SPF issues advisory on Facebook and TikTok scams which make elderly victims download malware, also impersonate government officials
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) advised the public to remain vigilant against scams involving malware on Facebook and TikTok, which target the elderly.
Since 1 April, at least eight cases have been reported with losses amounting to at least S$69,000.
TikTok and Facebook scams involve fake government officials asking for valuables from elderly
SPF explained that the scammers would put up advertisements on Facebook and TikTok promoting activities for senior citizens.
The advertisements urged the elderly targets to join their “retirees group” and express interest by submitting contact details.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Afterwards, the scammers reach out to the victims on WhatsApp and instruct them to download an Android Package Kit (APK) file to view a list of activities.
In actuality, the malware uninstalled their Singpass or ScamShield apps. One victim also noticed that his bank transaction limit had been raised without his authorisation.
A scammer would then reach out to the victim while impersonating a Ministry of Law or SPF Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) official.
They would then claim that an illegal mobile app had compromised the victim’s devices.
Source: Sora Shimazaki on Pexels, for illustration purposes only
The victims would be instructed to transfer money or hand over valuables like their phones to assist police investigations.
“Victims only realised they had been scammed when they grew suspicious of the transactions or when they checked with the relevant authorities.”
The police received reports of eight cases of the scam, with losses totalling at least S$69,000.
Turn on flight mode and run anti-virus scan if phone infected with malware
SPF reminded the public to never share personal contact details or give money to unverified individuals, as well as not to download files from suspicious sources.
Source: halfpoint on Canva, for illustration purposes only
They stated that government officials will never request money or bank login details.
Officials will also not ask members of the public to download apps from unofficial app stores or transfer calls to the police.
If you suspect that your device is infected with malware, SPF recommends the following steps:
- Turn on “flight mode” on your device. Check that Wi-Fi is switched off and do not switch it on.
- Run an anti-virus or Google Play Protect scan on your device.
- Check your bank account/Singpass/CPF for any unauthorised transactions using other devices.
- Continue to keep your device in “flight mode” and do not perform a factory reset before reporting the incident to SPF, as this could hinder investigations.
TikTok’s response to scams
According to TikTok, it is committed to protecting its community from scams and fraudulent activity. The advertisements mentioned in the advisory and the advertiser account had been removed when they were reported to TikTok.
On its community guidelines, TikTok mentioned that it does not allow content or behaviour that attempts to scam, defraud, or mislead others. This includes fake financial opportunities, phishing attempts, deceptive promotions, and other forms of fraud.
Content and accounts found to violate these rules may be suspended or removed.
In response to queries from MS News, Meta declined to comment on the matter.
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Featured image adapted from Singapore Police Force.
