Screenshots of fake Facebook advertisements and pages impersonating iShopChangi (Photos: Singapore Police Force)
SINGAPORE — A new phishing scam which purportedly impersonates online shopping platform iShopChangi and advertises Rimowa branded travel luggages going for as low as $4 has seen at least 19 victims fallen prey this month. The losses amounted to at least $7,000.
Singapore Police Force said in a media release on Thursday (28 December) that the victims would chance upon Facebook advertisements or posts promoting lowly-priced branded travel luggages for the first 1,000 buyers.
The posts were made to appear legitimate with claims of a special collaboration between “iShopChangi Singapore” and travel luggage brand Rimowa as part of the latter’s 125th anniversary celebrations. Police said there are no such collaborations for $4 Rimowa luggage bags.
Upon clicking on the advertisement or post, the victims were redirected to phishing websites where their debit or credit card credentials were sought. They only realised they had been scammed after they discovered unauthorised transactions on their cards.
“Look out for tell-tale signs of a phishing website and if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is, so check with the company on its official website if such deals are available,” said the police.
“If in doubt, never share your personal information and payment card details with anyone.”
The police have advised the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:
Download the ScamShield App to protect from scam calls and SMSes. Set security features such as transaction limits for internet banking transactions, Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and multi-factor authentication for banks.
Check for scam signs with official sources (ScamShield WhatsApp bot, call the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688, or visit www.scamalert.sg).
Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any fraudulent transactions to the bank immediately.
The iShopChangi platform started in 2015, and offers both inbound and outbound travellers the option to buy duty-free items from Changi Airport’s stores online.
The public can visit the Scam Alert website or call the Anti-Scam Helpline (1800-7226688) for more information on scams.They can also report scams via phone call (1800-2550000) or submit a report on the I-Witness e-service.
Last week, the police reported a new IRAS impersonation email phishing scam that saw 10 victims lose $9,000. A Whatsapp phishing scam was also reported last month which saw 237 victims swindled over $600,000. A 16-year-old was among 19 individuals under investigation in the scam case.
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