SG is financial loss/fraud/scam hub. Huat ah!

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Woman who scanned QR code with malware lost $20k to bubble tea survey scam while she was sleeping​

The woman visited a bubble tea shop and saw a sticker encouraging customers to do an online survey to get a free cup of milk tea. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PEXELS

Nadine Chua


MAY 7, 2023

SINGAPORE - She visited a bubble tea shop and saw a sticker pasted on its glass door, encouraging customers to do an online survey to get a free cup of milk tea.
Enticed by what seemed like a good deal, the 60-year-old scanned the QR code on the sticker and downloaded a third-party app onto her Android phone to complete the “survey”.
That night, as she was sleeping, her mobile phone suddenly lit up.
Thanks to the app she had downloaded, scammers used it to take over her device and moved $20,000 from her bank account.
Worryingly, she is not the only victim of such malware scams.
In April, the police and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore warned the public about downloading apps from dubious sites that can lead to malware being installed onto victims’ mobile phones.
They said such malware has resulted in confidential and sensitive data, including banking credentials, being stolen.


That month, the police also alerted the public to the resurgence of phishing scams involving malware installed on victims’ Android phones. The police had said that since March, there have been at least 113 victims who lost at least $445,000.
The case of the bubble tea survey scam was related to The Sunday Times by Mr Beaver Chua, head of anti-fraud at OCBC Bank’s group financial crime compliance department, last week.
He said: “While malware scams are not particularly new, scammers are getting increasingly innovative.


“Besides website pop-up banners, which are most common, pasting bogus QR codes outside F&B establishments is another cunning way to hook victims as consumers may not be able to differentiate between legitimate and malicious QR codes.”

How the scam works​

Mr Chua said that when the victim scans the QR code, he is prompted to download an app containing malware and is made to grant access to the phone’s microphone and camera.
He is also asked to enable Android Accessibility Service, an app intended to assist users with disabilities, which allows the scammer to view and control the victim’s screen.
The scammer waits for the victim to use his mobile banking app and notes his login credentials and password. The scammer can also disable the facial recognition function, so the victim has to physically key in his details to log into his account, allowing the crook to record the information.
The scammer then accesses the camera to monitor the victim’s activity, waiting for the right moment to strike.
At night, when the victim is sleeping, the scammer takes control of the phone through the malware.
He logs into the victim’s mobile banking app and transfers money out of his bank account.
Said Mr Chua: “This scam is so insidious because scammers take over the victim’s phone. And because victims lose control of their Internet banking account, they won’t even know when their savings have been completely wiped out.”

Mr Beaver Chua said scammers tend to paste these manipulated QR codes near authorised scan-to-pay signs, which trick customers into thinking they are legitimate. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Mr Chua said scammers tend to paste these manipulated QR codes near authorised scan-to-pay signs, which trick customers into thinking they are legitimate.
University student Char Shao Wen, 25, who buys bubble tea twice a week, said she is alert whenever she scans a QR code at such shops.
“I drink bubble tea often, so hearing that such a scam exists is scary. And if they’re pasted near legitimate QR codes, I would imagine it will be a lot tougher to detect,” she added.
Mr Chua said scammers can also paste such deceptive QR codes on lamp posts near traffic lights, waiting for a victim to take the bait.
Mr Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for South-east Asia at cyber-security firm Kaspersky, said businesses should stay vigilant to promotional stickers and QR codes that have been placed on their premises without their knowledge.
He warned customers, saying: “If the code looks tampered with or suspicious, consider asking the establishment for advice.”
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Mrs Ong-Ang Ai Boon, director of the Association of Banks in Singapore, said the risk of malware is not new and people have been warned of that for some time.
She said: “It remains critically important for everyone to practise cyber-security discipline by not clicking unknown links or installing unknown apps or software onto their devices. While banks will continue to do our part in surveillance and recovery efforts, the strongest defence against scams is a watchful and discerning public.”
In 2022, scam victims in Singapore lost $660.7 million, up from $632 million in 2021, bringing the total to almost $1.3 billion lost in two years.
There were 31,728 scam cases reported in 2022, up from 23,933 cases in 2021.

Why malware scams target Android users​

Kaspersky’s Mr Yeo said Android operating system software is open source, allowing anyone to modify it.
He added: “This makes it easier for hackers to discover and exploit security vulnerabilities in the software in case of developer mistakes. In turn, this results in malicious apps finding their way onto Android devices easily, increasing the susceptibility of Android users to attacks.”
On the other hand, he said, iPhone users are less susceptible to malware scams via apps as iOS users can download apps only from the Apple App Store, which has stringent guidelines for app developers. This ensures only legitimate and secure apps are available to users.
But he added: “Although malware scams are less common in iPhone devices, they are not unheard of and are silently on the rise.”

 

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10 people lose over $6,000 after buying travel packages online in suspected scam​

"Alvin", a purported sales consultant from "FL Holidays", had sent victims a detailed itinerary for a travel package to Kundasang, Sabah. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
Christine Tan

May 18, 2023

SINGAPORE - At least 10 people have been allegedly duped into paying more than $6,000 in total to an online travel agency for what appears to be sham travel packages.
One of the alleged victims, who wanted to be known only as Ms Cheng, told The Straits Times that she saw an advertisement by “FL Holidays” on Facebook in March this year, promoting travel packages to Kundasang in Sabah.
The 52-year-old, who works in sales, messaged the company directly. Soon after, a sales consultant who gave his name as “Alvin” contacted her on WhatsApp and sent information about the travel package, complete with itinerary, flight and accommodation details.
The Malaysian, who has been working in Singapore for around three decades, thought it was a good deal. “A typical flight to Penang costs around $100. But these air tickets to Sabah were cheaper.”
As this was the first time she had booked a holiday through a Facebook ad, she kept her guard up and asked Alvin if this was a scam.
“Alvin sent us his company’s address in Sabah. When we asked why there was no Singapore address, he reassured us that his company was doing business in many places, and would not ‘run away’.”
He sent her a list of people who had apparently joined the tour, and urged Ms Cheng to pay soon so that the company could buy flight tickets. Eventually, she paid $678 for a three-night travel package for two people.

Alvin promised to send the tickets through e-mail, but they never arrived. When questioned, he said the company did not buy the tickets and promised full compensation within the next 35 days.
But Ms Cheng said she has not received a cent, and is now unable to contact him.
At least nine others have also claimed to be victims, said Ms Cheng. They have started a group chat to discuss their next steps.


Mr Ng, 28, who declined to reveal his full name, told ST that he had responded to the same Facebook ad in April. He thought it was legitimate after seeing that the ad had attracted a few hundred comments.
Alvin also gave him detailed information about the travel package. “It all looked so real,” said Mr Ng.
The Malaysian, who is working in the food and beverage industry here, said it was his first time booking a trip online. “I’ve bought concert tickets online before, and it went smoothly... I thought I was far from being scammed.”
Within three days, Alvin pressed him to pay $478 for a two-night trip for two people, saying slots for the package were running out.

When Mr Ng grew suspicious about paying upfront, Alvin quickly assured him: “We’re all Malaysians, I won’t scam you.”
A week later, Alvin claimed that the slots were full, and asked if Mr Ng could change his travel dates to June. Mr Ng chose a refund instead but was later unable to contact him. After he saw Ms Cheng’s similar experience in a Shin Min Daily News report on Tuesday, he alerted the police.
Mr Ng had paid an unknown woman, who said she was Alvin’s agent, through PayNow. Other victims said they were told to make payment to bank accounts with various names, including “Dan Clothing” and “Almatic Trading Import and Export”.
Receipts issued by FL Holidays that were seen by ST, listed an address in Sabah. The company has taken down its Facebook page. Attempts to reach its WhatsApp numbers and e-mail went unanswered.
The police said they have received reports regarding the matter and are investigating.
In an advisory in 2022, the police said the public should check with the Singapore Tourism Board and the National Association of Travel Agents whether a vendor is an accredited travel agent, and to only buy air tickets from authorised sellers or reputable sources.

