CPIB Warns That ‘Signed Doc’ by a CPIB Officer Sent Via WhatsApp is Fake

It appears that the scamming profession is at it again.

Documents, which claim to be from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), have been in circulation on messaging platform WhatsApp.

Apparently, these illegal documents hint at the imminent suspension of bank accounts for suspected money laundering offences.

To save their accounts from getting frozen within 24 hours, these individuals, companies and third parties were then requested to pay a fine.

Well, if there’s one thing for sure;

It’s that scams are every bit as stubborn and ‘dirty’ as cockroaches.

CPIB Warns That ‘Signed Doc’ by CPIB Sent Via WhatsApp is Fake

According to reports, the CPIB has been made aware of the circulation of such documents, and has since issued a warning to the public.

In a statement on Wednesday (18 November), the agency acknowledged that some members of the public have received documents of a seemingly legitimate nature.

Claiming to be from the CPIB, these documents suggest that particular bank accounts are being suspected for money laundering crimes, and will be frozen within 24 hours.

To enhance authenticity, the files feature images of CPIB’s logo, and even a sign-off by a “CPIB officer”.

Recipients are then asked to pay a fine.

In response, the CPIB has clarified that the documents are not, in fact, from them.

They have also warned the public of such documents, which may entail tell-tale signs of illegitimacy such as errors in spelling.

Precautionary Measures

CPIB has since issued the following advisory. Should Singaporeans become the recipients of such documents, they should:

• Dial the CPIB’s hotline on 1800-376-0000 for assistance
• Not comply with any given instructions on the documents
• Not reveal any personal information or bank details

Anyone with relevant information regarding the issue can call the CPIB hotline on 1800-376-0000.

Investigations are currently ongoing.

Scams

Though the pandemic has proved hazardous to the working industry in general, it has not hindered the scamming profession. Not even one bit.

In the earlier part of the year, it was reported that there were 5,425 scam cases from January to April 2020, with at least S$60.4 million exploited.

And of these, 394 belonged to Covid-19 related scams, which reportedly cheated at least S$1.4 million.

The last we know, the Police was trying to build up public education and awareness efforts. They, alongside the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), were collaborating with the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) to send out scam advisories.

It was previously announced that outreach will be performed via WhatsApp on the Gov.sg platform.

Which cuts an ironic notion, considering this particular topic headline.

As such, please make sure to stay vigilant and alert.

If you would like to provide information about these scams, you can call the police hotline at 1800 255 0000 or submit their information online at https://www.police.gov.sg/iwitness, or call the anti-scam helpline at 1800 722 6688.

To know more about scams, you can visit http://www.scamalert.sg or subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we showcase a couple of anti-scam videos, done in collaboration with the Singapore Police Force.

Here, watch this:

Featured Image: Shutterstock.com/Alex Ruhl