SINGAPORE – At least 12 cases of phishing scams that involve the impersonation of supermarket chain FairPrice have been reported to the police since August.

In a statement on Sept 5, the police said the victims of these reported cases have lost at least $9,000 in total. The police also warned that the number of such scams has increased recently.

In this scam variant, victims would encounter advertisements or posts on social media platforms such as Facebook offering significant discounts on items allegedly from FairPrice.

After clicking on the link in the advertisement or post, they would be redirected to a fake website and prompted to key in their shipping address, bank details and one-time passwords to purchase the “discounted” items.

Victims would realise they had been scammed only after discovering unauthorised transactions charged to their bank cards, the police said, adding that in some cases, transactions were made in foreign currencies.

A FairPrice spokesperson on Sept 5 advised customers that they can verify any promotions or updates via its website at www.fairprice.com.sg or official social media channels.

On Aug 31, the supermarket chain said in a Facebook post that it had been alerted to a scam circulating on Facebook which falsely claimed that it was offering $500 gift cards for $9.

“Please be advised that this is a scam, and these activities are not affiliated with or endorsed by FairPrice in any way,” said the post.

The police urged people to adopt the following measures to avoid falling for scams:

• Download the ScamShield app and set up security features such as setting transaction limits for internet banking transactions and enabling two-factor authentication.
• Do not send money to anyone you do not know or have not met in person before.
• Do not share your bank or card details and one-time passwords with anyone.
• Check for scam signs with official sources by calling the Anti-Scam Helpline on 1800-722-6688 or visiting www.scamalert.sg
• Do not click on dubious URL links provided in social media advertisements or posts.
• Be cautious of attractive deals that are too good to be true.
• If in doubt, always verify the authenticity of information provided with the company or e-commerce platform directly.
• Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank immediately and report any suspicious advertisements to the company or e-commerce platform.

Those with information on scams can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or go to www.police.gov.sg/i-witness