WhatsApp accounts of at least 90 people compromised by scammers this year: police
At least 90 people have had their WhatsApp accounts compromised by scammers this year, said the police on Thursday (4 April).
In an advisory on Facebook, the police warned the public of the “resurgence” of such scams, where victims receive a WhatsApp message from a “friend” with a compromised account, requesting them to send over a six-digit verification code sent via SMS.
These victims would then lose access to their WhatsApp accounts after providing scammers with the code.
The scammers may then dupe those on the victims’ contact lists into transferring money and Money Online (MOL) points via such compromised WhatsApp accounts.
Those on the contact lists may also be scammed into purchasing gift cards and sending over the password for the cards, which are then sold online.
In the advisory, the police have advised the public to be cautious of unusual requests received over WhatsApp.
Members of the public should call their friends to verify the authenticity of the request, via platforms other than WhatsApp as well as enabling the WhatsApp’s two-step verification feature.
Those who wish to provide any information related to such scams can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.
Those who wish to seek advice on the matter can call the anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg.
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