At least $40,000 lost by victims of 'Changi Airport' lucky draw scams: police
SINGAPORE — At least 30 reports of lucky draw scams involving the use of Changi Airport Group (CAG) related names such as “Changi Millionaire” were received by the police between July and October this year.
The total amount cheated in these scams was at least $40,000, said the police in a news release on Tuesday (19 November).
In the cases, victims were told by scammers – either over the phone or via mobile applications such as “Viber” – that they had won a lucky draw prize in a CAG campaign.
The victims were then asked to provide their credit or debit card details along with their bank account information, in order to claim their prizes. They were also instructed to share the One-Time Password (OTP) sent to their mobile phones.
Only upon discovering unauthorised transactions made on their accounts, did the victims realise they had been cheated, said the police. Some victims were also asked to buy iTunes cards and send the attached codes to the scammers by phone.
“In recent cases, scammers even made unauthorised top-ups to the victims’ Singtel Dash accounts using their credit card information, before making fraudulent transactions through the said Singtel Dash accounts,” the police added.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following steps to avoid becoming scam victims:
Watch out for unusual requests from strangers or even your social media contacts
Be wary of claims that you have won a prize, especially if you have not participated in any campaigns or lucky draws
Do not transfer money or give out personal information, bank account as well as credit or debit card details. Never tell your OTP to anyone, including your friends and family members.
The public can also call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg for scam-related advice, said the police.
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