How you can protect yourself

Impersonation scams

If you suspect that you have been scammed, immediately file a police report and call our dedicated 24/7 Fraud Hotline at 6255 0160. Press '1' to report a case or '2' to activate our emergency self-service Kill Switch feature, which will disable access to your UOB Personal Internet Banking and UOB TMRW app.

What can you do to protect yourself?

Remember these tips to help you #BeCyberSavvy:

1. Do not click on suspicious links provided in unsolicited SMSes and emails.
2. If in doubt, verify the authenticity of the information with our official website or sources.
3. Never disclose your personal or internet banking details and one-time passwords (OTPs) to anyone.

Investment Scams on Chat Applications

Are you receiving messages on social media or chat applications from someone impersonating a finance professional offering investment opportunities? Investment scams involve promises of big payouts, quick money or guaranteed returns.

#BeCyberSavvy and keep in mind these security tips:

1. Be wary when receiving unsolicited offers of investment opportunities via social media platforms or chat applications.
2. If in doubt, verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources.
3. Never disclose your personal or internet banking details and one-time password (OTP) to anyone.

Spotted an investment scam or suspect that you might have been scammed? Please call our dedicated 24/7 Fraud Hotline at 6255 0160 and press '1' to report a case or '2' to activate our emergency self-service “kill switch” feature, which will disable access to your Personal Internet Banking and UOB TMRW app.

Smishing Scam

Be on high alert for an ongoing targeted SMS phishing scam, where scammers are using UOB’s name to trick customers that their account had been suspended and asked for their account details through clickable links. Stop the scammers in their tracks – do not click on the link or call the number.

#BeCyberSavvy and keep in mind these security tips:

1. Do not click on suspicious URL links or call any phone numbers provided in unsolicited SMSes and emails. Banks will not send you SMSes and emails containing clickable links.
2. If in doubt, verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources.
3. Never disclose your personal or internet banking details and one-time password (OTP) to anyone.
4. Never grant remote access of your computer to anyone.

If you spot a phishing SMS or suspect that you might have been scammed, please call our dedicated 24/7 Fraud Hotline at 6255 0160 and press ‘1’ to report a case or ‘2’ to activate our emergency self-service Kill Switch feature.

Smishing Scams (Fixed Deposit Promotions)

"Smishing" is a common scam attack that involves text messages impersonating a bank or an organisation. These scammers will try different means to capture your attention and acquire your personal information. Some will even go to the extent of spoofing the sender's name, phone number or both to trick you. For example, a recent scam involves SMS messages sent from the sender name "TMRW" and "UOBTRMW", which resembles the UOB TMRW app name, informing recipients about unusual activity in their accounts. That link will lead you to a scam website.

Remember, UOB does not send SMSes with clickable links.

What can you do to protect yourself?

A sample of the phishing SMS sent by scammers.
Do NOT call the number in the unsolicited SMS

• UOB will never send you an SMS message that requires you to call a phone number to get details for a promotion. Stay vigilant and do not call the number stated on the SMS.
• Do not click on dubious links and always examine the links when presented in an email or SMS.
• Hover over links to check the destination of the URL. Check for any typos or misspelt words in the URL. When verifying links using mobile phones, press and hold the link to display the actual URL.
• Always visit the legitimate website bookmarked in your browser or found via a Google search.
• Ensure that you do not overlook the spelling mistakes when inspecting the website URL.
• UOB will never send an SMS to inform customers about account closures or being locked out of their account, or to reactivate accounts.
• Do not share any personal or internet banking details such as your full name, mailing address, password or OTP.
• Do not transfer funds to any account directed by anyone who claims to be a UOB staff.

If you spot a phishing SMS or suspect that you might have been scammed, please call our dedicated 24/7 Fraud Hotline at 6255 0160 and press '1' to report a case or '2' to activate our emergency self-service Kill Switch feature.

Loan Scams

Scammers send messages via SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media platforms offering loans services, claiming to be licensed moneylenders. Victims are instructed to transfer money as a deposit before the loan can be disbursed. After making the transfer, the scammers will no longer be contactable.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Do ignore these spoofed loan advertisements and messages. Please block and report the number as spam on WhatsApp or through third-party applications.
2. Only engage the services of licensed moneylenders listed on the Ministry of Law's Registry of Moneylenders website. It is illegal for licensed moneylenders to advertise via SMS or WhatsApp.
3. Never reveal your personal information like NRIC or contact numbers, SingPass, bank details and account numbers.
4. Do seek financial help from authorised financial institutions if necessary.
5. Visit scamalert.sg or call Anti-Scam Centre at 1800 722 6688 for more information on scams.

