At least RM54mil lost to ‘fake friend’ scams in Singapore this year; thousands have been duped by such scammers

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

SINGAPORE: Some 4,800 people have been duped by scammers posing as their friends or acquaintances this year, with losses amounting to at least S$15.7 million (RM54 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.

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.

Anyone with information relating to such crimes should call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000.

They can also submit a report online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. - The Straits Times/ANN