Police received at least 45 reports on fake bulk order scams over past four months
Of these reports, at least six involved the impersonation of Singapore Armed Forces personnel.
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SINGAPORE: At least 45 police reports on fake bulk order scams have been made over the past four months, said Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming on Friday (Sep 26).
Speaking in parliament, Mr Goh added that this scam variant is not new but the police have seen a "re-emergence" since May.
He was responding to questions from Members of Parliament (MPs) on the matter following a recent spate of such scams, including some where individuals impersonated Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel and targeted local businesses.
Victims included a bakery, a florist and a hawker stall that cooked 150 packets of chicken and mutton briyani - only to discover the order was a hoax.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Defence said it had been alerted to three new cases of suspected fraudulent bulk orders made by people claiming to be from the ministry or the SAF.
The three new cases involved falsified order documents, while earlier instances saw perpetrators contact their victims by phone.
Mr Goh said that from May to mid-September, SPF received at least six reports of fake bulk order scams involving the impersonation of SAF personnel.
"In these scams, scammers posing as SAF personnel would contact restaurants or other small businesses to make bulk orders. In some cases, nearer to the delivery date, the scammers would request for additional items which the businesses do not carry or are unable to fulfil at short notice," he said.
"The scammers would then provide the contact details of fake suppliers whom they claim can supply the additional items and persuade the victim to pay the fake suppliers on their behalf."
"The fake suppliers are part of the scam syndicate and deceive the victim into making payment, without delivering the actual items. Victims often only realise they have been scammed when the bulk order is not collected."
As of Sep 19, at least six people have been arrested in connection with scams involving the impersonation of SAF personnel. One of the accused, a 22-year-old woman, has been charged in court.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the suspects were allegedly acting on the instructions of a scam syndicate.
In other instances, three businesses, including a fruit vendor and a bedding company, were targeted by scammers claiming to be staff of Singapore Chinese Girls' School.
"(As) much as the police will take a firm stance against such cases and also do more in public education efforts, it is often not possible for the police to protect all businesses and the public from all forms of scams and fraud. The criminals will often also constantly devise new ways and approaches to hook and scam their victims," said Mr Goh.
He added that to raise awareness of fake bulk order scams among small businesses, the police have been sharing with industry stakeholders the various telltale signs of scams and preventive measures they should adopt.
"In particular, we urge businesses to try to verify the identity of the people they are transacting with, avoid making advance payments or deposits with new suppliers, and pay only upon the delivery of goods," said Mr Goh.
"Please note also that government agencies will not ask businesses to make payment to another business on the government’s behalf, unless agreed through a written contract."