 

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Police warn against new phishing scam variant involving fake ScamShield app​

The police reminded the public not to download any suspicious apps as they may contain phishing malware. PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Gabrielle Chan

MAY 17, 2023


SINGAPORE - A new phishing scam variant has emerged, involving the download of a fake ScamShield app that installs malware on the victims’ mobile devices, the police warned.
In an advisory on Tuesday, the police reminded the public not to download any suspicious apps as they may contain phishing malware which scammers can use to control the victims’ devices.
In this phishing scam variant, members of the public would contact the scammers through the messaging app Whatsapp to buy food items after seeing them advertised on social media platforms like Facebook on their Android mobile devices.
The scammers would then send a link to the victims, and tell them to use it to download an app to make payment for the food items.
Unauthorised transactions would then be made from the victim’s bank accounts or credit cards.
After these unauthorised transactions are made, the scammers would contact the victims and introduce themselves as bank staff, and claim to be following up on the fraudulent transactions.
The police said: “The scammer would then recommend the victim download the (fake) ScamShield App using a URL link fraudulently bearing the ScamShield logo, on the pretext of getting the victim to safeguard himself against scams and to make a report in the ScamShield App.”

The scammers would also inform victims not to download the authentic ScamShield app from the official Google Play Store, and insist that the victims download the fake app from the URL link provided by the scammers, the police added.
According to the National Crime Prevention Council’s website, the ScamShield app helps individuals filter scam messages and calls from numbers used in illegal activities. These numbers will be blocked if ScamShield determines that they have been used for scams.
The police did not release figures on how many people have fallen for this scam variant.
This new variant had just been detected, and the police are reminding the public of the dangers of downloading applications from third-party sites that can lead to malware being installed on the victims’ mobile phones, computers and other devices.
Earlier in May, a woman lost $20,000 after a QR code she scanned led her to download a third-party app on to her Android phone. The app she installed allowed scammers to take over her device and access her bank account.
Between March and mid-April 2023, at least 113 Android phone users had their banking credentials stolen in phishing scams, with losses amounting to at least $445,000.

In 2022, scam victims in Singapore lost $660.7 million, up from $632 million in 2021, bringing the total to almost $1.3 billion lost in two years.
There were 31,728 scam cases reported in 2022, up from 23,933 cases in 2021.
People can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline on 1800-722-6688 for more information on scams. Those in doubt or have information relating to such crimes can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness
Mobile device users can also learn more about protecting themselves against malware at https://www.csa.gov.sg/alerts-advisories/Advisories/2021/ad-2021-008

 

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Man in his 60s loses $50,000 after scammer claiming to be his ‘kampung friend’ asks to borrow money​

Nadine Chua

May 18, 2023

SINGAPORE - He received a phone call from an unknown number from someone claiming to be his friend from his kampung days, decades ago.
But the man, who is in his 60s, did not know he was talking to a scammer.
When his “friend” asked to borrow money citing financial problems, the man was more than willing to help and, on two occasions, transferred more than $50,000 to the scammer.
He even went to his bank to transfer money a third time, but alert bank employees recognised he had fallen for a scam and blocked the money transfer.
The case was told to The Straits Times by Mr Jeffery Chin, deputy director of the Scam Public Education Office (Speo) on Thursday.
Launched earlier this year, the Speo aims to drive public education efforts on scams and produce consistent anti-scam messages across various platforms to keep the public informed.
Mr Chin met members of the media to highlight the Speo’s role in Singapore’s fight against scams.

He said there have been more fake friend call scam cases in recent months, and this rising trend was troubling.
He said: “It is concerning because it has been ingrained in many of us to try to be helpful to our friends when we can but unfortunately, scammers are leveraging on that.”
Mr Chin explained that fake friend call scams typically involve a scammer calling a victim from an unknown number and pretending to be his friend.

The scammer would ask the victim questions like “can you guess who I am?” and “you can’t remember me?”. The victim would reply with the names of friends he believed could be the caller.
The scammer would then pretend to be one of the friends mentioned and claim to have lost his mobile phone or changed his contact number.
Said Mr Chin: “The victim may feel bad for forgetting his ‘friend’. So when the scammer calls again a couple of days later and claims to be in serious need of help, the victim may still feel guilty forgetting his friend and be more obliged to help.”
In 2020, there were no reported fake friend call scams.
But in 2021, there were 686 such cases, and this figure jumped 207 per cent to 2,106 cases in 2022.
In fact, fake friend call scam was the fifth type of scam of concern in 2022, with victims losing at least $8.8 million that year.
It seems to be getting worse, this year.
In March, the police warned of the persistent trend of this scam and noted that since January, at least 945 victims have lost at least $3.2 million to such scams.
Mr Chin said the public should always be suspicious when they receive such calls, or when contacted on social media by people who claim to be an old friend.
He said: “Your first reaction may be to feel bad because you thought you forgot your ‘friend’. But take a moment and be calm. It is always useful to try to contact that particular friend via other channels or at their original number to verify that it is really them.”
According to the weekly scam bulletin posted on the Singapore Police Force’s Facebook page, fake friend call scams have been the top trending scam in the past two months.
Mr Chin said this bulletin, which was launched in March, is to educate the public about the scams to be cautious about, the modus operandi of each scam type and how not to fall for them.
He added: “With the increasing number of scam cases, there is a need to raise awareness of different types of scams.
“Thus, we believe a dedicated agency like the Speo will help to drive efforts to send out coherent and consistent anti-scam messages to the public.”

 

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Police investigating alleged rental scam in Jurong involving multiple victims who lost over $30k​

The "landlord" of a unit at Block 166A Yung Kuang Road has been accused of pocketing rents and deposits since 2019. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Ang Qing

MAY 16, 2023


SINGAPORE – The police are investigating a case in which a man allegedly duped multiple victims of more than $30,000 after promising to rent out a flat in Jurong.
Multiple reports have been lodged against the “landlord”, who has been accused of pocketing rents and deposits from more than 30 groups of victims since 2019, Chinese-language paper Shin Min Daily News reported on Sunday.
A 34-year-old accountant, who wanted to be known only as Ms Lin, told Shin Min that a man approached her online with an offer for a four-room Housing Board flat at Block 166A Yung Kuang Road after she posted on a Facebook group in March that she was looking for a place to stay.
The man, who called himself Alan, said he was renting out the unit to ease his financial burden as his wife was having a baby in Vietnam, said Ms Lin.
After an in-person viewing of the flat, Ms Lin said she transferred $6,400 worth of rent and deposit to the man.
She said: “After signing the agreement, the other party kept delaying the move-in date.
“This was finally extended to May 1, when the landlord told me the day before that he will no longer rent the flat.”

Ms Lin visited the flat on May 1 to demand an explanation from the “landlord” and bumped into another group of tenants for the same unit with their belongings at the foot of the block.
The women told her that they also had intended to move in that night, Ms Lin told Shin Min.
Another victim, who wanted to be known only as Ms Hong, told Shin Min she had transferred $2,300 as deposit.


The 25-year-old accountant said she intended to rent the flat with two colleagues. She said the man said he was looking to rent out his unit as his family was moving to his late father’s flat.
“He initially told us that we could move in the day before. But once we were prepared to move in, he suddenly said we could not do so,” she added.
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Ms Lin told Shin Min that she created a group for victims after finding more people in the same predicament via the Internet.
Checks by The Straits Times found a Facebook post on May 4 that warned people of a rental scam involving a flat in the same block.
Altogether, six groups of victims have lost a total of $30,000 and made police reports against the landlord, Ms Lin added.
Sources told Shin Min that, since 2019, more than 30 groups of victims have arrived at the flat to demand their money back. It is not known how many police reports have been filed in total.
Among these victims was one Ms Liu, who told Shin Min that she had transferred $6,000 of rent and deposit to the “landlord” but was stopped from moving into the property.
The 30-year-old accountant said another man in the flat had answered the door when she arrived to ask for an explanation, and the man had claimed he was a friend of the owner and was staying there for a few days.
Another victim showed, in a police report seen by Shin Min, that the person had made three transactions to the “landlord” after viewing a listing for the flat on Carousell.
The report said the victim had paid the “landlord” a total of $10,216.68, including one month’s rent, two months of deposit and $316.68 in stamp duty.

