At least 1,098 people lost close to $4.5 million in the first eight months of this year to con artists posing as victims’ pals, police reported on Monday.
The Straits Times reported that each scam normally comprises a two-step process where victims are first asked to save their phone numbers and then solicited for financial assistance.
The victim will first get a call from an unidentified number with a “+” prefix. The con artist asks the victim, “Who am I?” when the call is answered. Inquires about things like attempting to identify the caller or “You don’t recall me?”
The victim will reply with a name because they believe the con artist is a buddy. The con artist will next claim to have misplaced his phone or changed his contact information, asking the victim to keep his “new” number.
A few days later, the con artist will get in touch with the victim and request a loan, claiming that he is having financial or legal issues. He would request that the victim send the funds to his phone number or bank account.
According to the police, victims typically learn about scams when they speak with acquaintances who have been duped into falling for them.
Calls beginning with the “+” prefix should be avoided unless the caller is an overseas number. They need to be on the lookout for odd requests made via phone calls or text messages.
