Scams Continue to be Aimed at Foreign Nationals in Singapore

Singapore

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) continues to warn against phishing, phone and email scams aimed at foreign nationals working in Singapore. These types of scams often involve requests for money or sensitive personal information.  A list of best practices and tips to help identify and report these scams was recently updated on MOM’s website.

Best Practices and Tips

To avoid being victimized, employers and foreign nationals are advised to follow the below best practices:

• Companies or individuals contacted under dubious circumstances by persons posing as MOM officers asking for payment or sensitive personal information should contact their Fragomen immigration professional before taking any action.
• Individuals conducting online transactions or obtaining online advice should ensure they are using the correct MOM website at www.mom.gov.sg. Fake websites can look similar to MOM’s website but will have different URLs. According to MOM, their official websites have URLs that end with “.mom.gov.sg”. Should a website be clearly identified as fake, do not click on the links provided therein.
• Email communications purportedly coming from MOM should be examined carefully. If something seems out of place, it may be a fraudulent email. In this case, do not reply or click on any of the links provided.

What This Means for Employers and Foreign Nationals

Employers and foreign nationals who transact online with the MOM should be aware that fake websites exist and should contact their Fragomen immigration professional should they receive suspicious calls or emails with requests for payment, money transfer or to provide personal information. Sensitive personal information includes personal details such as your name, identification number, passport details, bank account or credit card details, etc. If you are not certain how to proceed, contact your Fragomen professional for advice.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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