The police are investigating a case involving a man who allegedly duped victims of over $30,000 in exchange for renting a flat at Block 166A Yung Kuang Road. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
After multiple delays, the landlord’s Carousell account was blocked and became uncontactable, Shin Min reported.
After several visits by Shin Min to the flat went unanswered, a woman who the daily identified as the flat owner’s wife answered the door last Thursday at about 1pm.
She told Shin Min that her husband would solve his own issues and that the matter was none of her business.
She added that several people had come looking for her husband, including the police.
She also claimed that she did not know his whereabouts and he had not been home for a long time, Shin Min reported.
Over the past year, the tight property market has laid fertile ground for fraudsters to take advantage of people desperate to secure a place to rent.
In 2022, the number of home rental scams via online platforms surged to 979 cases, up from 192 cases in 2021.
Last week, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling said the police have been working with online platforms to remove suspicious accounts and advertisements and are also working with the Council for Estate Agencies to include advisories on rental scams on social media.

 

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Man duped into paying $53 online after using third-party app to scan QR code on recycling machine​

He used a third-party app to scan the QR code displayed on the machine with the intention of downloading the SG Recycle app. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Sarah Koh

MAY 13, 2023

SINGAPORE – A man was duped into an online payment of US$39.99 (S$53) on Sunday after he used a third-party app to scan a legitimate QR code while trying to recycle his clothes at a recycling machine.
Lianhe Zaobao reported on Friday that a resident in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10, who gave his name only as Mr Liu, took his old clothes to the SG Recycle machine near his home on Sunday morning.
He used a third-party app to scan the QR code displayed on the machine with the intention of downloading the SG Recycle app.
Instead, he clicked on an advertisement that took him to a website that prompted him to enter his credit card information.
The 57-year-old said he entered his personal information as he believed the rewards for recycling old clothes would be credited to his card account.
He realised he had been duped only when the website showed that US$39.99 was charged to his credit card for a premium membership. It is not known what the membership is for.
Mr Liu then called his bank to deactivate his credit card and made a police report.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, SG Recycle marketing manager Sim Wei Liang said that the company is aware of this incident and another similar incident in April.
“We checked our website, our app and the physical machine QR codes, and found them to be secure,” he said.
“It is purely a third-party app issue that affects Android users who downloaded apps that contain advertisements. The QR codes on our machines are not compromised and direct users to the correct app download on Google Play or Apple App stores.”


The company operates a network of robotic waste collection machines across Singapore that allow users to recycle paper, textile and electronic waste in exchange for points that can be redeemed for cash rewards.
Mr Sim said that customers do not need to pay any fees to use the SG Recycle app, and that users will need to provide only their phone number when signing up for an account.
The company also reminded users to be cautious of third-party apps that contain advertisements, to use trusted apps such as Google Lens or the iPhone QR scanner, and to report errant apps to Google to help prevent other users from falling for such scams in future.

Mr Liu realised he had been duped when the website showed that his credit card had been charged for a premium membership. PHOTO: MR LIU
Mr Steven Scheurmann, Asean regional vice-president of cyber-security company Palo Alto Networks, said that while phone cameras these days are capable of scanning QR codes, scanner apps are still in use and scammers are creating fake scanning apps that install malware on users’ devices when downloaded.
“Once the fake app is downloaded, threat actors can obtain users’ sensitive information and credentials, gain access to their accounts, or potentially move laterally within the network to infect other devices,” he added.
Some telltale signs of a fake QR code scanning app include little to no reviews on it, the lack of or a poorly written app description, and the app asking for extensive permission such as viewing and controlling the users’ screen, said Mr Scheurmann.
An app that requires an update as soon as it is downloaded could indicate malware being installed, he added.


In the event that personal information, such as banking credentials or contact details, has already been entered into suspicious websites, users can take immediate precautions such as changing the passwords and enabling two-factor authentication of their online accounts, added Mr Scheurmann.
On Sunday, ST reported that a woman lost more than $20,000 after she scanned a QR code pasted on the glass door of a bubble tea shop, which promised customers a free cup of milk tea after they complete an online survey.
She was prompted to download a third-party app onto her Android phone, which allowed scammers to take over her device and move the money from her bank account.

 

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Two Wirecard Asia ex-employees jailed for offences including criminal breach of trust​

James Aga Wardhana and Chai Ai Lim are the first two people to be convicted over Wirecard-related offences in Singapore and globally. PHOTO: ST FILE

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

June 21, 2023

SINGAPORE – Two people who used to work for Wirecard Asia Holding were sentenced to jail on Tuesday after they admitted to crimes, including criminal breach of trust, involving monies up to $223,070 each.
James Aga Wardhana and Chai Ai Lim are the first two people to be convicted over Wirecard-related offences in Singapore and globally.
Wardhana, 40, admitted that he was linked to a misappropriated sum of $223,070 when he was the international finance process manager of Wirecard Asia, the Singapore subsidiary of German payment processing company Wirecard.
The Indonesian man was sentenced to 21 months’ jail on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including one count of criminal breach of trust involving $100,000.
Six other charges, including those involving the remaining $123,070, were considered during sentencing. Wardhana has made no restitution.
Chai, 44, whose offences involved $87,000 in total, was the head of finance at Wirecard Asia.
The Singaporean was sentenced to 10 months’ jail after she pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust linked to $47,000.

Another similar charge involving the remaining $40,000 was taken into consideration during her sentencing. She has made restitution of $70,000.
The cases of five other people, who are allegedly involved in the Wirecard case and were earlier charged in Singapore, are still pending.
They include Briton James Henry O’Sullivan, 48, and Singaporean See Lee Wee, 30, a former Wirecard Asia employee.

In June 2020, Wirecard filed for insolvency in Germany after admitting that €1.9 billion (S$2.8 billion) in cash was missing from its accounts.
The company’s former chief executive Markus Braun and several other top executives were then arrested. Braun’s case in Germany is pending.
The Straits Times previously reported that Wirecard in Singapore had been providing payment processing services to about 1,900 companies in the Republic before the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) ordered it to stop on Sept 30, 2020.
MAS also directed the company to return all customers’ funds within two weeks.
Wardhana and Chai had engaged in a conspiracy to commit their offences with other individuals, including Edo Kurniawan, whom they had reported to while they were working at Wirecard Asia.

Kurniawan, who was then the vice-president of controlling and international finance at the company, left Singapore in October 2018 before investigations started against him, and is still at large. Court documents did not disclose his nationality.
An Interpol red notice has been issued against him. Such a notice requests law enforcement units worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or other legal action.
In May or June 2018, Kurniawan convinced Wardhana to be part of a scheme to get $100,000 from Wirecard Asia, but did not say why he needed the money.
On July 16, 2018, Kurniawan sent an e-mail to one Stephan von Erffa, stating: “As discussed, James (Wardhana) came to me and told me his intention to resign from the company... To retain him... we agree to pay him ($100,000) as variable bonus.”
The person Kurniawan sent the e-mail to agreed to hand over the amount.
Wirecard Asia later transferred $100,000 into Wardhana’s personal bank account.
After that, as instructed by Kurniawan, Wardhana handed the amount to a person called “Karthi”, whom he did not know.
Separately, in early October 2018, Kurniawan told Chai that he needed to transfer $100,000 to India.
He later managed to get her to arrange a transfer of $47,000 from Wirecard Asia to See, who was then a controlling manager at the company.
On Kurniawan’s instructions, See then withdrew more than $40,000 of the amount and passed it to an unidentified man, said the deputy public prosecutor.
The DPP added that See later withdrew another $3,310 and handed the amount to Kurniawan.

