If you receive a phone call from ‘+65 999’, you should ignore it, the police said in a Facebook post on Thursday morning (Aug 4).
Those who pick up the call would hear an automated voice message in Mandarin instructing them to enter a number.
Then, they would be asked for their personal information by a Mandarin-speaking operator, claiming to be from the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
If they didn’t comply with giving their details, they would be asked to proceed to the police station with their identification card or police officers would be despatched to their residence.
When members of the public return missed calls from ‘+65 999’, they would be connected to the police emergency hotline at 999 instead.
These calls were not made by SPF officers, the police clarified.
They added that such calls are typical scam tactics where actual phone numbers are masked and displayed as different phone numbers using caller ID spoofing technology.
When you receive phones calls from unknown origins, you should:
– Ignore the calls and the callers’ instructions
– Do not provide the caller your personal information such as name, identification number, passport details, contact details, bank account or credit card details. Such information may be used by criminals.
In an earlier phone scam advisory, the police also cautioned members of the public not to return missed calls from phone numbers that start with ‘999’.
If you have any information on such calls, call the Police hotline at 1800-255 0000 or submit information online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. Dial ‘999’ only if urgent police assistance is required.
Read also: 11 scams that are happening in Singapore right now
minlee@sph.com.sg
