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SINGAPORE: There has been a sharp rise in the number of people duped into parting with their money in the first three weeks of September.
According to the police, 122 people have fallen victim to what's called the 'lucky draw' scam.
In September alone, 68 people fell prey to these scams, compared to 23 cases in August and 31 in the first seven months of this year.
A total of more than S$1.5 million has been amassed by these fraudsters.
Mdm Li, a victim of the ‘lucky draw’ scam, said: "They employ mind games to test you. The more doubtful you sound, the more eager they are to prove they're not lying. They treat you like a friend."
All it took was a few calls from this so-called 'friend', for 30-year-old Mdm Li to hand over S$2,800 to a man claiming to be from Hong Kong.
She's one of many to have fallen victim to such scams and one victim was even cheated of some S$350,000.
There are several versions of the lottery or lucky draw scams. Fraudsters would call or text message (SMS) their victims, saying they had won cash prizes in overseas lucky draws entered on their behalf.
However, they would have to pay administrative or processing fees of several thousand dollars before they can claim their prize. Website addresses, login passwords and overseas phone numbers all help to make the set-up more convincing.
The fraudsters employ various tactics to lure their victims and one of them even claimed the lucky draws were conducted on a Channel NewsAsia programme.
"You think this is a scam? Mr Liu, didn't you watch Channel NewsAsia on 9 August? There was a live telecast. No wonder you'd think this way. It's impossible. Why would we cheat you? Aren't you thinking too much?" said a fraudster whose call was recorded by a MediaCorp viewer.
Some callers to the MediaCorp News hotline reported similar experiences, but Channel NewsAsia said its contests do not require viewers to provide details, like bank account numbers.
Police have advised the public to be wary because such scams often take different forms and they stressed that legitimate lottery companies never ask for up-front payments before winnings are released.
Members of the public can check with Channel NewsAsia by calling the main line at 63333-8888 or they can email to programming@channelnewsasia.com.
Police said any information on such scams should be directed to its Commercial Affairs Department. The public can call 1800-3250000 or head down to the CAD office at New Bridge Road or any police station. - CNA/vm
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