In a Month, People in S’pore Lost $2.6 Million to Fake Social Media Job Offers

By
Shernice Sim
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Online Scam Strikes 180 Victims, Draining $2.6 Million: Singapore Police Warn Public Against Deceptive Job Offers

We are all saying that 2024 did not start off on a good note, but 2023 didn’t exactly end that well for many either.

In the span of just one month in December last year, a staggering 180 individuals found themselves ensnared in an elaborate online scam, losing a combined total of approximately $2.6 million.

(At this rate, there might as well be as many variants of scams as there are variants of the COVID-19 virus…)

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In a statement by Singapore Police Force on 8 January 2024, it is revealed that the victims fell prey to fraudulent job offers propagated by conmen who convinced them to transfer substantial sums of money under the guise of promising easy profits.

These deceptive propositions were sent through messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, informing victims that they had won prizes and would receive commissions upon completing tasks.

Subsequently, victims were added to chat groups where they received instructions to engage in various tasks on social media platforms.

Now before you go “tut-tut-tut” like a disapproving Asian parent claiming you wouldn’t be gullible enough to fall for scams like this, get off your high horse and understand these cases further before making any judgements.

How These Scams Worked

The tasks are simple; ranging from following TikTok or Instagram accounts of purported social media influencers to subscribing to YouTube channels and videos, or “liking” songs on Spotify.

Disturbingly, the scammers sometimes posed as representatives of well-known platforms such as TikTok or online communications and marketing companies to lend credibility to their fake job offers.

Image: Singapore Police Force

Upon completing the initial tasks, victims received meager commissions, enticing them to continue participating in additional assignments for the promise of more significant financial rewards.

Subsequent tasks included creating accounts on counterfeit websites and, in some cases, transferring sums of money to bank accounts or cryptocurrency accounts under the false pretense of lucrative investment opportunities.

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Some victims were even presented with sham employment contracts to further dupe them into believing the legitimacy of the offers.

The statement by police concluded that the realization of the scam only dawned on victims when “their website account showed a negative account balance, and they were told to pay additional funds in order to upgrade their accounts or when they failed to withdraw their earnings.”

But by then, it is already too late.

Don’t Become a Victim Yourself!

Singapore Police Force cautions the public to verify the authenticity of job offers through official channels and to exercise utmost caution when encountering dubious job offers promising substantial returns for minimal effort.

They also emphasized the importance of refraining from engaging with or believing claims in random messaging app group chats. 

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This also includes avoiding clicking on suspicious URL links or downloading apps from unknown sources.

Individuals who receive such messages are encouraged to report them through the reporting tools available on WhatsApp and Telegram applications.

Singaporeans with information about scams or doubts regarding the veracity of messages can contact the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 or visit www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

For urgent police assistance, the public is reminded to call 999.

Additional information on scams can be found at www.scamalert.sg, and individuals can reach the Anti-Scam telephone hotline at 1800-772-6688.

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Stay vigilant and safeguard against falling victim to online scams, or else it would be your angpao money next!

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Shernice Sim