At least 280 victims lose S$1.2m to phone call phishing scams

AT least 280 victims have lost more than S$1.2 million since January this year to scammers impersonating as friends over the phone, the police said in a statement on Friday (Mar 11).

These victims received phone calls from unknown numbers with the "+" prefix. The callers would not identify themselves and instead, mislead victims with questions such as "Guess who am I?" or "You can't remember me?".

When victims respond with a name of a friend, the caller would assume the identity of the said friend and claim to have lost their mobile phone or changed their contact number.

Victims were then told to update their contact list with the new number. The caller would call the victim after a few days and ask for loans due to financial difficulties or troubles with the law.

Victims would be provided with bank account numbers or phone numbers to transfer money to. They would discover that they had been scammed only after contacting their actual friends whom the scammers had impersonated, said the police.

Members of the public are thus advised to be wary of calls with the "+" prefix or unusual requests from callers. They are also encouraged to verify whether the request is legitimate by checking with family and friends through alternative means such as physical meet-ups or using previously established contact details.