SINGAPORE – Anyone can fall victim to a scam, regardless of how well-educated or digitally savvy they are.
Recalling how a lawyer almost lost the whole sum of $521,000 in a loan scam, Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police Aileen Yap, assistant director of the Singapore Police Force’s Anti-Scam Command, noted that senior civil servants and professors have also become scam victims.
In the case of the lawyer, he had searched the Ministry of Law’s website, where after doing due diligence, he identified a licensed moneylender he wanted to borrow $3 million from.
While the licensed moneylender was real, it did not have a website, so instead, the lawyer found himself taking a loan from a scammer who was impersonating the firm, said DAC Yap.
She added: “The scammer… told him you have to pay administrative fees, service charges and deposits. And he paid, $521,000, but did not get his loan.”
Fortunately, the lawyer realised his mistake in time and contacted the Anti-Scam Centre, which helped him recover $426,000.
Dr Majeed Khader, chief psychologist at the Ministry of Home Affairs, said: “Very clever people, well-educated people can fall prey as well. Sometimes, it’s that moment of impulsivity so that’s why this message of stop and think, look for the signs (of a scam) is very important.”
Even young people, who have grown up accustomed to technology, have not avoided the scourge of scams.
Said Mr Xavier Low, chief executive of the Cyber Youth Academy: ” It’s a…
