SINGAPORE – Having spent two years pursuing an online PhD from an American university, a man was told he would not get his degree if he did not pay additional taxes.
Wanting to be known only as Mike, the semi-retired executive said he had already paid about US$20,000 (S$26,500) in school fees to the university, which was a legitimate one.
But a person claiming to be from the Internal Revenue Service in the United States said he would have to pay another US$14,000 in “educational taxes” that would later be refunded, or the agency would withhold his degree and open an investigation against him.
Even though the calls and messages purportedly from the authorities in America came via WhatsApp, and not via official university channels, Mike, who is in his 60s, was afraid because of the threat of legal action.
He said: “I needed the PhD, which I worked hard for via online classes and had written a thesis for almost two years. I was afraid I would be detained when I travelled to the US for the convocation.
“My mind was really clouded, and I didn’t suspect it was a scam. They kept pressing me and so, in the end, I gave in.”
He had already been issued his transcript, but the scammers had convinced him legal action would be taken against him if he did not pay up.
But when he went to the bank in December 2022 to transfer the money, alert bank staff stopped him and had the bank’s compliance team investigate further and alert the police.
Assistant Superintendent of…
