A concerned woman in Singapore approached a stranger on the MRT after overhearing her on a call and suspecting she was about to fall victim to a scam.
The original poster, Olivia, shared the incident on Instagram on Thursday (17 Sept), hoping to encourage others to step up and help when they see people in need.
In the video, a woman across the MRT aisle from Olivia, who is behind the camera, is seen on a video call.
In the text overlay, Olivia wrote that the caller, who was on loudspeaker, was very rude, which caught her attention.
Source: @vitrealestate on Instagram
When the caller began to shout, “Bank card, bank card!” at the woman, Olivia realised something was wrong.
The passenger was also seen showing her passport to the caller.
Thinking the woman was about to show the biographic page of her passport or her bank card to the scammer, Olivia decided to step in.
She approached the passenger, saying, “Sorry, sis. I think it’s a scam call”.
Since the woman couldn’t catch what she was saying, Olivia ended the call for her.
She then typed on her phone, “It’s a scam”.
Source: @vitrealestate on Instagram
Only then did the woman realise that she had just been about to fall victim to a scam.
“Don’t show this to anyone,” Olivia warned the woman, pointing to her passport. “Don’t show your bank card to anyone.”
Source: @vitrealestate on Instagram
She included in the video a snapshot of the email account that called the unknowing passenger.
The callers seemed to have used a photo of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) logo as its profile picture.
“These scammers impersonating as SPF [sic]… targeting foreigners using fear…” wrote Olivia.
Source: @vitrealestate on Instagram
Olivia said she gave her phone number to the woman, so she has someone local to assist her in case she needs help.
Olivia shared that the woman is from the Philippines and has only been in Singapore for three weeks looking for employment. She wrote:
She told me that she didn’t expect Singapore to have scams like those in the Philippines. That’s why, when she received a call from the ‘police’, she was afraid that she had done something wrong.
Speaking to MS News, 29-year-old Olivia Ng, a real estate agent, shared that the incident occurred at 3pm on 16 Sept on the North-South Line.
She said that when she realised the woman was in a scam call, she knew she had to help her, even when she felt “a bit uncomfortable” approaching a stranger.
“I sat beside her, calmed her down, and explained some of the common scams in Singapore so that she could better protect herself in the future,” Olivia said.
Olivia added that she shared the video to encourage people to step forward and help others, even if it feels awkward and uncomfortable.
“Sometimes, a simple act of kindness or a few words of concern could make a difference,” she expressed, adding:
We should look out for one another and show care to people around us, regardless of their age or nationality. Scams can happen to anyone, so I hope this incident encourages more people to speak up and lend a helping hand when they see someone in need.
Also read: S’pore man warns others about ‘Booking.com’ WhatsApp scam after almost falling for it
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Featured image adapted from @vitrealestate on Instagram.