One thing about scammers is that they’re constantly thinking of new ways to trick victims of their money.
A common scam involves them posing as various Government agencies, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is now the latest to be impersonated.
Scammers have been sending people SMSes appearing to be from LTA, warning of overdue bills or fines.
Source: Facebook
About S$133,000 has already been lost by victims.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) warned about the new scam on Friday (18 Nov), The Straits Times (ST) reported.
Explaining how the scam works, they said potential victims would get text messages that claimed to be from the LTA.
The SMS would purport that the recipient has unpaid or overdue bills, and they would be penalised.
Source: Facebook
The SMS will include a link that users are supposed to click on for more info and to make the payment.
However, the link is a phishing link that will direct them to fraudulent websites, the SPF said.
They will be prompted for their credit or debit card details and one-time passwords (OTPs).
If victims fall for the scam and provide these details, unauthorised transactions will be charged to their cards.
Source: Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
So far, victims have allegedly lost at least S$133,000.
Since 13 Oct, individuals have lodged at least 112 police reports regarding the scam.
A driver who received the SMS a few days ago shared about his close encounter on Facebook.
Source: Facebook
He “really thought” the message was from LTA, he said, as it was short and sharp. He was also on the road when he received it.
Fortunately, the OP was wise enough to check on LTA’s website and realise that he had no outstanding summons.
Now knowing that it was a scam, he blocked the number and reported it, giving a tip to other users that,
The biggest giveaway is the link.
In a Facebook post on Friday (18 Nov), the LTA said that they were aware of the scam.
Source: Land Transport Authority – We Keep Your World Moving on Facebook
They also told the public that they never ask for payment via links in their SMS alerts on offence notices, vehicle registration and licensing matters.
The agency advised people to avoid clicking on URL links in unsolicited text messages and emails.
We should also verify the authenticity of any info with official sources or websites.
One should never share personal or Internet banking details and OTPs with anybody, the SPF said. If anyone detects suspicious card transactions, they should contact their respective banks immediately and cancel their cards.
Even if you haven’t been a target yet, it doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future.
So if you or someone you know gets a suspicious SMS claiming to be from an authority, do call the police at 1800-255-0000 or file a report online.
The SPF will keep all information confidential.
For more info, visit the Scam Alert website or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash.
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