Anti-Scam Centre and DBS Bank Recover Over S$170,000 in Tech Support Scam - Fintech Singapore

Source: Fintech Singapore

Singapore's Anti-Scam Centre (ASC) and DBS Bank have successfully recovered more than S$170,000 lost in a technical support scam.

The victim, a 70-year-old woman, was using her computer when she saw a pop-up alert prompting her to call a "Microsoft" hotline number due to a supposed hack.

She called the number and spoke with a scammer posing as a Microsoft support agent. The scammer claimed that her computer had been hacked and that her bank accounts might have been compromised.

The scammer instructed the victim to log into her DBS bank account, but when she couldn't remember her password, the scammer offered to reset it for her.

The victim provided her login details and the One-Time Password (OTP) from her digital token. The scammer then asked for an image of her NRIC, which made the victim suspicious, prompting her to hang up.

A few hours later, the victim received a notification from DBS that her overseas fund transfer limit had been increased, and over S$170,000 had been transferred to an account in the United Arab Emirates.

Realizing she had been scammed, the victim immediately reported the incident to the police. The ASC and DBS Bank acted swiftly, tracing and recovering the full amount.

Authorities advise the public to take immediate steps if they suspect they have fallen victim to such scams: turn off the computer, uninstall suspicious software, run a full antivirus scan, report to the bank, change internet banking credentials, and inform the police.

To prevent such incidents, the public should use the ScamShield app and enable security features like Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).

They are advised to verify any suspicious activity through official sources and avoid engaging with unsolicited technical support offers. Members of the public are then urged to inform authorities, family, and friends about potential scams.

For more information, visit Scam Alert or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. If members of the public have information about such crimes, they can contact the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 or submit it online at Police iWitness.