iMessage delivery phishing scams, Digi Mart USA News (Singapore): The Singapore Police Force has warned the public about phishing scams conducted via Apple iMessage. In a news release on Saturday (Nov 14), the police said scam messages impersonating courier delivery services have caused losses of $31,000 since Oct 31.
In this scam variant, scammers send unsolicited iMessages claiming there are issues with the recipient’s parcel delivery, such as incomplete delivery information. The police also said scammers have impersonated SingHealth polyclinics, claiming the recipient has outstanding outpatient bills to pay.
According to the police, the method is the same regardless of which organisation is impersonated. The messages contain phishing links that direct recipients to fraudulent websites designed to obtain personal, banking or credit card information, or to trick them into making a payment.
The police advise the public not to respond to such messages. To verify courier-related messages and links, people can use the ScamShield app or the official website of the courier service, and should contact the courier directly using contact details from official sources before providing information or making any payment.
Recommended precautions include downloading the ScamShield app, enabling two-factor or multifactor authentication on banking apps and e-wallets, and using the Money Lock feature offered by some banks to prevent a portion of savings from being transferred out digitally. The police also advise updating iMessage settings so that “filter unknown senders” and “filter spam” are selected, reporting suspicious messages through the in-app reporting function, and updating iPhones to the latest software version for enhanced spam and scam protections.
The police said users in Singapore will already have “screen unknown senders” turned on by default, with links from unknown contacts disabled until the sender is added to contacts or marked as known. Messages detected as spam are routed to a dedicated spam folder without notifications.
Anyone who believes they have been scammed should contact their bank to report and block fraudulent transactions and make a police report. The public can also call the 24/7 ScamShield Helpline at 1799 if in doubt.
