Police urge vigilance against potential scams linked to Presidential Election
Think twice - scammers may impersonate government officials or election candidates.
An online scam victim sending a credit card number to a scammer. (File Photo: iStock)
SINGAPORE: The police have advised members of the public to be vigilant against potential scams linked to the Presidential Election.
“Scammers may impersonate government officials or election candidates,” said the police in a news release on Saturday (Aug 26).
These scammers would then solicit banking or personal information such as banking credentials and one-time passwords (OTPs) via SMS. They may also do so through unsolicited phone calls or in-app calls via platforms like WhatsApp.
“They may also use the display photos of the people they are impersonating to perpetrate scams, which may include soliciting for bank transfers.”
The police said members of the public should not send or transfer money to anyone without verification. They should also never share their banking credentials, including OTPs, with anyone.
Precautionary measures
The police advised members of the public to:
- Add the ScamShield App and set security features or multifactor authentication for banks and set transaction limits on internet banking transactions.
- Check for scam signs and with official sources. Individuals should also not click on dubious URL links provided by unofficial sources.
- Tell the authorities, family and friends about the scams and do not be pressured by the caller to act impulsively.
- Immediately report any fraudulent bank transactions.
Voters should also not click on links that purport to be from the Elections Department of Singapore (ELD), said the department in response to queries from CNA on Saturday.
ELD said that it would also not ask for any bank details or personal details via SMS or unsolicited phone calls.
Voters should only ascertain their voting status through official sources such as via ELD's Voter Services page on its official website or via the Singpass app.
Those who are unable to do so electronically can call ELD’s hotline at 1800-CALL-ELD (1800-225-5353) or visit the nearest community centres and ServiceSG centres for assistance, it added.
