Scam

If you receive an unexpected phone call from someone purporting to be a government official, such as a police officer, immigration officer or court official, be wary as this could be a scam call.

In another variant of this scam, the caller might claim to be an employee or representative of a Chinese bank or courier companies. They claim that your identity was used to send parcels containing fake passports or weapons, or to apply for overseas credit cards. They then refer you to another caller claiming to be a Chinese official, who then asks – and even threatens – you to give them personal particulars such as passport or bank account number, internet banking credentials or One-Time Password (OTP).

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

• Be wary of calls from people claiming to be officials, especially those of foreign countries
• Know that official agencies would not ask you to make payments over the phone
• Be suspicious of callers who don't give you enough information about themselves to verify their identity

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

• Do not follow the caller's instructions
• Refrain from giving bank details, credit card numbers, OTP codes from tokens or passport numbers to strangers over the phone
• If you have any information related to such crime, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit the information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
• Call '999' if you require further Police assistance

Source: Scam Alert Singapore