Screenshots showing an SMS with a fraudulent link directing victims to a fake Traffic Police website. - SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): A new phishing scam involving a fake Traffic Police website which requests for the payment of traffic fines has been identifed by the police.
In an advisory on Wednesday (May 24), the police said victims are lured to the website via an SMS telling them that they have an outstanding traffic offence for speeding and that failure to pay this fine on time will incur a late fee.
A link in the message then directs the victim to the fake website where they are then directed to make payment for the fine, requesting details such as banking credentials, a security code or One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to be filled in.
The police said that in genuine traffic offence cases, such as those detected by Traffic Police cameras, the owner of the vehicle involved in the offence will be first asked by mail to furnish the driver’s particulars.
A Notice of Traffic Offence will then be issued to the offending driver. Digital versions of the notice are not issued by the Traffic Police.
The advisory comes a week after the Police alerted members of the public to a scam which involved the download of a fake ScamShield app that installs malware on the victims’ mobile devices.
The public should not download any suspicious apps as these might contain phishing malware that scammers can use to control victims’ devices.
They should also adopt precautionary measures such as adding the ScamShield App on their devices and setting security features such as enabling two factor (2FA) or multifactor authentication for banks as well as transaction limits on internet banking transactions.
The public should also check for scam signs and with official sources such as www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-772-6688.
Dubious URL links provided in unofficial sources should not be clicked on and the authenticity of URL links should always be verified with the official website or sources.
They can also visit https://www.police.gov.sg/Advisories/Traffic/Traffic-Matters for information about the payment methods for traffic offences.
Members of the public are advised to inform the authorities and their family and friends about any scams they encounter and report any fraudulent transactions with their bank.
Anyone with information relating to such crimes should call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
