Foreign netizen warned of potential scam after alleged Singapore contact claims ‘flooding’ and ‘power outages’
Thinking something was not what it seemed, a foreign netizen turned to r/askSingapore after suspecting that an online acquaintance, who claimed to be in Singapore, was lying about “flooding” and “power outages” as part of a possible scam.
Foreign netizen turns to local Redditors for help
In the post titled “Think I’m being lied to by someone who lives in Singapore”, the user explained that they had been chatting with someone who claimed to be living in Holland Village.
The supposed Singapore resident allegedly told them that “certain areas” were experiencing flooding and power outages, and that this was preventing them from sending text messages.
Think I'm being lied to by someone who lives in Singapore, can someone help me by answering this question.
byu/BroadFact2 inaskSingapore
However, the original poster (OP) grew suspicious when they could not find any news reports or satellite data to support the claims.
They then asked local Redditors if anything major was actually happening in Singapore.
Source: PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, for illustration purposes only
“Could anyone please confirm if there are any current significant events occurring in Singapore? If so, I would be grateful if you could provide a link to any relevant information,” the OP wrote.
Netizens confirm suspicions and warn of potential scam
Singapore-based Redditors quickly replied, saying there were no reports of widespread flooding or power outages in the country.
One commenter pointed out that large-scale power outages are rare in Singapore and called the situation “obviously a scam”.
Source: Reddit
Another Redditor said floods here are generally minor and “insignificant” compared to other countries.
Source: Reddit
A user added that it was “kinda sad” that scammers now use Singapore as part of their stories to target people overseas.
Source: Reddit
Someone else even joked that they wished for flooding, given the recent heat.
Source: Reddit
OP blocks alleged scammer after getting clarity
After reading the replies, the OP thanked the community for helping to confirm their suspicions.
They shared that they would be blocking the alleged scammer immediately, adding that “no harm has been done”.
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Featured image adapted from PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency on Facebook & boychat on Canva. Both for illustration purposes only.
