04/30/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 05/01/2024 06:09
The Police would like to alert members of the public to a new scam variant where scammers would compromise victims' WhatsApp accounts using malware through advertisements promoting fake job listings on Facebook.
In these cases, victims would come across attractive job listings on Facebook and contact the WhatsApp contact number provided. The victims would then be instructed to download an Android Package Kit (APK) file via WhatsApp, claiming that it was for the purpose of obtaining their personal particulars. Unknown to the victims, the APK file contains malware that would allow the scammers to extract data from their mobile phones. After the victims downloaded and installed the malware, they would notice that their phone screen would switch off and / or lose control of their mobile phones.
When the victims eventually regained control of their phones, they would notice that they were unable to access their WhatsApp accounts. In some cases, their WhatsApp application was deleted from their mobile phones. The victims subsequently realised that their WhatsApp accounts were compromised by the scammers when they were alerted by their contacts that they had received messages purportedly from the victim asking for loans.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following precautionary measures:
In the event that you suspect that you, or someone you know have fallen victim to such similar scams, do take the following steps:
If you have any information relating to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial '999'.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688. For instructions on how to activate additional security features on WhatsApp, visit https://www.whatsapp.com/security. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
Annex A: Setup of Two-Step Verification
Annex B: Screenshot of Fake Facebook Ad on Job Listings