Singtel Scam Call: How to Protect Yourself

Be alert about phone scams using Singtel’s name with callers who claim to be Singtel technicians or customer care officers. Callers may claim that there are issues or viruses with your router or computer. They may then ask for personal details such as NRIC numbers, WiFi passwords, router numbers, bank account numbers, credit card details, and one-ti-me passwords (OTP). Should you encounter such an incident, please hang up immediately.

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Singtel Scam Call  How to Protect Yourself

If you suspect that you have fallen prey, you should:

  • Turn off your computer to halt further activities on your computer
  • Report the incident to your bank to stop further activities on your bank accounts
  • Change your iBanking credentials and remove any unauthorised payee added to your bank accounts
  • Report the matter to the police

Singtel technicians or customer care officers will never ask for passwords, router numbers, bank accounts, credit card details, and one-time passwords (OTP) during troubleshooting calls.

How to protect yourself

Stay safe from phone scams

  • Do not assume the caller is who they say they are
  • Do not confirm or give out your personal details
  • Do not share details such as bank accounts or OTP
  • Do not give remote access to your computer
  • Do not install any software when asked
  • Share this information with your loved ones at home, especially the elderly

To seek scam-related advice, you can call the National Crime Prevention Council’s anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or visit www.scamalert.sg.

For more information, please refer to the Singapore Police Force advisory here.

Check the comment section below for additional information, share what you know, or ask a question about this article by leaving a comment below. And, to quickly find answers to your questions, use our search Search engine.

Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.

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Comments (Total: 3)

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October 5, 2020 at 9:02 PM by
Singtel Scam Call: How to Protect Yourself
an anonymous user from: Singapore, Singapore

ALERT - Phone SCAM!

I intended to sleep in till 10am this morning, but was rudely awakened by the house phone ringing at around 8.30am. 😡😤

On the other side was a lady (with a Filipina accent) who said she is from Singtel, started “screeching” (talking very loudly) that my IP address has been compromised and has been set to public, blah blah blah... the exact words were “there has been a wire cut on your IP address” and many foreign IP and other people has been logging and using my IP without me knowing.

She told me to check the lights on my router, turn on my laptop and check my IP address, and internet speed test etc.

She kept saying “you don’t need to worry”, Singtel will set up another line and the technician will walk me through some steps to secure the IP and nothing to worry about.

I was half awake listening to her and taking down notes as she talked me through to check my IP address and internet speed.

Then she passed me on to a guy (definitely a black person) who speaks with a drawl. Hard to understand what he is saying and he wanted me to check my terminal etc... at this point an accidental call from Christina on WhatsApp interrupted our conversation and woke me up that I should call Singtel to verify the legitimacy of this call before proceeding further.

I told him that I want Singtel to send a technician to my place to walk me through the steps. The dumb scammer gave me a hotline no. to call and ask for him and a bunch of ID nos. and his and the other lady’s name and employee no. etc

“Why wld I call your number to verify you?” I told him. (How dumb do you think I am? I thought to myself.) 😡🤬😤

So I called Singtel on 1688 to report the issue and asked if there has been a log on the IP address issue etc.

And of course, there is no such issue.. I’m sure had I proceeded without thinking, I would have been scammed for something.

So my friends and family - BEWARE of such calls. Singtel or your telco service provider will NOT CALL you. If there are issues with your services, you will be calling them.

Delete

August 25, 2020 at 1:41 PM by
Singtel Scam Call: How to Protect Yourself
an anonymous user from: Singapore, Singapore

Received calls today to my home line and my Mobile,said he is Singtel Technician and found out their server received signal illegal and need to solve this problem, I try to call Singtel 1609,but due to Covid, unable to reach anyone.

I been convinced after received email had Singtel logos and the email address contain 'singtel security'.

He request me to download a program which later found out this is a program which caused the laptop allowed others to control my laptop.

I realised this is a scam call after he try to get me to log in to my bank account, immediately I refused to do so, and I had change my several password, reset my laptop go to police post to make a report,but being told by the police officer in-charge due to no bank account details provided, and precaution done should not be having further major problems.Ask me to make a report if I encounter problems in future.

