New Phone Scam Threatens Victims With Arson If Money Isn’t Transferred
Just last week, we reported a recent phone scam that disguises the scammer’s caller ID as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) hotline.
MFA Warns Of Phone Scam That Disguises Caller ID As MFA Hotline
Now, there’s a new phone scam in town. Scammers are reportedly threatening victims with arson if they do not transfer funds to a designated bank account.
On Tuesday (25 Jun), the Singapore Police Force (SPF) took to Facebook to raise awareness about the new scam and advised Singaporeans on what to do if they receive such calls.
69 phone scams reported to date
According to the post, the SPF has received 69 reports from victims who allegedly received SMSes asking them for money, otherwise their premises will be set on fire.
Coincidentally, a screenshot of a message resembling this phone scam was shared on the National Crime Prevention Council Singapore‘s Facebook page.
Thankfully, no one has suffered monetary losses as a result of these scams.
The SPF did not reveal if any victims’ premises have been set on fire due to their non-compliance.
S’poreans advised to stay calm and not to reply
To deal with this new phone scam, the SPF advises the public to take the following precautions:
- Do not send money to the scammer
- Do not reply to the SMS
- Block the scammer’s number and report it as spam
Members of the public can also call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or visit the SPF website to provide information regarding this scam.
Share this with your friends and family so they do not fall victim to the latest phone scam in town!
Featured image from Facebook and Shutterstock.
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