 

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Singaporean businessman involved in Wirecard case jailed 12 months​

Henry Yeo pleaded guilty to three charges – conspiring to commit criminal breach of trust, falsifying invoices and laundering the benefits of criminal conduct. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Varun Karthik

June 27, 2023

SINGAPORE – Henry Yeo, who is among those involved in the Wirecard case in Singapore, was sentenced to 12 months’ jail on Tuesday.
The 67-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty to three charges – conspiring to commit criminal breach of trust, falsifying invoices and laundering the benefits of criminal conduct.
Yeo was sentenced to 10 months’ jail for the first charge, two months for falsifying invoices and six months for the money laundering charge, with the sentence for the last charge to run concurrently. Five other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Yeo was the managing director of Jacobson Fareast Marketing Services, which was in the business of wholesale textiles and furniture.
In October 2018, Mohamed Riyaz – a friend from Mauritius – told Yeo about a business deal in which both of them could get 3 per cent in commissions. Yeo and his business were at that time indebted to various banks and he was not drawing a regular income from Jacobson Fareast.
Edo Kurniawan, vice-president at Wirecard Asia, subsequently contacted Yeo. Kurniawan arranged for James Aga Wardhana, who worked at Wirecard Asia and reported to him, to transfer $41,200 from Wirecard Asia to Jacobson Fareast’s DBS Bank account.
Yeo then withdrew $40,000 from Jacobson Fareast’s bank account and handed it over to Wardhana, with the company retaining the remaining $1,200 as commission.

Subsequently, in December 2018, $81,870 was transferred from Wirecard Asia’s bank account to Jacobson Fareast’s account, from which Yeo withdrew $79,485, handing it over again to Wardhana, while keeping the remaining $2,385 as commission.
Before the second transfer was made, Yeo was asked by Wardhana to create invoices for both the transfer made in October 2018 and the then upcoming one to conceal the purpose of transfer.
Wardhana, acting on instructions from Kurniawan, provided Yeo with invoice amounts, invoice templates for reference and descriptions for “marketing and intelligence reports”. Yeo then prepared the falsified invoices and sent them to Wardhana over Telegram.

In total, Wirecard Asia suffered a loss of $123,070 arising from Yeo’s offences.
Kurniawan left Singapore on Oct 10, 2018, before investigations started. An Interpol red notice was issued against him in September 2022, weeks after a warrant of arrest was issued.
Wardhana was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment on June 20 after pleading guilty to multiple charges – including one count of criminal breach of trust. He was one of two individuals sentenced then in what was the first Wirecard-related conviction in Singapore and globally.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers asked for a sentence of 15 to 19 months for Yeo, while Yeo’s lawyer, Mr James Ch’ng, asked for a total jail term of nine to 12 months.

In his mitigation plea, Mr Ch’ng told the court that Yeo had cooperated with the authorities by handing over relevant documents and had even been interviewed in 2019 while he was recovering from a stroke.
He added that Yeo now works as a Grab driver and can barely make ends meet. Yeo is also enrolled in a debt repayment scheme.
District Judge James Elisha Lee said that while Yeo was not the main perpetrator, he had played an instrumental role.
The judge noted that this was Yeo’s first brush with the law and that he had made restitution of $3,585 – the full amount of money he made as commission through the two transfers. THE BUSINESS TIMES

 

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Telegram chat group members swindled of ‘delivery fees’ for items never delivered​

The police urged members of the public to be vigilant and to not send money to strangers. PHOTO: AFP

Wong Shiying

JUN 8, 2023

SINGAPORE – When Mr Uron saw used portable air-conditioners were up for grabs in a Telegram chat group to recycle used items for free, he jumped at the opportunity to replace his own device that was damaged recently.
The 35-year-old, who works in the marine industry, was told he could collect the item at a flat in Bukit Merah last Saturday.
But when he turned up, no one answered the door, and the man who offered the air-cons in the chat group could not be contacted.
Unable to get any information on the unit’s occupants from neighbours, he left empty-handed after waiting outside the flat for about 30 minutes.
Mr Uron, who declined to give his full name, later realised he had almost fallen for a scam. Others in the chat group were not so lucky and lost money to fraudsters who demanded a delivery fee to send the items.
The chat group, “Give and Take Singapore”, has over 1,700 members as at June 8.
In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police confirmed a report has been lodged, and investigations are ongoing.

The police described this as an e-commerce scam variant where swindlers post deals – such as giving away free items – on social media or online shopping platforms to convince victims to pay a delivery fee or goodwill deposit.
“Victims realise that they were scammed when they do not receive the items,” they added.
Like Mr Uron, another victim who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, 54, was interested in a portable air-con and opted to have it delivered to his home by 4pm on June 3 for a $10 fee.
Mr Tan, a taxi driver, has not received the air-con to date. He said he did not think anything was amiss as he has come across people giving away good-quality items in the chat group, and the air-con’s owner appeared to be local.
Mr Uron notified the chat group’s administrators of the scam, and they acted promptly to remove the scammers and their postings from the group chat.
The police urged the public to be vigilant and to not send money to strangers.
“Where possible, opt for buyer protection by using escrow payment options, such as Carousell Protection, that release payment to the seller only upon delivery,” they advised.

 

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Woman loses nearly $30k after downloading third-party app via WhatsApp​

Scams where victims are lured to download apps from dubious sites are not new. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: UNSPLASH

Chin Hui Shan

JUN 10, 2023

SINGAPORE – A 34-year-old woman lost close to $30,000 after scammers took control of her phone when she downloaded a third-party app.
Ms Tan (not her real name) chanced upon a sponsored advertisement on Facebook on May 21 which promised to give people a food blender worth $80 if they downloaded a shopping app and spent at least $30 on it.
Enticed by what seemed like a good deal, she clicked on the link, which directed her to a WhatsApp business account.
Following instructions given, Ms Tan later downloaded the third-party app from the WhatsApp account onto her Android phone.
Over the next few days, she tried but failed to check out groceries worth about $30 she ordered via the app.
Ms Tan alerted the WhatsApp account holder of her problem but was told that as the app was new, glitches were expected and that she should try again a few days later.
But on May 25, when the account holder said she could make payments, Ms Tan realised that another person was controlling her phone when a notification popped up asking her approval for a transaction of more than $4,000.

“I was quite shocked... The (display on the) screen started moving on its own. I could not reject the transaction and I tried to make calls to stop the transaction but I couldn’t,” said the administrative worker.
She then noticed that six transactions had been made through her DBS Bank account over 22 minutes. Every transaction was worth close to $5,000, and they totalled $29,877.90.

Ms Tan noticed that six transactions, each worth close to $5,000, had been made through her DBS Bank account over 22 minutes. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MS TAN
Mr Kevin Reed, chief information security officer of cyber-security company Acronis, said such a scam is a result of malvertising, or malicious advertising, where online platforms allow their users to create advertisements targeting a specific audience and include links to anything from a Web page to a direct software download.


He added that Android users are more susceptible to malware as the operating system allows software installation from outside the Google Play Store.
For iPhone users, he said, “Apple uses this ‘walled garden’ concept and installing applications outside the App Store is an extremely cumbersome process. It would be very hard to convince an ordinary user to go through it”.
However, he noted, malvertising may soon pose a higher risk to Apple users, at least in Europe, as the company may have to allow users to download applications outside the App Store under the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA).
In response to queries, DBS said it will help customers who fall for scams by, for instance, replacing their cards.
DBS added: “While we continue to adopt multi-pronged measures to strengthen fraud prevention and recovery, including real-time blocking capabilities and loss recovery, customers remain the first line of defence in safeguarding against scams.”
It advises customers to take measures such as setting alerts for transactions using their accounts and cards for amounts as low as one cent, or temporarily locking or unlocking their debit or credit cards through their app immediately when they suspect fraudulent transactions have taken place.
DBS sent an e-mail to customers on May 28 to warn users of fake advertisements on social media and to not download dubious apps from unofficial sources.

Mr Reed advises Android users not to install apps from outside Google Play Store or through any other links, adding that if they suspect their phone is being controlled by a malicious actor, switching off the phone can help to stop the attack.
Scams where victims are lured to download apps from dubious sites are not new. In May, The Straits Times reported a woman losing $20,000 to a bubble tea survey scam while she was sleeping. She had scanned a QR code and downloaded a third-party app onto her phone to complete the “survey”.
In April, the police and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore warned the public against downloading apps from dubious sites that can lead to malware being installed on their mobile phones.
That month, the police also alerted the public to the resurgence of phishing scams involving malware installed on victims’ Android phones. The police had said that since March, there have been at least 113 victims who lost at least $445,000.

