5 New Online Scams You Have to Watch Out For

We are in the digital age. That’s why new online scams are out there. Protect yourself from being a victim of it.

Most services and products are now offered online for our convenience. Fraudsters are also going high tech. They never lose ideas on how they can get your hard-earned money.

Protect yourself from scammers. Know these newest scam schemes.

1. PayPal Scam

The Singapore Police Force has reported more than 40 reports of Paypal scams since January. Scammers post as interested buyers. They will contact an online seller who posted items for sale. Sometimes, it happens for a unit to rent online.

The sellers will receive fake emails in the name of PayPal or reputable banks. It indicates that they paid for specific items. The victims had to send proof of shipments first. Then, they can finally receive the payments.

Some victims even ask to activate certain PayPal accounts to get the payment. The scam scheme may vary slightly. But all the victims never received any payment.

Singaporeans must log on to their PayPal accounts to verify any received payments. Emails are easy to fabricate and pass up as genuine. Therefore, it is best not to trust emails through the address seem legitimate.

If you receive a suspicious email, call customer service. Verify if they indeed sent such a message to you.

With Paypal, you will usually get a request to log in safely to your account first. Afterwards, you can provide any sensitive information.

2. ‘Microsoft’ Tech Support Scam

Twenty incidences of ‘Microsoft’ tech support scams have been reported since the start of the year. Victims said that they received a pop-up message on their computer screens. The messages alerted that their computers had a virus infection. Sometimes, it says that there is a leak of their personal information.

In addition, these messages have a toll-free telephone number. So, it makes their plot more realistic. Also, the messages used famous companies. For example, it came from Wetechconsultants, Microsoft or Apple. That’s why it convinced victims to call the number to resolve the issue.

After calling, some victims have to download an application from a website. Also, some need to enter certain commands into their computers. Afterwards, the scammers can gain remote access to the victims’ computers. Some victims were even told to purchase “anti-virus software” to fix the computer.

Victims gave their personal info during the process, including their credit card details. The scammers made unauthorised transactions with the victim’s credit card details.

The police advised ignoring these messages and never calling the suspected toll-free numbers. Never panic. Call the company’s official customer service hotline to confirm the messages.

3. Fake Singapore Police Force Website

One of the new online scams is that scammers call their victims. Then, they tell them that they are a suspect involved in serious criminal activities. The crime involved large sums of money allegedly found in the victims’ bank accounts. The victims were given a link closely to the Singapore Police Force website.

The scammers told the victims to follow the instructions on the web page. It involved providing personal details such as internet banking credentials.

Though the site seems genuine, it is a phishing site. Scammers used it to extract banking details. It had caused many to lose an extensive amount of money.

The Singapore Police Force clarified that the official SPF website is www.police.gov.sg. No government agency will ask you to transfer money to a third party’s bank account.

If you receive a suspicious call, ignore them, even if it has a local number. Scammers can mask their numbers in the caller ID.

4. Free Air Tickets

Singapore Airlines warned its customers against fake contests, emails, and websites. These phoney ads will ask the victims to reveal their personal data. Therefore, it is best to verify the messages. Inquire directly through Singapore Air Feedback Enquiry and other Singapore Airlines social media channels.

In addition, scammers have created bogus social media accounts. Victims who shared their KrisFlyer login details on these phishing sites must immediately change their KrisFlyer PIN.

5. Fake Emails about Parking Fines

Scammers use fake emails to pose as Traffic Police. The emails strongly suggest that the victim must pay for a parking ticket via credit card. Then, appear in court. In addition, the message contains a website link and a phone number that the recipient has to contact. These contact details do not belong to the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

Once again, SPF had clarified that the government agencies would never ask for payments through unsecured ways. Also, they never involve a third party’s bank account when collecting fines.

The police advised the public to be cautious when responding to emails. Government agencies never send such emails to the public. Ignore suspicious emails, website links, and social media accounts. Also, be wary of where and to whom you give your personal information and bank details.

What to do if you receive such emails?

If you think that the email you received is phoney, call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722 6688. Also, you may visit www.scamalert.sg to give a report. Finally, if you have more information about these new online scams, call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000.

Online scams are not new to us. They may evolve in various schemes. Fortunately, you can always avoid them. However, protect yourself by being vigilant. Never share your personal financial information with anyone. If you are unsure of the validity of the websites and emails, ignore them.

No matter how legitimate it looks, never hesitate to give the concerned company a call or send an email for verification. It is better to be safe than lose your hard-earned money. Try out Cash Mart for their secure online loan application.