Phishing scams are all the rage right now. Typically, the rightful authorities will tell you to block the number so that you won’t receive such messages anymore.
But what if the number is something you cannot block?
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That was what happened to this Singaporean who received a phishing text from “OCBC”.
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Man Receives Text From OCBC Telling Him About a New Software
On 8 Oct, Stomp reported on a submission by one of their users.
He had received a text message seemingly from OCBC, telling him about a new software that can make him a millionaire.
The text message also asked him to click on a link to check if he’s eligible to join the new software.
Finding it weird that the message came in the same thread as the usual OCBC messages, he contacted OCBC bank to find out more.
That was when they advised him to block the number.
But He Realised That He Can’t Actually Block The Number
Because that’s where his One-Time Pins (OTP) and notifications from the bank about his account transactions actually came from as well.
So if he were to block the number, he’ll block himself from getting ‘legitimate texts’ from the bank as well.
He was very concerned about this and wondered if the bank had any security breach.
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OCBC: Don’t Worry, No Harm Done
OCBC said that this isn’t the first time they met with such an issue.
They explained that the scammers used online tools to send a message with an SMS short code “mirroring that of a legitimate source”.
And with that, the message will appear in the same thread as the legitimate source.
They promised that there isn’t any breach in OCBC’s system, nor were there any bank data compromised.
They added that they’ve issued advisories to warn customers about this: https://www.ocbc.com/personal-banking/online-banking/security_advisory.html.
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Notes To Remember:
OCBC bank would like to remind the public that they will never ask for the following details through e-mail, SMSes and phone calls:
- Personal details
- Financial details
- Bank account details
- Credit/debit details
- Logging into your Internet banking account
- Verifying your account validity
- PIN/Password
Always be on the lookout for suspicious emails, SMSes and websites supposedly from the bank asking for your OCBC internet banking details like OTP or PIN number.
And do not click on any links provided in suspicious SMSes or emails.
Should you have clicked in, always check the address bar of the browser carefully to make sure it’s not a phishing website.
And do not transfer any money to unknown parties.
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Should you find any suspicious activities on your bank account or suspect you’re the victim of a scam, please call OCBC at 1800 363 3333 or +65 6363 3333 (when calling from overseas) immediately.
(Article continues below) Xing Xing is a 34-year-old Singaporean lady who decides to meet up with an online friend she found in Facebook. But it turns out that he’s not what he seems to be: Prepare boxes of tissue and watch the saddest Singapore Facebook love story here:
(Since you’re here, subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more informative videos lah)
Something Even More Scary
This isn’t reported anywhere (yet), but according to my colleague, it has been happening to him in the last few months.
He has been receiving phishing SMSes from not just banks but even other companies (usually with a link), and the scary part? It addresses to him with his surname (i.e. “Mr <Surname>” or just “Hey <Surname>”) in the SMS.
Here, take a look (we blacked out the surname and URL):
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So the moral of the story? Even if it looks and sounds legit, don’t tap (or click) on any link. Call the company if in doubt.
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