Police warn of SG60, CDC voucher scams on Telegram, Instagram

SINGAPORE: The police warned on Wednesday (Oct 1) of a resurgence in scams involving fraudulent Telegram channels and Instagram accounts that promote government payouts. 

According to the news release, these fake accounts would promote government payouts, such as SG60 and Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers.

This would lead to the takeover of the victims’ Telegram accounts, said the police.

The police highlighted that victims would receive messages from Telegram channels masquerading as official channels, such as “CDC Vouchers” and fake Instagram accounts, such as “govh.sg”.

These messages would contain infographics encouraging people to claim their SG60 or CDC vouchers through these channels. 

Upon clicking on the links in the channels, victims would be asked to disclose personal information such as mobile numbers, names and NRIC numbers. 

They may also be prompted to provide Telegram codes, which in turn would allow scammers to take over their Telegram accounts, the police said. 

Scammers would use the victims’ Telegram accounts to then disseminate phishing links to the victims’ contacts or add victims and their contacts to chat groups that promoted fraudulent investment schemes.

The official “gov.sg” broadcast channels on Telegram and Instagram are used only for informational purposes, the police said. 

Genuine, verified accounts will have a blue verification tick next to the account name, while fake accounts will not.

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) does not have a broadcast channel on Telegram and will not contact members of the public through the platform, the police said. 

The ministry only disseminates information through its official social media channels, the police added. Notifications will not include clickable links, require a reply to the SMS or ask members of the public to provide authentication codes of any platforms.

“You will never receive a request via phone call, social media or email to disclose personal credentials or bank log-in details to claim your SG60 vouchers or CDC vouchers,” the police said. 

Members of the public will also not be asked to transfer money or install mobile applications from unofficial app stores to claim vouchers or receive any other government cash benefits. 

Official information and updates on the SG60 and CDC voucher schemes can be found on their respective websites. 

The police advised the public to take precautionary measures such as installing the ScamShield mobile app and checking the legitimacy of suspicious messages via the ScamShield app or website.