Apple iMessage phishing scams: Police warn of variant involving DBS, Shopee impersonators

A new variant of phishing scams involving Apple's iMessage service has emerged.

This time, it involves scammers impersonating DBS fraud investigators or Shopee e-commerce support personnel, police said in a news release on Wednesday night (Sept 2).

Signs that you are being targeted by scammers

In this variant, victims receive an iMessage alert claiming that a pending transaction requires urgent verification.

They are then asked to call a fraudulent hotline listed within the message to enquire more about the transaction.

Those who call the hotline are told that their payment card details have been compromised and that they must provide their card details and their one-time passwords (OTPs) for verification purposes.

Victims typically realise they have been scammed only after noticing unauthorised transactions on their cards or bank accounts, or unauthorised logins to their e-commerce accounts.

How to protect yourself

Banks and legitimate service providers will never ask customers to disclose credit card details, login credentials or OTPs over the phone.

If you receive unsolicited messages or calls requesting OTPs, passwords or banking credentials, treat them as suspicious.

Those who receive such messages should verify the claims directly through their bank's official mobile app, online banking portal, or by calling the bank using the hotline listed on its official website.

Apple iMessage users should also update their settings by ensuring that "Filter Unknown Senders" and "Filter Spam" are turned on.

If in doubt, stop all communication and seek help from a trusted family member, friend or the relevant organisation before taking any action.

Those who require more information on scams or are unsure whether they are dealing with a scam can call the 24/7 ScamShield helpline at 1799.

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