Electronic scams have become increasingly concerning over recent years, with losses amounting to the millions. Many of these scams, interestingly, evoke a sense of urgency in victims by threatening them with an imminent termination or loss if they fail to act.
So when Singaporeans received an SMS from “CPFBOARD” about the termination of their ElderShield policy, together with a clickable link, many understandably felt anxious.
Source: Facebook
The CPF Board has since clarified that the message is legitimate and serves to inform members that they have been enrolled in CareShield Life instead.
On Friday (22 Apr), some folks received an SMS from “CPFBOARD”, informing them that their ElderShield policy has been or will be terminated.
The message apparently contained the last four characters of the recipient’s NRIC and a clickable link that led to more details.
Considering the slew of scams involving SMSes with clickable links lately, they were understandably worried.
Some even took to Facebook to share the message they received and advise others to be wary.
Source: Facebook
Others tried clicking the link but reported that the website was “down”.
In response to The Straits Times’ (ST) queries, the CPF board confirmed that the SMS message is legitimate.
The message reportedly serves to remind CPF members of the following:
The CPF Board also claimed that its website had crashed for “some time” on Friday (22 Apr) due to overwhelming traffic. They have since resolved the issue.
To quell public concern, they have advised members to check if the domain ends with “.gov.sg”. Only links ending with that will lead them to the official CPF website or that of other Government entities.
According to SLL District Representing AIA Singapore Private Limited, a group of financial advisors, Singaporeans born between 1970 and 1979 were automatically enrolled in CareShield Life from 1 Dec 2021. CPF members also have the option of opting out through Singpass.
The application apparently “took some time”, which was why members only received the notification recently.
There was, however, “no particular reason” why they received the messages on Friday (22 Apr).
While we’re rightfully wary of SMSes claiming to be from official sources, we should remember that there are ways to verify them.
If you’re unsure, you can always check with the source yourself. In this case, we’re glad that the CPF Board responded promptly and cleared the air.
Be that as it may, we’re glad that Singaporeans have become more vigilant and cautious.
Do you know anyone who may have received such a message and is uncertain about it? Share this article with them to fill them in on what’s going on.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and RDC Architects Pte Ltd.
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