Over the years, I’ve learnt something:
Never trust online giveaways.
And for good reason too, because 99.9999999% of them are fake (except for Goody Feed’s giveaways, which you can check out on our Instagram page).
Need further conviction? Just check this out.
There have been two new phishing sites moonlighting as DBS Bank and Singapore Airlines, and more than a single scam case have been reported.
What happened?
Several victims have reported being scammed into giving personal information and credit card details on phishing websites pretending to be DBS Bank or Singapore Airlines (SIA), the Police announced in a press release on Wednesday (20 Dec).
(Phishing websites are websites that “attempt to steal an individual’s account password or other confidential information by making the user believe that it is a legitimate website.“)
According to the Police, the victims only discovered the websites were fake and they had been cheated when they realised unapproved transactions conducted in foreign currencies were charged to their credit cards.
How does the scam work?
In certain instances, the victims received an email from “DBS Bank” telling them that their “ibanking accounts had been locked after multiple failed login attempts.”
(Gotta say; it looks real legit. Although I highly doubt whether DBS would allow a spelling typo like verification to go unnoticed.)
In other cases, victims received emails from “Singapore Airlines” asking them to take part in a customer satisfaction survey with the promise of a “reward”.
Victims were requested to click on a link in the email and follow given steps to “unlock their accounts or complete the survey.”
They were then led to a website similar to the actual company, and asked to key in their personal information and bank account details such as their “credit card number and card verification value for verification purposes.”
A One-Time Password (OTP) was also sent to their phones, which they were prompted to key into the website.
Thereafter, they were notified via SMS that foreign transactions have been made on their credit cards.
The authentic websites are aware of the phishing sites
When approached, a DBS spokesman said the bank is aware of the phishing sites. “We actively alert our customers to any unusual internet banking login experience that may be caused by phishing or malware intrusions via our website http://www.dbs.com.sg/security,” he said.
The bank also reminded customers to inform the bank instantly, should they detect any “unusual activity”. This was to allow the bank to take the necessary measures to protect customers from potential losses.
“Customers are reminded never to give out their userID, iBanking pin or OTP over the phone or via email and DBS staff will never ask for such information.”
On the other hand, Singapore Airlines (SIA) have published a Facebook post advising customers to exercise caution when “revealing personal data or credit card details online to unverified sources”, and should “verify such emails and phone calls if they have any doubts and lodge a police report.”
Preventive measures
The Police have emphasised the need for the public to adopt preventive measures, such as being wary when they are requested to reveal personal information and bank account details over the Internet.
Individuals are also warned against phishing websites that may look similar to the real thing.
“Look for signs that you are using a legitimate or secure website,” said the police. “These websites are generally encrypted to protect your details.”
So folks, I trust you’ve wised up a little now.
Steer clear of questionable prize giveaways, and you should be fine.
Don’t say we never wong you ah!
Since you’re here, why not watch a video about a guy who lodged a Police report here in Singapore because he was friendzoned? Seriously. Here, watch it and do remember to share it (and also subscribe to Goody Feed YouTube channel)!
This article was first published on goodyfeed.com
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Featured image: Facebook (Lim Meng Lee)
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