Be wary if you receive calls from people claiming to be M1 staff offering to resolve outstanding payments or phone deliveries – they could be scammers, the police have warned.
In an advisory issued on Oct 6, the police said at least 13 cases of government official impersonation scams involving the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the telco have been reported since September, with total losses amounting to at least $362,000.
Victims typically received unsolicited calls, including via WhatsApp, from scammers posing as M1 employees.
The callers would claim that the victims had outstanding payments or mobile phone deliveries linked to existing mobile plans. When victims denied having such subscriptions, they were told to contact “customer service” via WhatsApp to terminate the plan.
The victims were then connected to another scammer pretending to be an MAS officer, who would claim that their personal details had been misused for criminal activities such as money laundering or fraud.
Victims were instructed to transfer money to so-called “safety accounts”, make payments via PayNow or cryptocurrency, or hand over cash to unknown people. In some cases, they were told to share their phone screens via WhatsApp while logging into their bank accounts.
The victims realised they had been scammed when the conmen asked for more money, or when they verified the call with the police.
The police said that one should never transfer money or valuables to unknown individuals, share banking details, or download mobile apps from unofficial sources. Government officials, including those from MAS, will never request money transfers or bank logins over the phone.
For more information, visit www.scamshield.gov.sg
Vihanya Rakshika for The Straits Times
At least $362k lost since September to fake M1, MAS employee scams
