S’pore cleaner, 62, loses S$330,000 savings to scammers in China, money saved over 50 years
Published by Mothership on July 15, 2022, 02:58 PM
A 62-year-old cleaner in Singapore lost about 50 years’ worth of savings amounting to S$330,000, to a scammer who claimed to be a police officer from Shanghai, China,
The scam
Zhang Han Cheng, the victim, was recovering from Covid-19 at home in November 2021 when he received a phone call from a person who claimed to be a police officer in Shanghai.
The scammer told Zhang he was involved in a money-laundering operation, and asked him to cooperate with the investigation.
To do so, he had to open up a new bank account and transfer money to the account for them to check if the money was clean.
What made it more convincing was that the scammer on the call knew Zhang’s personal information and home address, even though he had never been to Shanghai, let alone opened a bank account there.
Zhang told Shin Min that he subsequently received letters, supposedly from Chinese authorities and the Shanghai police, which convinced him that he may be in trouble with the law and needed to act.
In addition, the scammers stressed he could not tell anyone about opening the bank account or he would be in more trouble with the law.
They also added that they had installed a bug in his phone that can listen in on his calls.
During this time, Zhang’s elder brother, who was delivering food to him during his isolation, said that Zhang did not respond to his call. There was even one time when the elder brother could not get through Zhang’s phone for 20 minutes.
And when Zhang finally responded, he said he could not tell his older brother what was happening.
His brother added that if Zhang had told him earlier, there might have been a chance to stop the transaction.
Money taken
After his Covid-19 isolation period was completed, Zhang headed down to the bank, transferred S$60,000 and provided the one-time password of his bank account to the scammer.
Later, on Dec. 7, 2021, he checked his bank account and found that he was only left with S$49.25.
After Zhang realised he had been scammed, he was deeply affected, and could not eat or sleep.
According to Shin Min, Zhang’s bank statement showed that the scammer first transferred S$14,000 on Nov. 15, 2021, and then made seven more bank transfers on Nov. 23.
He had lost S$330,000 in total.
Asked for money back
The day after Zhang found out that his savings had been wiped out, he sought help from his older brother.
Zhang’s brother told Shin Min that Zhang does not understand English and would often ask him to read text messages from the bank.
But, most of the time, the texts were promotional advertisements from the bank and Zhang stopped forwarding them to his older brother.
So, on the day the money was transferred, Zhang received a text from the bank in English which he did not understand and did not let his brother take a look.
His brother reported the incident to the police and to the bank.
The older Zhang told the bank that his brother usually withdraws about S$200 from his bank account and added that when the large sum was transferred out, the bank did not pick up on it and freeze his account.
He hoped that the bank would be able to recover some of the money out of “goodwill”.
Zhang’s older brother met with the bank’s manager three times to appeal the case, but was informed in February this year that they were unable to get back the money.
Police investigations are ongoing, reported Shin Min.
MAS measures to prevent scams
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) introduced seven new measures to improve the security of digital banking in January this year.
Among the new measures, banks will no longer be allowed to send clickable links in emails or SMSes to retail customers and the threshold for funds transfer transaction notifications to customers was set, by default, at S$100 or lower.
