Scams are running rampant in Singapore, and it’s not surprising to see so-and-so agency putting out a notice informing the public about some sort of scam involving their organisation’s name every other day.
And then, you get the “heroes” who played around with the scammers, turning the entire table against them and becoming the hero of the internet world after the entire incident gets out.
One of the latest scams right now is the 999 call. Made possible by caller ID spoofing technology, scammers had successfully scammed victims out of their money by impersonating the police.
The ‘999’ call scam
If you pick up the call, you’ll first hear a voice message in Mandarin to enter a number. A Mandarin-speaking operator, posing as someone from SPF, will request for your personal information.
Should you refuse, you will be “threatened” and be told that police officers will come knocking on your door unless you head to the police station with your IC.
The proper thing to do if you received such calls
If you’ve received such a call, here’s the advice provided by the real SPF (on Facebook).
- Ignore the calls and caller’s instructions.
- Do not provide your name, identification number, passport details, contact details, bank account or credit card details.
If you’ve encountered this scammer, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255 000 (not 999 by the way #justsaying; it’s only for emergencies) or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
The improper thing to do if you received such calls
Here are 5 ways on how to reply to the “Operator” (sounds like some pervert mastermind from Criminal Minds), if you’re stressed out and seeking amusement.
1. Pretend that the reception is bad and shout at the top of your lungs
“HELLO? CANNOT HEAR YOU LAH! CAN REPEAT?”
Preferably done in English, and you can pretend that you don’t understand Mandarin at all.
“WHAT’S THAT? CAN SPEAK ANGMOH ANOT? YOUR BACKGROUND VERY NOISY AH!”
2. Try to pick him/her up
“Your voice sounds like wine – so deep, so alluring, so my type.”
Use a long, flirty drawl, and maybe even sneak in a chuckle or two. Or use some cheesy pickup lines you’ve learnt during your le old clubbing days in Zouk.
3. Just some plain harassment
Guaranteed to catch The Operator off guard and he or she would most likely terminate the phone call in 2 seconds or less.
4. Sell him/her a product
“You sound a little throaty. I would like to recommend you an ER MEHHH ZINGGGGG product that can soothe your throat and you might even be able to lose weight at the same time. Oh, by the way, I also sell insurance. Can I come to YOUR house?”
Possibly even scarier than #3, depending on what you’re selling.
5. Counter Prank (my favourite).
Hold a short silence for about five seconds. While The Operator is going “Hello? Hello?”, play a video of a screaming woman all of a sudden.
Well, it’s the time of the year after all. If you get what I mean.
Feature Image: todayonline.com
This article was first published on goodyfeed.com
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