Shall you received call from Malaysia, and provide you a number to call back 8004922408(fake service department), this is a scam call.

If I'm not wrong free toll service number usually start with 1800.

Please hang up the call, don't trust until you verify with Singtel help line 1609 or 1688 or after verify with government sector.

Delete

July 17, 2020 at 3:36 AM by
Singtel Scam Call: How to Protect Yourself
an anonymous user from: Singapore, Singapore

On 15-07-20 I receive a call, that introduce themselves from Singtel and wanted to help us on internet issues. This is the 1st time we encounter so my colleague do as what they say.

Luckily when he question us if we do on line banking. My colleague ask me to take over the call as I do it sometime. He than proceed to login to my account. He than run a program and say I have 6 hacker from Thailand. He say he will help me to clear and will give me money to lure the hackers. Luckily I don't have the security token with me. I say I left it at home. He than say he will call me tonight. I told him I will not be around till ten. He than put down the phone. We try to call back the given number and ask him to email us for proof which he did. But I immediately reply no I can't made it . However its bounce back. What give him away that I doubt. In the evening from 10.20 to 11.30 he call 20 times but I did not answer. Doubtful that is a scam. The next day I manage to call singtel normal 1688 to check. The given Employee ID D 100593 Case NO. 15875588 Help desk line: 800 492 2408 Realize that is really a scam. I am fortunate today but I hope more can be done to the people outside.

Delete

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Online Threat Alerts Security Tips

Pay the safest way

Credit cards are the safest way to pay for online purchases because you can dispute the charges if you never get the goods or services or if the offer was misrepresented. Federal law limits your liability to $50 if someone makes unauthorized charges to your account, and most credit card issuers will remove them completely if you report the problem promptly.

Guard your personal information

In any transaction you conduct, make sure to check with your state or local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the seller, charity, company, or organization is credible. Be especially wary if the entity is unfamiliar to you. Always call the number found on a website’s contact information to make sure the number legitimately belongs to the entity you are dealing with.

Be careful of the information you share

Never give out your codes, passwords or personal information, unless you are sure of who you're dealing with

Know who you’re dealing with

Crooks pretending to be from companies you do business with may call or send an email, claiming they need to verify your personal information. Don’t provide your credit card or bank account number unless you are actually paying for something and know who you are sending payment to. Your social security number should not be necessary unless you are applying for credit. Be especially suspicious if someone claiming to be from a company with whom you have an account asks for information that the business already has.

Check your accounts

Regularly check your account transactions and report any suspicious or unauthorised transactions.

Don’t believe promises of easy money

If someone claims that you can earn money with little or no work, get a loan or credit card even if you have bad credit, or make money on an investment with little or no risk, it’s probably a scam. Oftentimes, offers that seem too good to be true, actually are too good to be true.

Do not open email from people you don’t know

If you are unsure whether an email you received is legitimate, try contacting the sender directly via other means. Do not click on any links in an email unless you are sure it is safe.

Think before you click

If an email or text message looks suspicious, don’t open any attachments or click on the links.

Verify urgent requests or unsolicited emails, messages or phone calls before you respond

If you receive a message or a phone call asking for immediate action and don't know the sender, it could be a phishing message.

Be careful with links and new website addresses

Malicious website addresses may appear almost identical to legitimate sites. Scammers often use a slight variation in spelling or logo to lure you. Malicious links can also come from friends whose email has unknowingly been compromised, so be careful.

Secure your personal information

Before providing any personal information, such as your date of birth, Social Security number, account numbers, and passwords, be sure the website is secure.

Stay informed on the latest cyber threats

Keep yourself up to date on current scams by visiting this website daily.

Use Strong Passwords

Strong passwords are critical to online security.

Keep your software up to date and maintain preventative software programs

Keep all of your software applications up to date on your computers and mobile devices. Install software that provides antivirus, firewall, and email filter services.