Investment Scams

There is a new type of scam where scammers are using UOB’s name to trick people to join a WhatsApp group and thereafter, persuade them to invest in fraudulent products.

Do NOT join the WhatsApp group

1. Be cautious when befriending strangers on social media platforms.
2. Understand that investments with high returns come with high risks.
3. Always check with a licensed financial advisor before making any investment.
4. Check if an entity is blacklisted on the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Investor Alert List. Deal with companies that are licensed and regulated by MAS.
5. Ask as many questions as you need to fully understand the investment opportunity.
6. Do a thorough check on the company and its representatives using resources such as the financial institution's directory, register or representatives, and investor alert list, which can be found on the MAS website.
7. Never provide your name, identification number, passport details, contact details, bank account or credit card details to anyone you do not know well.
8. Be careful when dealing with unregulated entities as you will have little recourse if things go wrong. If an entity is based outside of Singapore, check if it is regulated with the respective overseas authority.
9. Before committing to an investment, always Ask, Check and Confirm.
10. More information on investment scams can be found at MoneySense: How to spot investment scams.
11. Visit scamalert.sg or call Anti-Scam Centre at 1800 722 6688 for more information on scams.

Phishing Scams

Recently, customers of Singapore banks have been targeted by a series of phishing scams. Through email and SMS messages that appear to be sent officially by the bank, these scams trick users into accessing fake websites to provide sensitive personal information.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Do not click on dubious links and always examine the links when presented in an email or SMS.
2. Hover over links to check the destination of the URL. Check for any typos or misspelt words in the URL. When verifying links using mobile phones, press and hold the link to display the actual URL.
3. Always visit the legitimate website bookmarked in your browser or found via a Google search.
4. Ensure that you do not overlook the spelling mistakes when inspecting the website URL.
5. UOB will never send an SMS to inform customers about account closures or being locked out of their account, or to reactivate accounts.
6. Do not share banking login credentials or OTP on suspicious SMS.
7. If you are in doubt about the authenticity of any SMSes received, please contact UOB at 6255 0160 or Anti-Scam Centre at 1800 722 6688.

E-wallet Phishing Scam

These scams usually involve the customer receiving either a voice or video call from an unknown number where the caller may impersonate a government official or police officer by dressing up like one. On the call, they may request for the victim’s personal information and subsequently use this information to create e-wallet accounts under the victim’s name and top-up the account through the victim’s bank account. The victim will only realise that they have been scammed after they notice unauthorised transactions on the account.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. No foreign law enforcement or authority can investigate offences here in Singapore.
2. No public authority can require you to open bank account or request for you to include digital banking to your account.
3. Never reveal your bank account numbers, one-time passwords (OTPs) or 3-digit credit card security code. No government officials or those who are involved in the contact tracing exercise will ask for such banking information or require remote access to your computer.
4. Never grant remote access of your computer to anyone.
5. Never download any application or software directed by the caller.
6. Never login into any website directed by the caller.
7. If you receive such calls asking for banking information such as OTPs, you should hang up and call UOB or the police immediately.
8. Visit scamalert.sg or call Anti-Scam Centre at 1800 722 6688 for more information on scams.

Impersonation Scams by Local and China Officials

Phone impersonation scams involve claims that the scammers are local and/or foreign government officials or police officers or individuals who are professionals such as recruiters. Victims are accused of being involved in crime and are persuaded to divulge confidential information on fraudulent websites. The scammers will transfer funds out from the victims’ accounts once they have received them.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. No foreign law enforcement or authority can investigate offences here in Singapore.
2. No public authority can require you to open bank account or request for you to include digital banking to your account.
3. Never reveal your bank account numbers, one-time passwords (OTPs) or 3-digit credit card security code. No government officials or those who are involved in the contact tracing exercise will ask for such banking information or require remote access to your computer.
4. Never grant remote access of your computer to anyone.
5. Never download any application or software directed by the caller.
6. Never login into any website directed by the caller.
7. If you receive such calls asking for banking information such as OTPs, you should hang up and call UOB or the police immediately.
8. Visit scamalert.sg or call Anti-Scam Centre at 1800 722 6688 for more information on scams.

'Fake Friends' Scams

This is a variant of the typical Impersonation Scams. With these 'Fake Friends' scams, victims receive unsolicited calls from scammers who do not identify themselves but instead ask victims to guess their identity. The scammers then assume the identity of whoever the victims have guessed and make small talk. A follow-up call will then be made to the victims within the next couple of days, and scammers will thereafter make up excuses to ask for urgent loans from the victims, citing emergencies or urgent needs. Once victims make the transfer, the scammers will stop contacting them.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Avoid answering calls from unknown numbers. When this is not possible, ascertain the identity of the person calling. You may do so by asking specific questions that only you and the purported person know (for example, how you met, who your mutual friends are and when the last time you met was);
2. Verify the call by contacting the actual person whom the scammer claimed to be. You should use known contact details of that person after the unsolicited call to verify if he/she indeed made the call.
3. If funds were transferred, quickly report this to the Police and the Bank.
4. Do not divulge personal and banking information to anyone.

