Love scam

Scammers pretend to be victims’ dream date by creating fake profiles with good looking pictures and try to build up a relationship with victims.  Then, they will slowly ask victims for money so that a parcel said to contain a valuable gift for the victim can be “released by authorities”.  Sometimes, they will also request  nudes photo / video from the victim which later can be used to blackmail victims .

How does it work?

• Love scammers typically use fictional name, or falsely take on the identities of a real, trusted person such as military personnel, doctor with an international organization or professionals working abroad in order to lure victims.
• Love scammers profess their love in a relatively short period of time without meeting victims. Love scammers will go to great lengths to gain victim’s affection and trust with loving words and even offer to send victims gifts.
• Once they gained victims’ trust, they will trick victim into providing money, gift or personal details.
• Love scammers may also claim that they sent “Love Parcel” consists of luxury items including cash to victims. However, the parcel is detained by authority and request victim to transfer fund to third parties in order to release the Parcel. Once the fund is transferred, the scammers disappear.

How to protect yourself:

• Always be wary of people you meet online, especially if you have never seen them in real life before .
• Do not transfer fund to someone that you merely know from the internet (never meet in person).
• Don’t simply surrender important personal details. i.e. card details, internet banking credentials info .
• Contact the bank immediately if you think you have disclosed your banking credentials or sent money to a scammer.
• Alternatively, you may contact National Scam Response Centre hotline at 997 if you having difficulties in contacting our bank.