SIA Warns Customers of Scams Involving Contests & Discounted Ticket Vouchers From ‘Singapore Airlines’

By
Sabrina Chua
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Now that restrictions on travel are starting to ease as the COVID-19 situation has become slightly better and more people have become fully vaccinated, many are starting to think about the possibilities of travelling again for leisure.

And of course, what better way to brighten up your day with an email supposedly from Singapore Airlines telling you that they are offering discounted airfares to your favourite destinations?

Seeing such an email, you’re probably going to be inclined to click the download link immediately so that you can fill in your details and pay a small sum for a much-awaited holiday!

But wait a minute, didn’t someone once say…

“If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Well, unfortunately, this email is indeed a scam, as warned by Singapore Airlines in an official advisory that was posted on their Facebook page.

SIA Warns Customers of Scams Involving Contests & Discounted Ticket Vouchers From ‘Singapore Airlines’

Apparently, there has been a rise in scam emails, text messages, and phone calls that are supposedly from Singapore Airlines. The recipients are informed that they have been selected to participate in a draw, have won air tickets or other prizes, or are eligible for a refund or contest. They are then asked to click on a link in order to receive their prize.

And of course, just like how all the other scams work, the link will consist of questions regarding your personal details.

Once you’ve given them these details, your data would be compromised and they can easily extort money from you.

Other than these text messages, phone calls, and emails that are directly sent to you, there also exist phishing websites. These websites will look very similar to the official Singapore Airlines website. So before you go ahead and attempt to book a flight, look at the URL and ensure that you are on the right website.

Telltale Signs of a Scam

Singapore Airlines warns everyone to exercise discretion when viewing emails and text messages from unverified sources, and here are some ways that you can tell if it is a scam.

  • The sender’s email address looks weird
    • The official email address of Singapore Airlines is [email protected]. So if you receive an email from an email address other than their official one, do not open the email.
  • The email asks you for your personal information
    • Singapore Airlines will never request your personal information like your banking, credit card details, or passwords over email.
    • Do not click on any suspicious links either!
  • The email asks you to open an attachment for an activity you did not sign up for
    • Some emails may require you to open an attachment because it has important information regarding your booking or your flight.
    • Do not open it because there may be malware attached to it which will be downloaded onto your computer once you’ve open it.
  • “You’ve just won a prize!”
    • If you don’t recall participating in a lucky draw, you probably didn’t, which means you probably didn’t win a prize either.
  • The email has many grammatical errors
    • If there are many spelling and grammatical errors, it’s most likely a scam.
  • Website link to login is not secure
    • Make sure that the link you input your details is a secured website, this means URLs that start with HTTPS.

So What Should I Do?

If you are someone who did receive an email from Singapore Airlines and clicked on the link that was in the email, you may now wish to file a police report.

But if you’re not sure of the authenticity of the text message/email/phone call you have received because it seems legitimate, you may also reach out to Singapore Airlines to verify if they did indeed contact you.

You can send them the details via their Feedback Form on their official website.

Watch this video to the end to understand why online scams like this always work:

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Featured Image: SpaceKris/shutterstock.com ; Facebook (Singapore Airlines) 

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Sabrina Chua
[email protected]