Police warn of scams involving school fee payment emails; S$44,000 lost since Oct 14
The emails were sent from accounts belonging to fellow students or from email domains that resembled the official email accounts of educational institutions.
Screenshots of scam emails sent to victims. (Images: Singapore Police Force)
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SINGAPORE: The police have warned of scams involving emails impersonating educational institutions, after at least 15 cases were reported since Tuesday (Oct 14).
Total losses amounted to at least S$44,000 (US$34,000), the police said in a news release on Friday.
Victims of such scams would receive emails requesting urgent payment of outstanding school or tuition fees.
The emails were sent from accounts belonging to fellow students, which had been taken over by the scammers, or from email domains that resembled the official email accounts of educational institutions.
To make payment, victims were asked to transfer money to a bank account and were also warned that failure to do so quickly would subject them to actions by the school’s litigation department.
The victims would only realise that they had been scammed after seeking verification from their school, or after receiving relevant alerts and anti-scam advisories.
The Ministry of Education advised the public to exercise caution when receiving emails requesting school fees through direct payment, immediate bank transfers, or payment links outside official student portals, the police said.
Before transferring any fees, members of the public should check with the relevant institutions via official channels, especially for unscheduled payment requests.
The police also cautioned members of the public against transferring funds to unknown persons.