 

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Chinese student in Singapore rescued from kidnappers in Cambodia after falling for scam​

The student was contacted on June 2 by scammers, who told him that he was wanted by the authorities. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PEXELS

David Sun
Crime Correspondent

JUN 13, 2023

SINGAPORE - A student from China, who was enrolled in an art college in Singapore, has been rescued from his kidnappers in Cambodia after falling for a government official impersonation scam.
Law enforcement agencies from several countries, including Singapore, were involved in the operation, the Chinese Embassy in Singapore said in a statement on June 10.
It added that the student is safe, but did not disclose his whereabouts, and that his parents did not lose any money in the process.
The student was contacted on June 2 by scammers, who told him that he was wanted by the authorities.
They instructed him to fly to the coastal city of Sihanoukville in Cambodia and go into hiding. But once he arrived there, the scammers held him captive and took a video for his parents.
They then sent the footage to the student’s parents, and demanded a ransom of 3 million yuan (S$562,000) for his release.
The Chinese Embassy in Singapore said after the parents filed a police report on June 4, it contacted the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia to organise rescue efforts with the local police.

It led to an operation involving law enforcement from multiple countries, including Singapore. The Chinese Embassy in Singapore said the student was found and rescued by Cambodian police on June 5, adding that no ransom money was paid.
In the statement, the Chinese Embassy in Singapore also issued an advisory for Chinese students in Singapore to be alert to scams.
It said the Singapore authorities would never ask for their personal information over the phone, adding that they should also never disclose their name, address, family situation or bank details when receiving calls from unknown numbers.

The Chinese Embassy in Singapore said if students do fall victim, or suspect they have fallen victim to a scam, they should contact the authorities immediately.
The incident comes amid a warning by Interpol of a “global human trafficking crisis”, with scammers tricking tens of thousands of victims into human-trafficking schemes in criminal hubs in South-east Asia.
The international police organisation, which issued an Orange Notice on June 7, said victims are kidnapped and detained in inhuman living conditions, and often beaten and sexually abused.
They are also forced into criminal activities, including investment fraud, love scams and frauds linked to cryptocurrency investing and online gambling.

Acting coordinator of Interpol’s Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit, Mr Isaac Espinoza, said these syndicates are now targeting the educated.
He said: “These criminal groups are now targeting people who are actually highly qualified, people who have university degrees, who are trained in IT and who are tech-savvy.”
He added that the scam centres are known to be concentrated in Cambodia, but several have also been identified in Laos and Myanmar.
There were 771 cases of government official impersonation scams reported in Singapore in 2022, with more than $97.6 million lost.
There has also been a significant number of such scams this year, with the police saying in April that at least 62 people had lost some $6.9 million to government official impersonation scams since the start of the year.

 

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At least 2 Android users lose nearly $100k of CPF savings in June in malware-related scams​

Victims came across advertisements on social media and were given a link to download an Android Package Kit that contained malware. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG

Amanda Lee
Correspondent

JUN 17, 2023

SINGAPORE – At least two Android users lost $99,800 of their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings in June to scams involving malware.
The police said on Saturday that the victims came across advertisements marketing groceries like seafood on social media platforms, including Facebook.
The victims contacted the businesses through their social media platforms or WhatsApp.
They were sent a URL to download an Android Package Kit (APK) file, an application created for Android’s operating system, to order groceries and make payment.
APKs are installation files for Android apps that can be downloaded from the Internet and third-party app stores, instead of the Google Play Store.
Apps or APK files from the Internet or a third party could contain phishing malware.
The victims were unaware that the application contained malware that would allow scammers to access the victims’ devices remotely and steal passwords. These included Singpass passcodes, among other details stored in the victims’ devices.

“The scammer might also call the victims to ask for their Singpass passcode, purportedly to create an account on the application,” said the police.
Victims were directed to fake bank sites to key in their login credentials to make payment within the app.
The malware would capture the credentials entered.

The scammers were then able to access the victims’ CPF accounts remotely using the stolen Singpass passcode and make a request to withdraw funds through PayNow.
The police did not state the victims’ ages. CPF members can withdraw some of their savings when they turn 55 and receive monthly payouts under the CPF Life scheme when they reach the eligible age, which is currently 65.
Once the CPF funds were deposited into the victims’ bank accounts, the scammer accessed the victims’ bank applications and transferred the money out via PayNow.
The victims realised they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions on their bank accounts.

The police warned of the dangers of downloading apps from third-party or dubious sites that can lead to malware being installed on their computers, mobile phones and other information technology devices.
Scammers trick victims into installing malware-infected apps that are not in the app stores, the police said, advising the public not to download any suspicious APK files as these may contain phishing malware.
People should update their devices with the latest security patches and report any fraudulent transactions to their banks immediately.
For more information, they can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline on 1800-722-6688.
Anyone with information on scams can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit details confidentially at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness
Mobile device users can also learn more about protecting themselves against malware at www.csa.gov.sg/alerts-advisories/Advisories/2021/ad-2021-008
Similar cases occurred here recently.
In May, a 34-year-old woman lost close to $30,000 after scammers took control of her phone when she downloaded a third-party app.
And at least 113 Android phone users have had their banking credentials stolen in phishing scams since March, with losses amounting to at least $445,000.

 

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At least 82 victims lose $2,500 since May to freecycling scams​

Giveaway offers included a variety of items ranging from bicycles to bulky kitchen appliances like refrigerators. PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Wong Shiying

JUL 5, 2023

SINGAPORE – At least 82 victims have fallen prey to freecycling scams since May, losing a total of at least $2,500, said the police.
Freecycling is a green movement where people give away items that they no longer need, instead of selling them or throwing them away. These arrangements are often made via the Internet.
The police said on Tuesday that the victims chanced upon giveaway offers posted by scammers on online platforms such as Facebook, GoodHood, Telegram and Carousell.
These offers included items from bicycles to kitchen appliances such as refrigerators.
“Victims reached out to the scammers (to express interest in the items) using the individual platform’s in-app messaging function. Scammers then requested victims to pay a fee to reserve the item or get it delivered,” the police said.
Payments were made via bank transfers, such as PayNow, or e-wallets like Singtel Dash or GrabPay.
Victims realised they were scammed when they did not receive the items.

The police advise the public to avoid making payments or deposits to unknown individuals. “Arrange for your own delivery, where possible, and always verify the profile of the user through reviews and ratings,” they added.
The police also urge the public to adopt precautions such as downloading the ScamShield app on their devices and setting security features. These include enabling two-factor or multifactor authentication for banks, and setting limits on Internet banking transactions.

 

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Woman who tried to sell designer bag on Carousell lost nearly $10,000 instead​

The woman clicked on a link in an e-mail she received, after the scammers told her they had made payment on CarouPay. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

JUL 6, 2023

SINGAPORE - A woman who tried to sell her pre-owned Louis Vuitton bag for $3,400 ended up losing close to $10,000 to a scam.
The woman, who wanted to be known as Ms Lee, was targeted by scammers who posed as buyers on Carousell. She wanted to share her story to remind others that sellers can fall prey to e-commerce scams too.
On June 21, the scammers expressed interest in her bag and one of them claimed to have made a payment for it via CarouPay, an in-app payment method on the platform, Shin Min Daily News reported on Wednesday.
An e-mail then arrived in Ms Lee’s inbox, confirming that she had received payment on CarouPay. However, she did not have that payment method set up.
In order for the payment to be processed, she was prompted to click on a link in the e-mail, which directed her to what appeared to be a Carousell website, she told Shin Min.
On the website, she was asked to set up CarouPay in order to receive the payment.
After she completed the steps, Ms Lee received two transfer notices informing her that $9,900 from her account was being remitted overseas. Sensing that something was amiss, she immediately logged on to her DBS account to lower her fund transfers limit.

She then contacted her bank to freeze her account and made a police report.
Speaking to The Straits Times, Ms Lee said DBS contacted her on June 23 to assure her that its team had followed up on her case, and the money she lost would be returned to her account in three to five days.
She said she received the full amount on the same day, and was immensely grateful for the bank’s assistance.
She also wanted the public to be aware that scammers are targeting both buyers and sellers on e-commerce platforms, so all users should be careful when making transactions on these platforms.
In response to ST’s queries, Carousell’s team said it had conducted an investigation and confirmed that the scammer’s account had been suspended on June 21.
The e-commerce platform also said it has rolled out initiatives such as Sell to Carousell and Carousell Certified programme to make transactions safer.
In response to queries, the police reiterated that there has been an observable resurgence of a phishing scam variant involving fake buyers on Carousell and Facebook.
In June, at least 84 victims had fallen prey to such scams, with reported losses amounting to at least $177,000.

