Man in Singapore shocked scammer knew his name during fake police WhatsApp video call
A man in Singapore who had ignored several suspicious WhatsApp video calls finally decided to answer one out of curiosity.
However, what happened next left him deeply unsettled.
Speaking to MS News, the man, Mr Wee, said that he received three to four WhatsApp video calls from a number beginning with the country code +92, which belongs to Pakistan.
He noted that the caller’s WhatsApp profile displayed the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) logo, apparently to appear more convincing.
Source: r/singapore on Reddit, for illustration purposes only
The suspicious call came in at around 6pm on 27 June.
Knowing it was likely a scam, Mr Wee decided to pick up “to see how it works”, but kept his camera switched off and stayed silent throughout the call.
“I told myself I must be strong in my mindset,” he said, adding that he suspected he was dealing with a professional scammer.
Scammer repeated his middle name more than 10 times
Rather than introducing himself, the man on the other end repeatedly barked out Mr Wee’s middle name in a stern voice — by his estimate, more than 10 times — while accusing him of being involved in criminal cases.
What disturbed Mr Wee most was that the scammer knew his name at all.
“I was stunned for a few seconds,” he admitted.
Screenshot provided by Mr Wee
He believes this is the exact moment many victims start to panic, which makes them more vulnerable to manipulation.
After about 30 seconds of silence, the scammer hung up.
Mr Wee managed to grab a screenshot of the caller during the brief exchange, and hopes that sharing his experience will help raise awareness.
He has encountered similar scams before
This wasn’t Mr Wee’s first brush with scammers.
He recalled similar attempts last year, including callers posing as Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers, as well as a text message claiming a parcel was being held at customs.
Fortunately, he recognised the warning signs each time and did not engage further.
Reflecting on his experiences, Mr Wee urged the public to stay calm if they receive such calls.
“Don’t let them scare you and make you panic,” he said. “Once you panic, you won’t be able to think logically.”
Police remind public to be wary of unsolicited video calls
In an advisory on 19 April, the SPF reminded the public to remain vigilant against phishing scams involving video calls by individuals impersonating officers.
Since 1 April, at least 13 cases have been reported, with total losses amounting to no less than S$32,000.
Source: Singapore Police Force
Police advised members of the public to remain wary of unsolicited video calls from unknown sources, stressing that officers will never contact anyone through non-official channels.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit the ScamShield website.
