How to tell if a call or email is a scam

A: Yes. Be on your guard when the call is from an unknown number or is prefixed with a plus (+) sign, as the call is likely coming from overseas. Watch out in particular for calls that come with a +65 prefix, which looks like Singapore’s country code, but are actually overseas calls. Domestic calls will not display the + prefix.

A: Yes. Scammers will often fake attractive deals such as low-interest loans and free gifts to lure you. They do this not just over the phone, but also via text messages or on e-commerce platforms. The rule of thumb is, if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

But regardless of what they are offering, to get your money, scammers will need to ask you for your personal or financial details such as bank account numbers and passwords at some point, or request payment for services rendered over the phone. Genuine callers from a government agency or service provider will not ask for these details or for payment.

(Read also “Here’s Why Even The Smartest Singaporeans Fall For Money Scams“)

A: This is an increasingly common tactic that scammers are employing to play on unsuspecting users’ anxieties. For example, Singtel said the most common type of scam call encountered by its customers was from scammers pretending to be tech support. These scammers would pretend that Singtel services were about to be terminated or that customers’ Internet connections needed to be fixed.

Watch out for callers who ask you to download a certain software or app so that they can “help” you fix the fake problem. You could be handing them the remote control keys to your device instead.

Again, they may also ask you for payment, a request which you should ignore if you are still on the call.

If you suspect that you are the target of a scam call, hang up immediately and, if unsure about whether the problem is real, contact the relevant organisation through official channels to verify.

A: Yes. Check the e-mail address of the sender carefully. If there are any strangely or incorrectly spelt words, or if the address ends with an unfamiliar suffix, you could have a fake on your hands. Official-looking e-mails that do not address you by name are also likely to be fake.

Scam e-mails will also often include instructions to click on links or to download attachments for more information. These links direct victims to a seemingly legitimate page where they are told to input their personal and financial details. Consign such e-mails to the bin, or notify the organisations being spoofed of these scams.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

Read Next

Housewife loses $20,000 in Internet 'love' scam; could this happen to you?

The DHL scam and 10 other scams in Singapore you need to beware of

Have you fallen for these Taobao scams in Singapore?