Police report 415 victims fall prey to parcel delivery phishing scams this year

Singapore Police Force

A screenshot of a phishing SMS directing victims to a phishing website.

SINGAPORE — At least 415 victims have fallen for phishing scams involving the delivery of parcels since the beginning of this year, with losses amounting to at least S$574,000, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Saturday (June 11).

According to Today, in such cases, victims would receive emails or text messages informing them that they had parcels awaiting delivery.

They would be directed to clink on a URL embedded in the messages to view information regarding these deliveries.

If they clicked on the link, they would be redirected to fraudulent websites, which would ask for their credit or debit card details and one-time passwords.

Victims would only realise they had been scammed after discovering unauthorised transactions on their credit or debit cards.

The police advised members of the public to take the following precautions:

·         Do not click on URL links provided in unsolicited emails and text messages

·         Always verify the authenticity of the information with official websites or sources

·         Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details and OTPs to anyone

·         Report any fraudulent credit or debit card charges to your bank immediately