The police said the victims would receive text messages that were purportedly from LTA notifying them of unpaid bills or fines. — Photo by Wladislaw Peljuchno on Unsplash
SINGAPORE: There have been at least 112 police reports made since Oct 13 regarding phishing scams involving unpaid fines or bills to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
Victims have lost at least S$133,000 (RM440,632) to the scammers.
In an advisory issued on Nov 18, the police said the victims would receive text messages that were purportedly from LTA notifying them of unpaid bills or fines.
They would then click on a link embedded in the messages to view information regarding the supposed fines, but would instead be directed to fraudulent websites.
After they provide their credit or debit card details and one-time passwords (OTPs), they would subsequently discover unauthorised transactions made with their cards.
The police said LTA does not ask for payment via URL links in its SMS alerts on offence notices, vehicle registration and licensing matters.
They advise the public not to click on URL links provided in these text messages and to always verify the authenticity of the information with the official sources or website.
The police also urge the public to never disclose personal or Internet banking details and OTPs to anyone, to report any fraudulent credit or debit card charges to the bank, and to cancel the card immediately. – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia News Network
