If there’s one thing most Singaporeans absolutely love to do, it’s going to Malaysia during long weekends or public holidays.
However, it seems like even Singaporeans’ favourite pastime hasn’t been spared by online scammers.
Recently, a man named Mr Chen (Hanyu pinyin) sat down with Shin Min Daily News to talk about how he lost almost $10,000 after booking a ride to Malaysia and paying what appeared to be a $10 deposit.
Booked Ride After Spotting Facebook Advertisement, Used to Book Rides Via Telegram Chats
Mr Chen, 34, recalled how he had plans to visit Malaysia for three days over the Hari Raya Haji holiday.
He explained how he usually looks to book rides via social media advertisements and added that he turned to social media to do so after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he used to book rides via Telegram group chats, but those groups were no longer updated after the pandemic.
He also claimed that he had never faced any issues with booking rides online, whether it be through Telegram or other social media platforms.
While scrolling through Facebook earlier this month on 1 June, he noticed an advertisement put up by a ‘company’ called Tiger Car Team.
According to him, the advertisements featured their alleged car travel services from Singapore to Malaysia.
Upon seeing the advertisement, he clicked on it to find out more about Tiger Car Team’s services.
Was Directed to Install an Application to Pay a Deposit
After learning more about the “company’s” services, Mr Chen decided to book a ride with Tiger Car Team.
He recounted how nothing seemed amiss while he was ‘booking’ his ride.
Just like the other rides he had booked in the past, the company requested that he pay a deposit of $10 before his booking would be processed.
Mr Chen added that companies usually ask customers to pay a deposit of $10 to $30 to avoid “no-show” situations.
Hence, he clicked on the link that the company sent him to make payment.
After clicking the link, he was directed to install an application to pay the deposit.
Was Told that Payment Was Unsuccessful
When Mr Chen tried to pay the deposit through the application, he was redirected to a page that prompted him to key in his bank details.
Thus, he keyed in his account number and password in an attempt to make payment.
However, he was notified that his payment was unsuccessful.
Mr Chen explained how he initially thought he had misremembered his password as he booked the ride with an account he does not use frequently.
He then keyed in the details of another bank account that belonged to him but was told once again that his payment attempt was unsuccessful.
This caused him to become suspicious.
Part of His Phone Screen Went Black; He Received Multiple Notifications to Authorise Transactions
Additionally, Mr Chen noticed that some parts of his phone turned black, causing him to believe that his phone was controlled by someone else remotely.
As a result, he tried to power off his phone to try and prevent the scammer from controlling his phone any further.
Mr Chen also revealed that he received multiple notifications from the bank requesting that he key in a passcode to authorise transactions made with his account.
He did not click on or open any of the notifications.
Called Bank Immediately to Freeze His Account but Still Ended Up Being Scammed of Almost $10,000
After realising that he had most likely been scammed, Mr Chen immediately called the bank to freeze his account.
Despite his prompt call and the fact that the entire incident only lasted 20 minutes, $9,975.15 was still transferred out of one of his accounts by the scammer(s).
After liaising with the bank, Mr Chen was informed that the bank was unable to recover his money.
Mr Chen then decided to file an appeal.
Hopes to Remind Singaporeans to be More Alert; Police Confirmed that Investigations are Ongoing
When speaking about his experience, Mr Chen pointed out that many Singaporeans are interested in employing such services when travelling to Malaysia.
Hence, he hoped that by sharing his experience, Singaporeans would be more vigilant regarding these services and how they might potentially be scams.
He especially highlighted that even those who are familiar with the booking process should still remain alert.
As for how this incident has affected him, Mr Chen explained that he still has plans to travel to Malaysia for leisure in the future.
However, he would not be willing to pay deposits in advance.
When responding to Shin Min, the police confirmed that they are aware of the incident.
Investigations are ongoing.
How to Book a Legitimate Taxi to Travel to Malaysia
Yes, there’s actually such a service that’ll save you from the risk of getting scammed.
In Singapore, you can actually book a taxi that will take you from Singapore to Malaysia.
However, here’s the catch: There’s only one drop-off point in Malaysia.
The drop-off point in Malaysia is at Larkin Terminal in Johor Bahru; those travelling from Singapore can choose from the following pick-up points:
- Ban San Street Terminal
- Changi Airport
- Seletar Airport
- Any other pick-up point
The taxi fare will cost $60 for those travelling from Ban San Street Terminal, $120 for trips from either Changi or Seletar Airport and $80 for any other pick-up point in Singapore.
The share-a-cab scheme at Ban San Street Terminal, which is available to walk-in passengers, will cost $15 per passenger.
As for the ride home, it will cost you $60 to take a taxi back to any drop-off point in Singapore.
However, just like the trip there, the only pick-up point in Malaysia is Larkin Terminal.
Passengers can book these trips by going to Ban San Street Terminal or Larkin Terminal to find out more about the trips and charges.
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