坠假公安骗局 清洁工痛失33万
来自 / 新明日报 发布 / 2022年7月13日 2:32 PM
虽然当时张先生曾收到银行的转账提醒，但他因不谙英文，未及时冻结账户。
患冠病时接到假公安的电话，隔离一结束就被骗去开通银行网络服务，清洁工的户头两天内被转走33万元，痛失棺材本。
自15岁出外打工，清洁工张汉成（62岁）向《新明日报》申诉，去年11月掉入假公安骗局，导致近50年积蓄全被卷走。
他受访时说，当时确诊冠病在家中隔离，期间接到一通电话，对方自称是上海警方，并表示他们捉获一群洗黑钱的犯罪团伙，在追查案件时，发现张先生的上海户头也涉及洗黑钱，要求他配合调查。
听后惊慌失措的他，一时忘记自己从不曾到过上海，更没有上海银行户头，加上骗子能报出他的个人资料如地址等，他更是乱了阵脚。
数天后，他也收到两封分别称是上海市人民检察院以及国家保密局的信件，令他信以为真。
假公安过后也交代他开通银行网络服务，以便检查他户头的钱是否跟洗黑钱有关。
张汉成在结束隔离后立刻到银行办手续，并将一次性密码提供给骗子，甚至从别的户头转了6万元到开通网络服务的户头。
根据他的存折记录，骗子先在11月15日转走1万4000元，随后在23日进行七次转账取走所有钱，前后转走33万余元，而张汉成浑然不知。
直到12月7日当他想去提款时才惊觉拿不出钱，向哥哥求助。
隔日哥哥带着他去警局报案，也通知银行，但为时已晚，被转走的钱无法再收回来。
警方受询时确认接获报案，案件调查中。
Falling into the trap of fraud by helping the “Internet Security Bureau” to catch hackers
Published by Lianhe Wanbao Dated / 2020年6月4日 3:07 PM
Help to set the trap but fall into trap, the female boss innocently lost more than S$90,000! A scammer posing as an official of the Singapore Cyber Security Bureau asked the female boss to set up a trap to catch the hacker, asked the female boss to make six bank transfers of about S$170,000 in three days to get the hacker hooked. Unexpectedly, two days later, the female boss received a call from the anti-fraud center then realize that she was fooled. The bank successfully helped her to retrieve S$76,000, but still lost more than S$90,000.
Barbara (61 years old, owner of a corporate consulting company), who has worked locally for 20 years, received a call from a self-proclaimed employee of Singtel on April 15 to inform her that her Internet address (IP) was used by hackers to transfer funds. He said that someone from the Cyber Security Bureau would contact her.
Barbara said in an interview this morning: “I have been a customer of Singtel for 20 years, so when I received the call, I had no doubt. Later, a man who claimed to be a member of the Cyber Security Bureau called me and asked me to work with them to set up I caught the trap, and I agreed.”
The person first asked her to install the computer program TeamViewer, which allowed the scammer to control her computer remotely, and then the scammer asked her to transfer money online to attract hackers. Barbara made six transfers in three days, totaling about S$170,000. Sometimes she made the transfer in person, and sometimes the fraudster did it herself. She only provided information and one-time password.
She said: “Two days later, I received a call from the Anti-Fraud Center, said inform by the bank staff that there is an abnormal transfer transaction in my account, and I was shocked to be cheated.”
Barbara made transfers through two banks. The bank staff successfully blocked four transfers and retrieved about S$76,000. The other two transfer transactions have been posted, including the largest transfer, which is S$91,000 transferred to the Bank of China account in Hong Kong, and another transfer that cannot be recovered is about S$3,000.
According to police data, providing technical assistance posing as a local telecommunications service provider or government agency personnel is a common trick for scammers. In the first quarter of this year, the police received at least 125 related reports involving up to S$4.5 million.
坠诈骗圈套 帮“网安局”捉骇客 女老板反遭骗17万
来自 / 联合晚报 发布 / 2020年6月4日 3:07 PM
帮忙设圈套反中圈套，女老板无辜损失超过9万元！一名冒充新加坡网络安全局官员的骗子，请女老板联手设圈套抓骇客，要女老板三天内进行六次银行转账约17万元以便让骇客上钩。岂料两天后女老板接获反诈骗中心电话才得知自己上当，银行成功帮她取回7万6000元，但仍损失逾9万元。
在本地工作20年的芭芭拉（61岁，企业咨询公司老板）于4月15日接到自称是新电信职员打来的电话，通知她网络地址（IP）被骇客盗用来进行转账，并说会有网安局人员联络她。
芭芭拉今早受访时说：“我是新电信长达20年的客户，所以接到电话时没有怀疑，过后一个自称是网安局人员的男子打给我，叫我跟他们合作设圈套抓骇客，我也答应了。”
对方先是请她安装Teamviewer电脑程序，这程序让骗子能够远程操控她的电脑，然后骗子叫她上网转账以便引骇客上钩。芭芭拉在三天内进行了六次转账，总数约17万元，有时是她亲自转账，有时则是骗子自己动手，她只提供资料和一次性密码。
她说：“两天后我接到反诈骗中心的电话，告知银行职员发现我的户头有异常转账交易，我才惊觉被骗了。”
芭芭拉是通过两家银行进行转账，银行职员成功阻止四个转账，取回约7万6000元，另两个转账交易则已经过账，当中包括最大笔的转账，那是把6万5000美元（约9万1000新元）转到位于香港的中国银行户头，另一笔追不回的转账则约3000新元。
根据警方数据，冒充本地电信服务业者或政府机构人员提供技术援助是骗子常用的伎俩，今年第一季警方至少接到125起相关报案，涉及金额高达450万元。
Fake China police officer scam
Published by Lianhe Wanbao on July 1, 2019 1:20 PM
Malaysia man received a fake china police officer phone call locally, the other side claimed to have obtained his contact number from the suspect, and instructed him to transfer money to the Bitcoin vending machine, fortunately the police immediately stopped the Malaysia man to fall into the trap of the fraud syndicate.
