A woman was duped of $16,000 after falling victim to scammers impersonating HSBC staff and police officers in a phone scam.
The 37-year-old victim, who wished to be known only as Ms Yan, shared her story with Shin Min Daily News to warn others of such scams.
Caller knew her full name and NRIC number
On the morning of Feb 27, Ms Yan received a call from someone claiming to be an HSBC staff member, who alleged there were suspicious transactions on a newly applied credit card under her name.
When she replied that she had not applied for a new credit card, the caller said her Singpass details had been stolen and that the case would be handed over to law enforcement for follow-up.
Ms Yan said she had recently cancelled an HSBC card. The caller also spoke fluent English with a local accent and was able to accurately state her full name and NRIC number.
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“That’s why I let my guard down,” she said.
Warned her ‘not to tell anyone’
Shortly after, another scammer posing as a police officer called and guided her step by step, leading Ms Yan to believe she was implicated in a money laundering case involving up to $2 million.
The caller stressed that the case was “highly confidential” and instructed her not to tell anyone, warning that she could be arrested, have her bank accounts frozen, or even implicate her family.
