In a fresh alert to the public, Singapore police have cautioned against a rise in impersonation scams that involve fake invitations to virtual meetings with high-profile individuals, including senior government officials, royalty, and celebrities. The advisory was issued on May 6, highlighting that victims are often contacted via social media or messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
According to the advisory, scammers lure individuals with seemingly prestigious meeting invites and then convince them to transfer money for investments or other purposes. Some cases also involve fake promises of gifts or claims related to joining a royal family.
In several instances, victims are invited to attend virtual meetings with the president, ministers, or other officials. They are asked to share their e-mail addresses to receive a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for the meeting.
Scammers then request victims to sign the fake NDA and submit copies of their identification cards. Many victims realise the fraud only after being asked for additional payments or after verifying the claims with the impersonated individuals. Images shared in the report showed documents marked “fake,” including appointment confirmations and NDAs designed to look like official government documents.
In a separate warning, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) flagged scam e-mails claiming to demand payment for pending parking fines. These messages include a “Pay Now” button, details of alleged fines, URA’s contact number for car park inquiries, and its website address.
URA clarified that these e-mails are not genuine and advised people not to click on any links or make payments through them. The agency has reported the matter to the police.
Official parking fine notices are issued either via physical post or electronically through platforms using the “gov.sg” sender ID. Payments should only be made through URA’s official website or AXS channels. Individuals can also verify outstanding fines through URA’s website.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid transferring money or sharing personal identification details with unknown or unverified individuals. Police emphasised that government officials will never ask for money transfers, banking details, installation of apps from unofficial sources, or request calls to be redirected to authorities.
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