SINGAPORE – Be careful if you receive a pop-up alert on your device that bears the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) logo, warning you that it has been locked.
Explaining this scam variant, the police said in a press statement on Sept 20 that victims had encountered fake alerts bearing the SPF logo which claimed that their personal devices had been “locked” for repeatedly accessing websites with illegal content.
Victims were then told to pay purported outstanding fines within hours to unlock their devices. The alerts further claimed that their devices would be permanently locked and users subjected to prosecution if they fail to pay the fines.
The pop-up alerts also displayed a countdown timer to create a sense of urgency and pressure victims into providing their bank card details to make payment.
Victims would realise that they had been scammed when unauthorised foreign currency transactions were charged to their bank cards, often amounting to more than the purported fines.
The police said that they do not remotely lock personal devices, such as computers or laptops, or demand payment through pop-up alerts.
They remind people to call the ScamShield Helpline on 1799 to check if in doubt.