ICA warns of scam calls relating to passport issues

SINGAPORE: Members of the public have been advised to be cautious of scam calls related to passport issues. 

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) issued this advisory on Wednesday (Apr 20) after it received recent feedback from the public regarding calls from numbers starting with "+65".

"Some of the calls included an automated voice message informing the recipients that their passport applications have been rejected or their passports have been cancelled," it said in a Facebook post. 

"Other calls involved the alleged scammers asking for the recipients’ personal details, such as their NRIC number."

ICA added that the calls were not made by their officers.

If there is a need to clarify passport matters with applicants, ICA said that its officers will only use landlines without the "+65" prefix to contact individuals.

ICA advised members of the public to exercise caution and avoid revealing personal details when they receive unsolicited calls from “+65” numbers about passport issues.

The authority said last month that it has received an "unprecedented" number of passport applications since March 2022 and that passport applications will take more time to process due to high demand.

ICA added that Singaporeans applying for or renewing their passports can expect a processing time of at least one month as it deals with a surge in passport applications.

"We seek Singaporeans’ understanding that more time will be required to process their passport applications," it said.