PUBLISHED ONAugust 13, 2026 9:55 AMBYSean LerReceived a message asking you to click on a link to check your eligibility and submit your application for a "$600 Public Transport Voucher 2026"?
Do not click, or you could end up losing control of your Telegram account.
Police said in an advisory on Thursday (Aug 13) that they have observed a resurgence of Telegram accounts being compromised after victims clicked on links that claim to be related to the "public transport voucher scheme".
Victims who had clicked on the link attached to an infographic were directed to a page requesting personal details such as their name, mobile number, NRIC number, and a Telegram verification code.
Those who provided their codes to scammers then found themselves losing control of their Telegram accounts.
Their compromised accounts were, in turn, used to send similar phishing links to their Telegram contacts or to add them to chat groups promoting fraudulent investment schemes.
They would only discover that their Telegram accounts were compromised when their friends reported receiving unexpected messages from their account, or when they noticed unauthorised activity on Telegram.
The real Public Transport Voucher (PTV) 2025 Exercise began on Jan 20 and will run till Oct 31.
It is intended for lower-income households, with a monthly per capita household income of not more than $1,800.
Eligible households will receive $60, not $600, worth of vouchers to help defray costs, according to a joint press release by the Ministry of Transport and People's Association on Jan 19.
About 300,000 households who previously received the vouchers during the 2024 PTV exercise would have been notified via post or SMS in December 2025.
Those who have not received the vouchers can visit their local community clubs/centres or apply online at https://go.gov.sg/ptv.
Members of the public should take note that although the link(s) given in phishing Telegram messages may end with "mot.gov.sg", they are essentially shortened and customised links.
In addition, they do not have the "go.gov.sg" domain.
Members of the public should note that the Ministry of Transport (MOT) or People's Association will never contact them via Telegram or make requests where they click on any links to claim a voucher.
All legitimate public transport voucher information will be communicated through official MOT channels, such as its website or authorised social media accounts, the police said.
In addition, Telegram users should protect their accounts by enabling the two-step verification feature under the settings function.
The verification codes or one-time passwords must never be shared with anyone else.
Those who are still in doubt can call the 24/7 ScamShield hotline at 1799 to check.
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