental companies”, which sometimes even rent fake offices to make themselves appear real in front of victims, often vanish into thin air afterwards as well.
How to Prevent Falling Victim to Car Rental Scams
As for how to prevent falling victim to car rental scams, SPF advised the public only to rent cars from reputable companies and to confirm that they are legally registered in the car rental business before making payment.
Customers should also insist on keeping detailed records of relevant information throughout the car rental process.
Lastly, the car model featured in the advertisements should be the same as the car rented.
E-Commerce Scams
Moving away from cars, there’s no doubt that everyone’s buying things online nowadays, whether to stock up on festive snacks or get gifts for loved ones.
However, while e-commerce platforms have brought about a great deal of convenience, they also bring about a side of scams with them too.
For the first type of e-commerce scams, scammers try to attract victims with low prices but do not deliver the items once payment is made.
These scammers also become uncontactable afterwards.
Apart from that, a portion of e-commerce scams also take place when scammers act as courier companies.
These scammers email or text individuals to tell them that they need to top up a delivery fee for their “parcel” before it can be delivered to the victims.
The email or message will also come with a link for the victims to fill in their bank account details in order for them to “make payment”.
This will allow scammers to obtain victims’ bank account information.
How to Prevent Falling Victim to E-Commerce Scams
Regarding e-commerce scams, SPF emphasised that individuals should only purchase items from authorised or reputable online retailers.
They should also be wary of retailers who claim that they have limited stock and that customers need to purchase items as soon as possible.
Apart from that, customers can also opt for the “Cash on Delivery” option when shopping online, which will allow them to pay only after the purchased items have been delivered.
Additionally, members of the public should not click on any suspicious web links in emails or text messages sent by unknown sources.
They should not disclose any bank account details or one-time passwords (OTPs) to anyone else either.
Loan Scams
And while loans might seem tempting, especially with the enticing online advertisements, dealing with being scammed of even more money definitely isn’t.
For loan scams, victims may get exposed to them through online advertisements or text messages and calls used to promote these “services”.
However, after contacting these “loan services”, the scammers will claim that the victims have to transfer them a certain amount of money before they can transfer victims their loans.
Alternatively, scammers may ask for victims’ personal information, such as their phone number or NRIC number.
This information will allow the scammers to continue harassing or threatening victims in order for them to obtain more money from their victims.
How to Prevent Falling Victim to Loan Scams
For loan scams, SPF highlighted that members of the public should ignore all unsolicited loan advertisements in any form.
This is because authorised moneylenders in Singapore are not allowed to advertise their services via online advertisements, phone calls or text messages.
And while it might seem like scams are rampant everywhere and everchanging, there are (thankfully) steps that we can take to prevent being scammed.
Firstly, individuals can download the ScamShield mobile application. The application will help “detect any scam SMSes and block calls from blacklisted scam numbers”, according to the application’s description.
Alternatively, members of the public can join the Scam Alert Telegram Channel, which is set up by the National Crime Prevention Council, to receive alerts about scams.
Those who require scam-related advice may also call the Scam Alert hotline at 1800-722-6688 from 9 am to 5 pm on Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.
For more information and tips on how to identify and prevent falling victim to scams, click here to access Scam Alert’s website.