Singapore central bank warns of fake calls impersonating staff

It stressed that it would never ask the public for personal or bank information.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has warned the public of individuals posing as MAS or bank staff and requesting for personal or bank information, according to a news release.

The regulator stressed that it would never ask the public for such information nor security login details.

The fraudulent calls and messages may be received through Viber or WhatsApp from local or overseas numbers that use caller ID spoofing technology to display a MAS number. The perpetrators may use MAS’ logo as profile picture and inform the recipient that their bank account has been locked or suspended, and would offer assistance to resolve the matter.

The fraudsters would then ask for personal details such as user ID and password. There have been reports of people using similar tactics to pose as bank employees asking for similar information.

The public is urged to report any suspicious calls to MAS or to the police.