`If you’re good, just call the police`
This man was hoping to make some quick money by doing some simple tasks.
A security officer named Mohan in Singapore lost more than 150,000 SGD (about 2.6 billion VND) after falling into a job scam on Telegram, Shin Min Daily News reported.
On June 19, the 44-year-old man received a job offer via Telegram.
She told Mohan to register an account on a website that earns money by completing online tasks.
`She said that after completing 35 tasks, I could get my previous payment back along with the commission I earned, but I had to transfer the money first to do it,` Mohan shared with Shin Min.
At first, he did not show any suspicion and made money transfers to different accounts until July 28, Mohan even transferred 59,335 SGD in just one day.
But when he wanted to withdraw money, he was asked to deposit more than 120,000 SGD, which made Mohan increasingly suspicious of his `boss`.
`After completing the task, I was told I was too slow and had to pay an additional $120,000 to go further. Only then did I realize I might have been scammed,` he recalls.
Mohan threatened the scammers that he would call the police, but they ignored him and even raised their voices in defiance.
`They told me: ‘Just report to the police, we don’t mind’ – But after that I couldn’t contact them,` Mohan recounted.
Police confirmed that Mohan had reported the incident and that the investigation was underway.
Mohan also shared that the money he was scammed from was his savings after 12 years of work.
`I don’t think I can get my money back,` Mohan admitted.
Signs of fraud to stay away from
As of December 2021, more than 4,500 people have fallen prey to employment scams, losing a total of S$91 million, according to the Scam Alert website operated by the National Crime Prevention Council of Singapore.
Employment scams ranked second among the top five types of scams occurring in Singapore between July 22 and 28.
Authorities also warn the public not to fall into the trap of job scams, with the following signs to stay away from.
A job offer may be fraudulent if it requires participants to pay a fee before starting work.
Scams also often promise high compensation while requiring no experience or effort.
The solicitation also includes `success stories` or `testimonials` from someone reputable that are sent to the victim to gain more trust.
Another important factor is that the interview only takes place on an online chat platform.
This is considered a very unprofessional approach and even if the employer contacts in this way, they will apply formal communication methods soon after.
Additionally, if you see an ad for a company that is hiring immediately or has a same-day hiring process, be wary.
Look for their website and see if it’s professional and informative or just basic and vague.
Aurora 
Caroline