At least $1mil lost to Facebook Impersonation Scam
 
Between January 2018 to January 2019, at least 42 reports of Facebook impersonation scams were received. The total amount cheated was at least S$1 million. 

In such cases, the victims were contacted via compromised Facebook accounts belonging to their friends, introducing the victims to various types of grants.  The victims were then informed that to receive the grant, they had to provide their personal details, as well as transfer money to bank accounts or remit overseas. The victims eventually realised that they were cheated after verifying with their actual Facebook friends.

Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:

Beware of unusual requests or text messages, even if they were sent by your social media contacts

Be wary of get-rich-quick offers that ask you to transfer money in return for a greater fortune. If in doubt, verify the authenticity of the request or text message by contacting your friend, but do not do so through the social media platform as the account might have been taken over by scammers
 

Do not transfer money or give out your personal information, credit/debit card details and bank account details to unknown individuals

If you wish to provide any information related to such scams, please call the Police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.  If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’. 
 
You can make a difference and potentially saving someone from becoming a victim of scams by sharing this message! 

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