MOH Warns of SMS Scam That Promises COVID-19 Vaccine to People in S’pore

Have you received a text message from an American pharmaceutical company asking you to receive your Covid-19 vaccine?

Don’t click on the link because chances are, it’s a scam.

MOH Warns of SMS Scam That Promises COVID-19 Vaccine to People in S’pore

On 8 Jan 2021, it was reported that people in Singapore have received text messages asking them to schedule an appointment for their Covid-19 vaccination.

The text message was purportedly from Modena, “an American pharmaceutical company approved” to provide Covid-19 vaccinations and asks recipients to click on the link within the message or to call the number.

The Ministry of Health (MOH) issued a notice on Thursday, 7 Jan, asking people in Singapore to be wary of such messages.

There was no pharmaceutical company approved to contact anyone directly, MOH says.

“The text messages are not from MOH, and MOH did not approve any pharmaceutical company to contact anyone directly. We urge recipients not to respond to the messages.”

Government Text Messages

It gets even more confusing because the authorities are sending out text invitations to people eligible for the vaccination.

If you’ve received such messages, one way to differentiate the real from the fake is to make sure that the link provided in the SMS ends with “gov.sg”.

The messages are also not forwarded as each invitation is “unique”, MOH added.

Other tips to avoid falling for scams include:

• No self-respecting government agency will ask for bank login information or other personal data
• Ignore calls from unknown numbers
• Reject spoof calls
• Never disclose your bank account’s PIN number or your OTP to anyone, ever

What To Do When You’re Not Sure

For those who have received such messages and isn’t sure whether it’s real or fake, you can call the MOH hotline at 1800-333-9999.

There’s also another scam going around right now where scammers will call or text victims, telling them that they’ve been in close contact with infectious Covid-19 cases.

The scammers would usually ask for bank account details or personal information in exchange for test kits and results.

In short, when in doubt, check; still in doubt, double-check. And if, by then, you’re pretty sure it’s not a scam, triple-check.

Featured Image: Saxarinka / Shutterstock.com