Update the operating systems on your electronic devices

Make sure your operating systems (OSs) and applications are up to date on all of your electronic devices. Older and unpatched versions of OSs and software are the target of many hacks. Read the CISA security tip on Understanding Patches and Software Updates for more information.

What if You Got Scammed?

Stop Contact With The Scammer

Hang up the phone. Do not reply to emails, messages, or letters that the scammer sends. Do not make any more payments to the scammer. Beware of additional scammers who may contact you claiming they can help you get your lost money back.

Secure Your Finances

  • Report potentially compromised bank account, credit or debit card information to your financial institution(s) immediately. They may be able to cancel or reverse fraudulent transactions.
  • Notify the three major credit bureaus. They can add a fraud alert to warn potential credit grantors that you may be a victim of identity theft. You may also want to consider placing a free security freeze on your credit report. Doing so prevents lenders and others from accessing your credit report entirely, which will prevent them from extending credit:

Check Your Computer

If your computer was accessed or otherwise affected by a scam, check to make sure that your anti-virus is up-to-date and running and that your system is free of malware and keylogging software. You may also need to seek the help of a computer repair company. Consider utilizing the Better Business Bureau’s website to find a reputable company.

Change Your Account Passwords

Update your bank, credit card, social media, and email account passwords to try to limit further unauthorized access. Make sure to choose strong passwords when changing account passwords.

Report The Scam

Reporting helps protect others. While agencies can’t always track down perpetrators of crimes against scammers, they can utilize the information gathered to record patterns of abuse which may lead to action being taken against a company or industry.

Report your issue to the following agencies based on the nature of the scam:

  • Local Law Enforcement: Consumers are encouraged to report scams to their local police department or sheriff’s office, especially if you lost money or property or had your identity compromised.
  • Federal Trade Commission: Contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or use the Online Complaint Assistant to report various types of fraud, including counterfeit checks, lottery or sweepstakes scams, and more.
  • Identitytheft.gov: If someone is using your personal information, like your Social Security, credit card, or bank account number, to open new accounts, make purchases, or get a tax refund, report it at www.identitytheft.gov. This federal government site will also help you create your Identity Theft Report and a personal recovery plan based on your situation. Questions can be directed to 877-ID THEFT.

How To Recognize a Phishing Scam

Scammers use email or text messages to try to steal your passwords, account numbers, or Social Security numbers. If they get that information, they could get access to your email, bank, or other accounts. Or they could sell your information to other scammers. Scammers launch thousands of phishing attacks like these every day — and they’re often successful.

Scammers often update their tactics to keep up with the latest news or trends, but here are some common tactics used in phishing emails or text messages:

Phishing emails and text messages often tell a story to trick you into clicking on a link or opening an attachment. You might get an unexpected email or text message that looks like it’s from a company you know or trust, like a bank or a credit card or utility company. Or maybe it’s from an online payment website or app. The message could be from a scammer, who might

  • say they’ve noticed some suspicious activity or log-in attempts — they haven’t
  • claim there’s a problem with your account or your payment information — there isn’t
  • say you need to confirm some personal or financial information — you don’t
  • include an invoice you don’t recognize — it’s fake
  • want you to click on a link to make a payment — but the link has malware
  • say you’re eligible to register for a government refund — it’s a scam
  • offer a coupon for free stuff — it’s not real

About Online Threat Alerts (OTA)

Online Threat Alerts or OTA is an anti-cybercrime community that started in 2012. OTA alerts the public to cyber crimes and other web threats.

By alerting the public, we have prevented a lot of online users from getting scammed or becoming victims of cybercrimes.

With the ever-increasing number of people going online, it important to have a community like OTA that continuously alerts or protects those same people from cyber-criminals, scammers and hackers, who are every day finding new ways of carrying out their malicious activities.

Online users can help by reporting suspicious or malicious messages or websites to OTA. And, if they want to determine if a message or website is a threat or scam, they can use OTA's search engine to search for the website or parts of the message for information.

Help maintain Online Threat Alerts (OTA).

Singtel Scam Call: How to Protect Yourself