Police issued a circular today warning Singaporean, the once-silent “fake china police officer” is now back, between January and April this year, the police have received 65 reports involving up to 4.8 Million.
One of the men who was nearly cheated was Mr. Su, 33, who is currently in the job. He received a false china police officer call at about 9am on May 31 and nearly fell into a trap.
According to his description, on the day of the incident, an employee claiming to be from a telecommunications company suddenly called to inform him that his mobile phone number had been stolen. Shortly after, a man claiming to be a Chinese police officer made a second phone call, saying that the police had arrested a woman whose mobile phone number was found on her contact.
In order to improve credibility, “confirm” their identity, the other side also sent a text message, accompanied by a photo of their documents.
Suspecting that he was an accomplice of the girl, he instructed Mr. Su to transfer all his savings to China via a Bitcoin vending machine, or his mobile telecommunications package would be terminated and he would not be able to return to Malaysia.
After being “warned” by the other side, Mr. Su confessed to being scared, so he followed the instructions to Bitcoin vending machine at Liang Court shopping Centre to transfers money.
He was warned during the call that there might be uniformed police officers at the vending machine, and if he saw the police officer better inform them.
Coincidence police begun sending officer to the Bitcoin vending machine to avoid more people being deceived. Officers from the Orchard Neighborhood Police Department stopped Mr. Su from buying bitcoins in time.
My advice, if you hear Chinese police officer phone call, don’t panic, remember that the law with borders, Singapore and China don’t have an extradition treaty, don’t say you didn’t break the law, even if you did. If the charges are not serious, don’t worry too much.
男子险坠假公安圈套 到比特币贩卖机转账遭警拦阻
来自： 联合晚报发布 / 2019年7月1日 1:20 PM
马国男子在本地接到假公安来电，对方声称从落网嫌犯手中取得他的联络号码，并指示他到比特币贩卖机转账，所幸警方即时拦阻，马国男子才不至于落入诈骗集团的圈套。
警方今天发出文告警惕国人，一度沉寂下来的“假公安”如今重出江湖，今年1月至4月之间，警方已接获65起报案，涉及的款项高达480万元。
其中一名险些受骗的男子是33岁的苏先生，目前待业。他于5月31日早上9时左右接到假公安来电，险些落入圈套。
根据他的描述，事发当天，一名自称来自电信公司的员工突然来电，告知他的手机号码被盗用。不久后，自称是中国公安的男子打来第二通电话，表示公安逮捕了一名女郎，女郎的联络单中找到他的手机号码。
为了提高可信度，“证实”自己的身份，对方也来短信，还附上自己证件的照片。
对方怀疑他是女郎的同谋，因此指示苏先生将他所有的储蓄，通过比特币贩卖机转账到中国，不然他的手机电信配套将被终止，他也将无法回到马来西亚。
被对方“警告”后，苏先生坦言有被吓到，于是照着对方的指示，到亮阁（Liang Court）购物中心的比特币贩卖机转账。
对方在通话中警告他，贩卖机处或许会有穿制服的警察人员，如果看到警察要知会一声。
果不其然，警方为了避免更多人受骗，早就开始派人驻守在比特币贩卖机处。来自乌节邻里警局的警员，这次就及时阻止苏先生购买比特币。
我呼吁各位， 如果听见中国公安的电话， 不必太在意， 切记法律是有国界的， 新加坡和中国并没有没有引渡条约。