 

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AMK hawker loses $27,000 after no-show by ‘teacher’ who ordered food, red wine for banquet​

The hawker was sent what turned out to be a fake PayNow receipt that showed $14,795 “transferred” to him for the dinner. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF DEVID RETANASAMY
Christie Chiu

AUG 12, 2023

SINGAPORE – The owner of a zi char stall in Ang Mo Kio received a dinner reservation for nine tables for both Sunday and Monday and thought a business boom was on the way.
But the “teacher” who made the reservation on behalf of his school became uncontactable after the ingredients and wine were ordered and paid for, and no one turned up on Sunday.
The estimated loss? $27,000. The teacher? A conman.
Mr Devid Retanasamy, 40, the owner and chef of the stall, Mr Blecky Seafood, has since made a police report.
Relating how he was scammed, the Indian cook who made a name for himself online for his ability to speak fluent Mandarin, told The Straits Times on Wednesday that he had received a WhatsApp message from a man on Saturday evening claiming to be a teacher at Fuchun Primary School.
Mr Retanasamy said the man told him the school wanted to host a staff dinner on Sunday at his stall. The man also said the school would host staff from the Ministry of Education (MOE) the following night, and reserved nine tables for each night.
The man also asked for a specific brand of red wine on behalf of the school principal, telling Mr Retanasamy to buy it from a supplier who sold six bottles of Amiral de Beychevelle (2019), a French wine, for $500. An initial order of five cartons was placed.

A purchase order seen by ST showed that the five cartons cost a total of $3,100 – which works out to $620 each. A check with online wine suppliers showed that a 2019 bottle of this wine sells for between $91 and $99.
Mr Retanasamy said that after discounts, he paid $500 to the wine supplier for each of the five cartons, or $2,500 in total.
When Mr Retanasamy asked the man why he could not buy the wine himself, the man said there was a “conflict of interest”.

Although he was not familiar with the brand of wine, Mr Retanasamy said he bought five cartons anyway as instructed. Speaking in Mandarin, he said: “I believe in trusting the customer when doing business, and he already booked so many tables and dishes.”
But the order kept getting cranked up. The man first increased the wine order to 20 cartons, then upped it again by another 15 cartons – all on the pretext that more people were attending the dinner. The wine bill alone went up from $2,500 to nearly $18,000.
Mr Retanasamy said he spent another $9,000 on ingredients for the dinner, which included pricey crab and other types of seafood.
The chef said the man sent him what turned out to be a fake PayNow receipt on Sunday afternoon that showed $14,795 had been “transferred” to him for the dinner. He was promised payment for the additional 15 cartons of wine.

Mr Devid Retanasamy said the man sent him what turned out to be a fake PayNow receipt on Sunday afternoon that showed $14,795 “transferred” to him for the dinner. PHOTO: COURTESY OF DEVID RETANASAMY
But Mr Retanasamy said he grew suspicious when he did not see the transfer reflected in his bank account after two hours.
When asked, the man said the payment needed time to be approved by MOE, and that large sums could also take up to two days to be processed by the bank.
The chef said he called a friend who works at the bank, who confirmed that such procedures do exist.
His unease increased when both the man and the “wine supplier” became uncontactable and all text messages disappeared suddenly.
At about 5pm that day, he received an alert from the police anti-scam centre, warning him that he had made transfers to a suspicious bank account and that he might have been scammed.
His worst fears came true when no one turned up for the dinner on Sunday. The money Mr Retanasamy spent has not yet been recovered.

Mr Retanasamy said he spent $9,000 on ingredients for the dinner, which included pricey crab and other types of seafood. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
When asked why he had trusted the man and the wine supplier, Mr Retanasamy said that he had spoken on the phone with both, and he even briefly heard the “principal” in the background during one of the calls.
“Their accents sounded Singaporean and the conversations all felt so real,” he said.
“We’ve done this kind of dinner before and I checked that the school really existed, so I thought it was okay,” said the chef.
In response to ST queries, Fuchun Primary School principal Eunice Lim said the school did not organise the dinner event in question, and has lodged a police report on the matter.
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The so-called purchase order seen by ST showed that the wine was to be shipped to Mr Blecky Seafood by Dada Wines Storage, located at 65 Tuas Bay Drive.
Checks by ST found that a wine supplier named Dada Wines, registered under a company called Dada Logistics, is located at 65D Tuas Bay Drive.
When contacted, Dada Wines said it was “totally not aware” of the incident and this is the first time something like this has come to the company’s attention.
Mr Wilson Li, 39, the director of Dada Logistics, said: “We would like... to clarify with the public that we are innocent. Please be careful when you deal with strangers, ask for their full details and pay only after receiving the ordered goods.
“We are very sad to hear this (had) happened.”
Mr Retanasamy said: “This is a huge loss, I still need to cover rent and my employees’ salaries. I hope customers will continue to support me and that others will not fall for the same scam.”

The money Mr Retanasamy spent has not yet been recovered. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Police investigations are ongoing.
At least five food and beverage (F&B) operators lost a total of at least $73,500 in July last year in such scams, the police said.
The police advise F&B operators to be alert to such scams and make checks before paying “suppliers” for off-menu items. F&B operators should also be cautious and avoid paying in advance when dealing with new suppliers. Instead, they should arrange to meet the suppliers and pay only after the goods are delivered.
F&B operators should also search for online reviews of suppliers to check if they are legitimate before making a purchase, they added.

 

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Woman loses over $20k from credit card and bank accounts after downloading third-party app​

Ms Lim (not her real name) lost almost $20,500 from a credit card account and two DBS savings accounts in hours. PHOTO: ST FILE

Anjali Raguraman
Correspondent

AUG 20, 2023

SINGAPORE - A food delivery order that was supposed to cost $58 ended up costing Ms Lim (not her real name) over $20,000 after scammers took control of her Android phone and banking details remotely.
Ms Lim, 54, lost almost $20,500 from a credit card account and two DBS Bank savings accounts in hours after she clicked on a link to download a third-party app, following which scammers then increased her credit limits and siphoned out all her money.
She had been looking for healthy tingkat (tiffin) meal delivery options for her elderly parents, and on July 26, she made an inquiry after seeing a Facebook advertisement from a company called Healthy Box.
The ad appeared to be from local caterer Grain, whom she had ordered from before. Hence, she was not suspicious.
She contacted the poster of the ad via Facebook Messenger, after which the conversation continued on WhatsApp at around noon that day.
After the person confirmed they were from Grain, they sent her a link via WhatsApp to download an app – one that she had not used before – to make the order. She then installed the app, which she said looked exactly like the mobile-enabled version of Grain’s site.
When asked to make payment of $58 via PayNow to another number, she received a message saying that the vendor had not installed PayNow and that she could send the vendor a link to do so.

She then messaged the person to inform them that their PayNow was not working and asked them to check on it, but did not receive a reply.
Ms Lim, who works in events and marketing, went back to her online meetings. About 90 minutes later, when taking a lunch break, she noticed that her phone felt “burning hot”.
When she switched it on, the phone showed a blank screen and it had automatically performed a factory reset. Not suspecting anything, she followed the sequence to reset the phone and set it up again, as one would with a new phone.

Later that day, when she attempted to use her ATM card to withdraw money at around 6pm, she realised that her bank balance was zero.
She called the DBS customer service hotline, and an officer confirmed that $20,493.87 had been transferred out of her account.
A few days later, she went to the DBS headquarters in Marina Bay, where a customer service officer uncovered some of what had transpired.

