china scammers 中国诈骗集团

apparently there is a new way to trick people who fears the law.

SPF has issued a media release for this scam:

Police would like to alert the public of a phone scam where callers impersonate themselves as police officers or staff from the Supreme Court. The impersonators would direct them to attend court or request for transfer of monies and attempt to induce their victims into parting with money, presumably to exonerate them from involvement in criminal cases or for failure to attend court hearings. In reality, the victims were not involved in any such criminal or court proceedings.

Over the past 3 weeks, Police have received 35 reports by victims who have received such calls, of which a victim have parted with about S$10,000.

During the course of Police work, investigators will sometimes inform members of the public over the phone on Court dates and appointments at the police station for police statements. However, police will never ask for money to be deposited into a bank account. If such requests for property deposits or personal information disclosure are received, they should be reported to the police immediately.

They may take different forms but these scams are designed to cheat victims into parting with their money. The public is advised to be wary. When in doubt, the public is advised to verify the caller's identity with the agency or organisation the caller claims to be from.

looks like many Singaporeans are taking them for a ride too, as more and more become aware of such scams.

2 real experiences here and here. Time to inform my parents because the elderly are very vulnerable to these scare tactics.

once again i have no issue with Chinese nationals in general, many of them are extremely courteous and kind-minded. My past 2 visits to China were by and large pleasant, except for a few touts targeting tourists on the streets. The tour leader in charge of our China itinerary was a gentleman who had much historical knowledge and love for his country, in particular. The more unfortunate (scammers) probably have financial difficulties because of the enormous population and limited employment opportunities, but as usual i hate dishonest people, as anybody else. 2 wrongs doesn't make a right.