Police warn of missed calls from 999
SINGAPORE — The police is warning the public against returning calls from unknown numbers starting with “999” on their mobile phones, as it could lead to them being put through to the emergency 999 hotline.
In an advisory on Facebook on Wednesday (July 6), the police said some members of the public have received such calls. When they returned these calls, they would be connected to the police emergency hotline instead.
“Members of the public are advised to ignore such calls from unknown origins, where Caller ID spoofing technology may be used to mask the actual phone and display a different number,” the police said in the advisory.
The public can call the police at 1800 255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness should they have any related information. The hotline 999 should be dialled only if urgent police assistance is required.
Last month, various government agencies issued advisories cautioning the public against scams, mostly involving impersonations.
For example, one case involved people have receiving phone calls from scammers who claim to be from courier companies or pretend to be government officials. These scammers then instruct their victims to download a certain app, which may introduce malware to their mobile phones.
Another scam involved people impersonating Central Narcotics Bureau officers and requesting for money.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also warned of a phone scam where the caller posed as an MOM or government officer, asking them to transfer money to an account to resolve issues related to their stay in Singapore or work pass application.
Earlier this year, the police said scammers had pretended to be from courier companies or banks in China, and told victims that their identities had been used to send parcels containing fake passports or weapons; or were used to apply for overseas credit cards. The victims would then be asked for their personal particulars.