First, the credit limit on her POSB Everyday credit card had been increased from $14,500 to $18,500.
A total of $17,850 was transferred from the credit card account to her POSB Savings account. Another $1,553 was also transferred to this POSB account from a third account she owns, a DBS Savings account.
Through Internet banking, the total amount of $20,493.87 – she is unsure where the extra amount of $1,090.87 came from – was then transferred from her POSB account to three different Standard Chartered accounts in the amounts of $6,281.40, $6,258.95 and $7,953.52.
“It’s very scary... how did (the scammers) manage to increase my credit limit without any verification?” asked Ms Lim, who also questioned how there were so many large transactions made without notifications sent to her.
A week later, on Aug 2, she received a letter from DBS – dated July 26 – informing her that her request for a credit limit increase on July 26 had been approved.
She said: “I’m very shocked... when you try and increase your withdrawal or credit limit, they ask you so many questions, so why weren’t any questions asked of that person (who made all the transactions)?”
Ms Lim made a police report on July 26. Catering company Grain also made a police report on July 27 about scammers mimicking its mobile application. Police have told The Straits Times that investigations are ongoing.
After her savings were wiped out, Ms Lim said she is unable to meet the payment deadlines set by the bank for her credit card bill.
The last message from the bank asked for an interest payment of $4,075, which had to be paid by Aug 12.
“We have nothing in the bank, we have nothing to return,” said Ms Lim as she choked up in tears.

While she has friends who have extended money and supermarket vouchers to her family, she is worried about paying for her housing and other such loans.
She added that she is traumatised and that “every (new) message on my phone now scares me to bits... I have lost confidence in phone banking”.
In desperation, Ms Lim sought help from her MP to write appeals to DBS, the police and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to waive the amount that was drawn from her credit card account.
When contacted, DBS said it has dedicated resources to “act swiftly and assist” customers who are scammed, including a dedicated fraud hotline – 1800-339-6963 (from Singapore) or (+65) 6339-6963 (from overseas) – or the safety switch function on the digibank app, which would temporarily block access to funds.
“We will assist these customers with necessary follow-up actions, which include making a police report, or replacing their cards/re-securing their accounts,” DBS said, adding that scammed customers can also report fraud in person at any DBS bank branch.
“While we continue to adopt multi-pronged measures to strengthen fraud prevention and recovery, customers remain the first line of defence in safeguarding against scams.”

Malware scams plaguing Android users on the rise​

A spate of banking-related malware scams have plagued Android users in recent months, which resulted in unauthorised transactions being made from victims’ bank accounts. This has happened for users across banks, according to various media reports.
The police said they have seen an increase in the number of reports from Android users related to such scams, which have, in some instances, resulted in their bank accounts being emptied.
This occurred despite victims not disclosing their Internet banking credentials, one-time passwords or Singpass credentials.
Recently, 10 suspects were arrested by the police for their suspected involvement in malware scams, where at least two Android users lost $99,800 of their Central Provident Fund savings in June. Six others are assisting in investigations.
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Modus operandi of scammers​

The police said the victims fell prey to these scams after responding to ads on social media platforms, where scammers would instruct them to download Android Package Kit files from third-party app stores in order to make purchases.
Instead of a legitimate app, however, malware would be installed on their phones, with scammers urging the victims to enable accessibility services on their devices.
In doing so, their phones became vulnerable and this allowed scammers to take full control of the devices, including enabling them to record every keystroke and steal banking credentials stored on the phone.
The scammers could then remotely log in to victims’ banking apps, add money mules as payees, raise payment limits, and transfer money. They could also erase their tracks by deleting SMS and e-mail notifications that the banks issued.
In a joint advisory on Tuesday, the police and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore highlighted the “increasingly sophisticated tactics” that scammers use to steal sensitive information from people’s Android devices.
They said that the openness of the Android operating platform – which allows for greater flexibility and customisation for developers and users – makes it an appealing platform for scammers.
“Users of Android devices are advised to be aware of the potential risks and to follow the best practices to safeguard their devices,” the joint statement said.

Banks stepping up security features​

Banks have also been stepping up security features, having acknowledged that scammers are deploying increasingly sophisticated tactics.
Recently, Android phone users with the OCBC digital app received a security update designed to protect customers from malware. Users who had downloaded apps from other portals instead of an official store found that they were unable to access their OCBC online banking services. They would need to delete these apps to be able to use the OCBC app banking services again.
MAS explained: “Security measures will come with some measure of added inconvenience for customers, but they are necessary to maintain security of and confidence in digital banking.”
Last week, Mrs Ong-Ang Ai Boon, director of the Association of Banks in Singapore, warned that “in general, consumers who do not take the necessary precautions will be expected to bear the losses arising from malware scams”.

 

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At least $15.7 million lost to ‘fake friend’ scams this year​

Scammers call or text their targets, posing as friends or acquaintances, and then ask for financial assistance. PHOTO: ST FILE
Christie Chiu

SEP 2, 2023

SINGAPORE - Some 4,800 people have been duped by scammers posing as their friends or acquaintances this year, with losses amounting to at least $15.7 million.
These scammers would call or text their targets, posing as friends or acquaintances, and then ask for financial assistance, the police said in a statement on Wednesday.
Warning the public to be wary, the police set out the modus operandi of these criminals.
Those targeted first receive text messages or phone or WhatsApp calls from unknown numbers – with or without the “+65” prefix.
The scammer then claims to be a friend or acquaintance and asks the victim to guess his real identity.
When the victim replies with the name of a friend, the scammer assumes the identity of that friend and asks the victim to update his contact details.
The scammer goes on to ask the victim for a loan, claiming that he has issues performing a banking transaction or is having financial difficulties.

The victim is then asked to transfer the money to a local bank account.
Victims discover that they have been scammed only after contacting their impersonated friends or acquaintances, or when their loans are not returned.

A conversation between a scammer and victim on WhatsApp. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

A conversation between a scammer and victim on WhatsApp. PHOTO: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
The police said that people should beware of unusual requests from anyone claiming to be someone they know, and to report such suspicious numbers to WhatsApp so they might be blocked.

“Verify whether the request is legitimate by checking with your family, friends and acquaintances through alternative means such as physical meetups, video calls or e-mail other than using the new contact details on your phone,” the police added.
The police urged the public to install the ScamShield app and set up security features for their banking, social media and Singpass accounts.
These include setting up two-factor authentication or multi-factor authentication for banks, and limits on Internet banking transactions.
In the last two months alone, over a thousand more people have fallen prey to such scams, losing almost $4 million.
There were 2,106 fake friend call scams reported in 2022, with victims losing at least $8.8 million, the police said in February.
More than 46 per cent of the victims were aged between 30 and 49.

 

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Man responding to beer ad loses $60k after app he installed gave scammers control over phone​

The man was browsing through Facebook when he saw an advertisement promoting alcohol at “50 per cent retail price”. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: PIXABAY

Osmond Chia

SEP 8, 2023

SINGAPORE – Mr Adrian Kong, 50, thought he was buying beer on the cheap online, but was instead led to download a virus-laden app that gave scammers total control of his phone.
They allegedly hacked into his phone overnight and entered his DBS Bank account while he was asleep to increase his transfer limit, then stole roughly $60,000 of savings meant for his children.
Mr Kong’s case, which is being investigated by the police, adds to a growing number of malware scams involving victims whose bank accounts were emptied after they unknowingly installed a virus. It is the latest weapon of choice for scammers, who have siphoned at least $345,000 using such methods since July.
Speaking to The Straits Times on Tuesday, Mr Kong, a consultant working in the finance sector, said he was browsing through Facebook at 9.30pm on Aug 30 when he saw an advertisement promoting alcohol at “50 per cent retail price”.
He contacted the seller – “Mr Dizzy” – on Facebook Messenger and asked if he could buy 12 cans of Asahi beer, which was listed as $42 in total.
He did not suspect a scam since the sellers claimed to accept cash on delivery, putting him at ease as he did not need to take the risk of making an online transaction.
The seller sent Mr Kong a URL on WhatsApp to install a third-party app called “Go-shop v3.6”, which he downloaded on his Samsung Galaxy Note 10. He placed an order on the app to receive a rebate, but did not make any transaction using the app at the time.

