ICA Officer Picks Up Call From Scammer Impersonating Another ICA Officer
Many in Singapore have received calls from scammers posing as officials, such as the police or Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) officers.
And it seems these officers themselves are not exempt from these calls.
On Tuesday (25 Oct), ICA shared a Facebook video of an officer, Mr Kelvin Teo, responding to one such call from a scammer pretending to be an ICA officer.
After playing along for a while, Mr Teo called the scammer out, saying ICA would never ask for personal details over the phone. The scammer immediately hung up.
The video later went viral and garnered over 8,200 shares within less than 24 hours.
ICA scammer says there’s an issue with passport
The video starts with an automated voice saying the call was from “ICA Immigration Bureau”.
It then proceeded to inform Mr Teo that his passport information was incorrect. He pressed 5 to contact customer service as instructed.
Soon enough, the call was answered by a scammer posing as an ICA officer.
When asked for his name, Mr Teo played along and said his name was ‘Dong Bee Lee’.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
After a quick check, the scammer said there had been an error in his passport information, and his passport couldn’t be used.
ICA officer calls scammer out
The scammer told Mr Teo he could help with the reactivation once he gave his NRIC number. To which Mr Teo said ICA would already have that information.
Threateningly, the scammer said, “I need your NRIC number to continue. If not, we will cancel your passport”. Mr Teo responded to this with a sly, knowing smile.
At this, the real ICA officer decided to play his hand, asking the scammer where his office was so he could meet him.
He chuckled under his breath when the scammer said, “ICA Headquarters”. Mr Teo proceeded to cut the scammer off and played his trump card.
“I’m also an ICA officer working at the headquarters, and we will never ask for personal details. That’s why I don’t believe you,” he said.
Almost immediately, the bogus ICA officer hung up.
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Do not reveal personal information on calls
The video then cuts to Mr Teo sharing an advisory about scam calls that was also echoed in their Facebook post.
ICA said they are aware that members of the public have been receiving calls from scammers claiming there were issues with their passport, NRIC, or passes such as student pass.
The authority advised everyone to be wary of such calls. They shared that some tell-tale signs of a scam call include:
Source: Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook
Ultimately, it is important to remember not to reveal personal information or agree to money transfers.
If in doubt, one can also check the status of their application via the ICA website or MyICA Mobile app.
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Featured image adapted from Immigration & Checkpoints Authority on Facebook.
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