As scammers continue to refine their techniques, individuals must exercise heightened vigilance when it comes to sharing personal information on any platform.
A woman in Singapore found herself in a distressing situation after purchasing S$2 (RM6++) dim sum from an advertisement on Instagram, only to discover that her card limit had been raised to a staggering S$20,000 (RM68K++) the following day. Fortunately, her husband intervened just in time, averting any financial loss.
According to a report from Shin Min Daily News, the woman, identified as 57-year-old Mrs. He, came across an enticing dim sum offer on Instagram. A shop called 'Mcy Frozen Food' was advertising a bundle consisting of 12 shumai, five portions of glutinous chicken rice, and 300g of steamed pork ribs, all priced at just S$2 (RM6++) each. Intrigued by the remarkably low price, she contacted the seller via Instagram.
After establishing contact, Mrs. He received a link that redirected her to a WhatsApp chat with the alleged 'seller.' Subsequently, the 'seller' sent her another link, urging her to download an application named '1stMallv1.2' and place her order through the app.
However, when Mrs. He attempted to submit her personal information for payment, she encountered multiple errors. Unbeknownst to her, these errors were part of a scheme to deceive her into providing sensitive information. Regrettably, her bank account was compromised the next day.
In another alarming turn of events, Shin Min Daily News reported that Mrs. He's husband, 63-year-old Mr. He, received an email from the bank the following day. The email informed him that his wife had requested an increase in their account's daily limit to S$20,000 at 6 AM. in the morning, a significant rise from the original limit of S$1,000.
Alarmed by this notification, Mr. He immediately contacted his wife to seek clarification. It soon became apparent to them that the app Mrs. He had installed was likely infected with malware. Without wasting any time, Mr. He promptly contacted the bank to freeze their account.
Fortunately, there is a 12-hour waiting period before changes in account limits are implemented. As a result, the scammers were unable to abscond with any money. Nonetheless, the couple narrowly escaped potential financial devastation, as Mr. He realized the situation just 30 minutes before the changes were set to take effect.
Expressing their fear and concern, Mr. He emphasized the significance of their hard-earned money and the dire consequences they would have faced had it been stolen. He added that bank staff informed them of several similar scam cases occurring on a daily basis.
Acting upon the advice of the bank staff, the couple promptly filed a police report, and ongoing investigations are underway.
This incident serves as a stark reminder for individuals to remain vigilant and exercise caution when engaging in online transactions. By staying alert and implementing necessary security measures, we can protect ourselves from falling prey to the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by scammers.
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