Police issue warning over compromised Telegram accounts due to fake public transport voucher links

SINGAPORE – The police issued a warning amid a resurgence of a scam involving Telegram accounts being compromised after victims click on fake public transport voucher scheme links.

In this scam variant, victims receive a Telegram message containing an infographic that allegedly verifies their eligibility for a public transport voucher, said the police in a statement on Aug 13.

A fraudulent link is also included in the message. When clicked, it directs the victim to a web page requesting personal details such as their name, mobile number, NRIC number and a Telegram verification code (OTP).

Scammers can seize control of the victim’s Telegram account once they have the OTP.

The compromised accounts are used to send similar phishing links to the victim’s contacts or to add them to chat groups promoting fraudulent investment schemes.

Victims usually discover that their accounts have been compromised when their contacts report receiving unexpected messages from them, or when they notice unauthorised activity on Telegram.

The Ministry of Transport (MOT) will never send messages via Telegram or requests in which users will have to click on a link to claim a voucher, police said.

It added that information on legitimate public transport vouchers will be communicated only through official MOT channels such as its website or authorised social media accounts.

Police advised members of the public to enable two-step verification and not to share verification codes or OTP with anyone.

They should also avoid giving personal details in response to unsolicited messages.