At 9.50pm, Mr Kong received a notification from DBS that $10 was received. “Mr Dizzy” then texted him, saying it was a rebate awarded to Mr Kong, and urged him to check his banking app to see if he had received it.
Mr Kong said: “Unknowingly, I went into my bank account to check. I think this was the point where the scammers were able to see my phone and look at all the details I keyed in.”
Around 2am, Mr Kong clicked on his OCBC account while he was scrolling through his phone but found that he could not enter the app. As part of a new security feature rolled out in August, the app notified him that a third-party app called Go-shop was interfering with his OCBC app.

The security feature, which blocks apps from non-official platforms and flags those with risky permission settings, was rolled out in response to malware scams that often hacked into victims’ bank accounts. The feature alerts the user to the third-party app detected on the device and advises the user to delete the app or adjust its accessibility settings.
When Mr Kong informed “Mr Dizzy” about this, the putative seller apologised for the trouble and offered to meet him to help uninstall the app.
“I had a funny feeling after I put down the phone and went to sleep,” said Mr Kong. “And true enough, the next morning the worst happened.”
At 9am, he opened his bank app and found four unauthorised PayNow transactions on his account for sums between $7,683.30 and $19,882.50 to unknown contacts named “Kumara” and “Mohammad Sharul”.
Another transaction of around $16,000 was declined. No money from his OCBC account was stolen.

Mr Kong also received an e-mail from DBS at 2.59am that his transfer limit to other banks was increased to $125,000, but he missed the notification as he was asleep at the time. He reported the incident to the bank and the police.
Mr Kong said: “$60,000 to a middle-income family is huge. It was set aside for my two children for their expenses over the next few years for their tuition and daily expenses.
“After rushing to the police station, I told my wife what happened. She was so shocked.”
He also alerted friends to whom he had forwarded the beer advertisement, informing them that he had been scammed, and reported the post to Facebook.
He said he hopes other users will be alert to such scams, and suggested that there ought to be a delay before large transfer limits are granted to prevent such incidents, since they are high-risk transactions.
Banks have been required by the authorities since 2022 to seek additional confirmation with customers to process significant changes to accounts, such as the activation of a new soft token, following a spate of phishing scams.
In reply to queries from ST, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said additional measures to protect customers from scams, which include requiring additional customer confirmations to process significant changes to customer accounts, such as changes to online transaction limits, have been in effect since Oct 31, 2022.

In June 2022, MAS required all banks to set the default transaction limit for online funds transfers to $5,000 or lower and to provide a “kill switch” for customers to freeze their accounts quickly if they suspect a scam.
When asked about the incident, a DBS spokesman said: “We have been working closely with the Government and industry partners on measures to address the risks relating to malware scams.
“There is a need to take a considered approach for this. As we work to provide a robust level of protection for our customers, we also want to keep the customer journey as frictionless as possible.”
Mr Kong’s case adds to a slew of scams linked to third-party apps that introduce malware. In August, at least 27 victims lost a total of around $325,000 after sellers advertising mooncake sales on social media directed them to install Android Package Kit (APK) files that contained viruses.
Scammers employed a similar modus operandi to siphon more than $20,000 from a 54-year-old woman who was looking online for food options for her elderly parents.
The rise in malware scams has prompted organisations like those in the banking and telco industries to raise cyber-security measures over third-party apps.
The police urged the public to enable two-factor authentication for bank apps and set transfer limits on Internet banking transactions. It advised people to only install apps from official app stores and to disable “Install Unknown App” or “Unknown Sources” in their phone settings.
Users who suspect their phone is infected with malware should turn their device to flight mode and run an antivirus scan. They should also check their bank, Singpass and Central Provident Fund accounts for any unauthorised transactions by other devices and report them to the police, if any, the police said.

 

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Woman loses $76,000 after downloading third-party app to buy mooncakes​

Ms Lee said the money had been set aside for the down payment on her new Build-to-Order flat and renovation works. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS
Carmen Sin

SEP 21, 2023

SINGAPORE - An order of mooncakes cost one woman $76,000, after scammers took control of her phone through a third-party app and siphoned the money from her bank account.
Ms Lee, an administrative executive, had chanced upon a Facebook advertisement for bunny-shaped mooncakes filled with Mao Shan Wang durian from a bakery called “Sunshine Cake House” on Sept 14.
Enticed by the deal of $29.90 for a box of eight, she messaged the seller on Facebook, who passed her number to a “delivery man”.
This “delivery man” texted Ms Lee on WhatsApp and instructed her to download a third-party app on her Android phone. The app prompted her to make a $1 payment through PayNow as a “deposit” before her order could be placed, but wary of divulging her bank details, the 51-year-old pretended not to have PayNow.
“I’ve read about all these scams so I refused to give my PayNow and the fraudster paid the deposit for me,” said Ms Lee, who wanted to be known only by her surname. “I was so careful but I got scammed all the same.”
Later, she deleted the third-party app after she had trouble logging in to her mobile banking app on her phone.
She did not tell the purported delivery man about this, but he immediately called to say her order had been cancelled and pressed her to download the deleted app again.

Ms Lee relented because he was “very courteous”.
The man continued to text her about the delivery throughout the day, constantly postponing the delivery time until his last message at about 11pm – when she went to bed.
In the morning, Ms Lee woke to find that her phone had been “compromised”. She could not make any calls or log in to her mobile banking apps.

She rushed to the nearest ATM to check her bank balance only to find that “everything was gone”.
The grifters had raised her transaction limit from $500 to $20,000 and transferred $76,000 out of her DBS account in a series of four transactions.
Ms Lee said the money had been set aside for the down payment on her new Build-To-Order flat and renovation works.
Her compromised phone meant she could not make any calls and had to plead with several passers-by to use their phones just to call the bank. Immediately after, she lodged a police report.
“The scammer even had the audacity to text me about more mooncakes that morning,” she said.

The police confirmed that a report had been lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Ms Lee, who hopes to recover the stolen sum from DBS, questioned how the “unusual” transactions went through without any notifications sent to her.
“Why didn’t DBS call me? It might not be convenient but banks should protect their customers and ask more questions,” she said.
“I feel terrible, I can’t sleep or eat. My heart feels ill,” said the mother of two, adding that her two children were still in school and she was going to have trouble paying for her new home.
With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, scammers are turning to bogus mooncake advertisements to swindle people online. In August, at least 27 people fell prey to these scams, losing some $325,000 in total, said the police.
These mooncake scams take the same tack: “Sellers” send victims payment links that download malware into their phones, enabling scammers to control victims’ devices remotely and drain their bank accounts.

 

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Online mooncake scam: 27 people lose $325,000 in a month​

Victims would contact the moon cake sellers and be directed to make payment through WhatsApp, but would be given links that led to malware. PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE

Fatimah Mujibah

SEP 24, 2023

SINGAPORE – A new scam involving mooncake sales on social media platforms has cost at least 27 victims around $325,000 in August alone, said the police on Tuesday.
After contacting the “sellers” through social messaging platforms to place orders for mooncakes advertised on Facebook and Instagram, the victims were directed through WhatsApp to make payment. But the links, the police said, led victims to download an Android Package Kit (APK) file, an application created for Android’s operating system, containing malware.
In some cases, victims were instructed to make PayNow or bank transfers to buy the mooncakes.
The scammers would then inform victims that their orders had to be cancelled due to production or manpower issues, and direct them to the malicious links for “refunds”.
After the APK file was downloaded and installed, the scammers would gain remote access to the victims’ devices, letting them steal passwords and retrieve banking credentials.
Victims later discovered unauthorised transactions from their banking accounts.
The police advised the public to adopt precautionary measures such as adding the ScamShield app, enabling two-factor or multifactor authentication for bank apps and setting transaction limits on Internet banking transactions.

The police also advised the public to ensure their devices have updated antivirus/anti-malware applications installed and to disable “Install Unknown App” or “Unknown Sources” in their phone settings.
Members of the public should download and install applications from only official app stores, and be wary if asked to download unknown apps to purchase items or services on social media platforms.
The police urged the public to report any fraudulent transactions to their bank immediately and to inform the authorities, family and friends about scams.
If individuals suspect that their phone is infected with malware, they should turn their phone to “flight mode”, run an antivirus scan on their phone, check their bank, Singpass and Central Provident Fund accounts for any unauthorised transactions using other devices, report it to the bank and relevant authorities, and lodge a police report.