Police, Shopee warn of impersonation scam which has conned victims of over $750,000
At least 46 individuals have been duped by scammers posing as Shopee employees on WhatsApp and Telegram
SINGAPORE — At least 46 victims have fallen prey to an online job scam involving the impersonation of Shopee employees, resulting in a total loss of over $750,000 since March this year.
In a joint statement on Monday (22 May), Shopee Singapore and the police provided details about the scam.
How scammers lured the victims
The victims initially received unsolicited messages through WhatsApp or Telegram from individuals posing as Shopee employees. These fraudulent "employees" would then request the victims to either "like" items on the Shopee platform, or participate in a survey to earn a small fee.
Once the victims completed the survey, the scammers would offer them a higher-paying position as a "Shopee assistant" and continue the charade by posing as a Shopee customer service personnel or mentor.
The victims would be directed to a fake Shopee website, where they were instructed to register an account and begin their role as a "Shopee assistant." To initiate their work, the victims were asked to select a prepaid "task package" and transfer money to bank accounts provided by the scammers.
In the initial phase, the victims would receive increased earnings, which convinced them to top up their accounts in expectation of additional earnings, according to the police and Shopee Singapore.
The scheme unravelled when the victims discovered they couldn't withdraw their earnings nor contact the scammers anymore, leading them to realise they had been scammed.
Protecting from such scammers
To prevent falling victim to such scams, the police and Shopee advised the public to exercise vigilance and take precautionary measures.
These include installing the ScamShield app on their devices and ensuring that security features such as two-factor or multi-factor authentication are enabled for their bank accounts, social media platforms, and Singpass accounts.
It is also important to verify information with official sources and avoid conducting transactions outside of online shopping apps. Shopee said that it contacts consumers only through official channels, such as its app, verified social media accounts, WhatsApp or email addresses.
"Never transact outside of the Shopee app. Shopee does not require anyone to pre-pay any monies in order to secure a job and does not offer payment in exchange for likes on products on their platform. There is also no job position titled 'Shopee Assistant'," the police and Shopee said in their statement.
Consumers who suspect a scam or want more information can visit the ScamAlert website or contact the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688.
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