Scams have been increasing recently.
Even Healthier SG isn’t safe from impersonators.
Now, scammers are also sending fake Healthier SG messages.
These scammers claim that Healthier SG is offering a free health consultation.
Naturally, people would fall for such a scam.
Who doesn’t like free things?
Here’s how to spot if an SMS is illegitimate.
Scammers Impersonating Healthier SG
On 30 August, the Ministry of Health (MOH) posted on X that it was aware of the scam.
The scam messages would be sent by mobile numbers claiming to be from Healthier SG, the national plan by MOH that focuses on preventive health.
The scammers would ask recipients of the SMSes to schedule a free consultation for their health plans.
On 5 September, Minister of Health Ong Ye Kung posted a Facebook post warning people of the scam.
He wrote, “There has been a scam SMS going around claiming to offer registration for a #HealthierSG Health Plan consultation.
“Tellingly, the sender ID was a random number and it contained a link that did not start with ‘go.gov.sg’. These are clear signs that the SMS is illegitimate.
“Official SMSes from MOH will always reflect ‘MOH’ as the sender, and contain links that start with ‘go.gov.sg’.”
Mr Ong also said that MOH has since filed a police report.
Furthermore, the phone number has been terminated.
He added that those who suspect that they have received a scam SMS shouldn’t click on any links or offer personal information.
Anyone unsure of the legitimacy of a MOH-related SMS can call the MOH General Hotline at 63259220.
How the Scam Works
On 5 September, the Singapore Police Force released a statement going into further detail about how the scam works.
Basically, scammers will send SMSes to mobile phones, claiming that Healthier SG is providing free healthcare consultations.
The scammer will ask the message recipient to click on a link to make an appointment.
After clicking the link, the recipient will be directed to WhatsApp, where they will converse with an account named “HealthHub”.
The recipient will then be prompted to download an Android Package Kit (APK) laced with malware.
If the SMS recipient follows the scammer’s instructions, the scammer can remotely control the victim’s phone.
This means that the scammer can steal the recipient’s personal information.
Usually, victims only realise the scam when they notice unauthorised transactions from their bank accounts.
Protect Yourself from Scams
Besides checking an SMS link for the presence of “go.gov.sg” and ensuring that the sender has a legitimate name like “MOH”, another way to protect yourself is by using the ScamShield app.
It blocks incoming calls from scammers and even has an algorithm that scans SMSes from unsaved numbers to determine if they are a scam.
If you frequent WhatsApp more than SMS, there’s now a new ScamShield Bot that can help you check and report scams on WhatsApp.
Still haven’t downloaded ScamShield?
You better reconsider that decision.
In June 2023, SPF reported that at least $20,000 had been lost to fake Singtel SMS phishing scams in June.
Besides SMS, you must also be wary of the messages and advertisements you receive on social media.
At least 27 people have fallen victim to mooncake scams this mooncake season.
These scams usually involve a malicious Android mobile application.
Victims would see advertisements for mooncakes on Facebook or Instagram.
Scammers would then contact them on WhatsApp and prompt them to make payments through a malicious link.
The link would direct victims to download an APK file, infecting their device with malware.
On 5 September, the police said that at least $325,000 had been lost in August due to these scams.
If you were lazy before, now is a good time to protect yourself from scams.
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