Unfortunately, scammers have begun to take advantage of the situation to trick unsuspecting residents into falling for their ruses.
SMS links have started to circulate on messaging platforms that claim to offer households a quick way of redeeming the vouchers.
Confirming that the links were unofficial, the CDC said it has filed a police report regarding the matter.
On 3 Jan, warnings began circulating on messaging platforms and Facebook regarding unofficial SMS links that claim to help households redeem their 2024 CDC vouchers.
Source: Facebook
According to one user, victims would receive the message on platforms such as WhatsApp or Facebook.
They would be prompted to click on a link to claim their vouchers, after which they would enter a webpage disguised as the app store instructing them to download an app file.
Source: WhatsApp
Labelled as a “GST voucher app”, the file would claim to assist them in redeeming the vouchers.
In reality, it contains malware allowing scammers to access and control the victim’s device remotely, enabling them to steal passwords and sensitive details.
CDC and the People’s Association (PA) are aware of the circulation of the links, and have filed a police report, CDC said in a Facebook post.
Source: Central Singapore Community Development Council – CDC on Facebook
“We are working closely with the authorities for investigations,” the CDC said.
There are a series of steps we can follow to differentiate an official SMS about the CDC vouchers from an illegitimate one.
Source: Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre on Facebook
For instance, an official SMS would arrive from a sender named “RedeemSG”. In addition, the voucher link would have the following prefix: https://voucher.redeem.gov.sg.
A typical SMS from RedeemSG would look like the one in the screenshot below:
Source: Community Development Council
Any other messages with different phrases should be considered unofficial and cannot be trusted.
Residents should also note that the SMS should reach their registered mobile phone number and contain their NRIC number.
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Featured image adapted from WhatsApp and Lawrence Wong on Facebook.
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