Police Warn of New Phone Scam in Which Callers Pretend to Be Friends Seeking Money

Scammers are really having their hot scammer summer. I can’t count how many articles I’ve written about them.

Anyway, a new police advisory just dropped on Tuesday, 22 June, asking the public to exercise caution against scammers impersonating friends.

These scammers would make a call to their targets but not identify themselves as the recipient answers the call, instead asking them to guess who they are.

The victim would then reply with the name of their friends, conveniently giving the scammer an identity to assume. 

I know exactly zero (0) friends who would pull such a thing. 

Unsurprisingly, under the guise of a friend who lost their phone, the caller would then ask to “borrow” money because they’ve fallen into financial trouble or contravened the law in some way.

Yeah, if I get such a call, I’d give them the name of that friend who never stops bragging about their latest Lululemon purchase. Would love to see them in financial trouble.

The scammer would then ask for a bank transfer to some shady individual’s account, never to be seen again and leaving the real friend in bewilderment when they are suddenly contacted about a loan they never requested and never received.

The police also advise members of the public to verify unusual or suspicious requests through physical meet-ups or through previously used contact details, especially when they are made by someone who claims to be a family member or friend.

Not the Only New Scam

Earlier in the year, an even more bizarre scam emerged when WhatsApp users started receiving images of a woman claiming to be an acquaintance stranded in Hong Kong by the pandemic. 

Needless to say, most recipients did not have a Hong Konger acquaintance.

The messages included a number with a +852 prefix in which victims are lured to communicate further with, though the messages themselves come from a “+62” prefix from Indonesia.

Sus, huh.

According to CNA, the scammers are likely trying to phish for information or fraudulently request funds, and members of the public are urged to block and report numbers disseminating these texts. 

That being said, I just came back from Hong Kong on the first Travel Bubble flight and would love to chat further with you to relieve you of a million or two. Please click here for my new WhatsApp number so we can catch up.

You can watch these videos to know more about scams in Singapore:

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