Business Email Compromise Scam

Received and email prompting you to transfer funds to an unverified bank account? It may be from a scammer impersonating a business partner or a colleague. Watch this video to learn about the tell-tale signs of a Business Email Compromise scam.

What can you do to protect yourself?
#BeCyberSavvy and keep in mind these security tips:

1. Do not click on suspicious URL links or call any phone numbers provided in unsolicited emails. Banks will not send you emails containing clickable links.
2. If in doubt, verify the authenticity of the information with the official website or sources.
3. Do not click on links or open attachments that accompany email messages from unknown parties.

If you suspect that you have been scammed, please call our dedicated 24/7 Fraud Hotline at 6255 0160 and press '1' to report a case or '2' to activate our emergency self-service "kill switch" feature, which will disable access to your Personal Internet Banking and UOB TMRW app. For more information, please visit uob.com.sg/security.

Online Purchase Scams

Beware of scammers posing as buyers on e-commerce platform. Read on to find out how these scammers operate and trick their victims into entering their banking details on spoofed websites, use these information to make charges on the victims’ cards or take over their bank accounts and transfer funds.

#BeCyberSavvy and keep in mind these security tips:
If you suspect that you have been scammed, immediately call our dedicated 24/7 Fraud Hotline at 6255 0160. Press ‘1’ to report a case or ‘2’ to activate our emergency self-service Kill Switch feature, which will disable access to your UOB Personal Internet Banking and UOB TMRW app. You should also lodge a police report.

Online Shopping Deals Scams

These scams involve seemingly attractive online shopping deals, listed by scammers pretending to be legitimate vendors on e-commerce platforms. The scammers often offer discounts if a buyer pays through a direct bank transfer, rather than the official platform. The buyer does not receive the purchased item after the payment is made.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Be wary of popular products priced suspiciously below the market rate.
2. Review the seller’s past transactions and user ratings, and check that the listing has clear terms and conditions.
3. Only pay through the platform’s secure payment option.
4. Check that all costs are stated clearly.
5. When in doubt, do not make payments and seek advice from the Police, or check out scamalert.sg.

Job-related Scams

Job openings are often posted to lure hopeful applicants into providing their bank information and even login details to scammers. One such scam involves asking for applicants’ details to help the "company" test how well its software synchronises between its "clients" and local banks, with a promise of a small fee for each test transaction. Other similar scams involve fraudsters offering jobs that require victims to buy advertised items on e-commerce platforms, with the promise that they will receive a refund on the purchase price plus additional commissions. They are however required to make payments to designated bank accounts instead of the e-commerce portals, and they subsequently do not receive the refund or commission.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Do not accept dubious job offers that offer lucrative returns for minimal effort.
2. Always verify the authenticity of the job with the company’s website and other official sources.
3. Do not give your username, password, One-Time Passwords (OTPs), payment cards or card PINs to anyone.
4. Do not click on suspicious URLs or download applications from unknown sources.
5. Do not pay in advance for a job offer.

Parcel Delivery Phishing Scam

Waiting for an update on the status of your online purchases? Keep a look out for scammers who may target unsuspecting victims with spoofed messages or emails claiming to be arranging for a delivery. These messages may lead to websites that try to lure victims into divulging their credit or debit card information to make fraudulent transactions.

What can you do to protect yourself?

1. Do not click on links shared on unsolicited emails or SMS messages.
2. Verify the link from the message by cross-checking with the vendor.
3. Verify the merchant details indicated in the OTP message and do not share your OTP if you are not making the transaction.
4. Never disclose your personal or Internet banking details to anyone.

Technical Support Scams

Scammers call victims, usually from numbers with the +65 prefix, claiming to be technicians from established companies such as Singtel and Microsoft, convincing them that their internet connection has 'technical' issues. Victims are then told to download remote control software such as TeamViewer and pcAnywhere. Scammers abuse this administrative access to the victim's computer to install malware or access sensitive information, used for identity theft or transfer of funds.

What can you do to protect yourself?

• Never reveal your bank account numbers, one-time passwords (OTPs) or 3-digit credit card security code.
• If you receive such calls asking for banking information such as OTPs, you should hang up and call UOB or the police immediately.
• Visit scamalert.sg or call Anti-Scam Centre at 1800 722 6688 for more information on scams.