Android users lose at least $69,000 in less than 3 months to malware scams targeting seniors

SINGAPORE – Android users have lost at least $69,000 in less than three months to scams targeting seniors.

The scams involved the impersonation of government officials and the use of malware on Android devices.

At least eight such cases have been reported since April 1, said the police in a statement on June 18.

In these scams, victims would first come across advertisements on social media platforms Facebook or TikTok that promote activities for senior citizens.

Those who are interested may submit their contact details, and they would then be contacted by scammers via WhatsApp.

Once the scammers are in contact with the victims, they would prompt the victims to download an Android Package Kit (APK) file under the guise of sharing a list of activities available with them, said the police.

After downloading the files, some victims then noticed that their Singpass or ScamShield applications had been uninstalled from their devices.

In one case, the victim’s bank transaction limit was increased without his authorisation, the police said.

The victims would then be contacted by a scammer impersonating an official from the Ministry of Law or the police’s Anti-Scam Centre.

The impersonator would inform the victims that their devices had been compromised by an illegal mobile application and would instruct them to transfer money or valuables to assist with police investigations.

The victims realised they had been scammed only when they grew suspicious of these transactions or when they checked with the authorities.

In their statement, the police advised the public to never share personal contact details with people whose identity they have not verified. The public should also not transfer or hand over money or valuables to such individuals.

They should also avoid making configuration changes to their devices based on instructions from strangers or unverified sources.

The police also advised the public to download and install applications only from official application stores such as Apple Store and Google Play Store, and to never download files from unfamiliar or unverified sources.

“Singapore officials will never ask you to install mobile apps from unofficial app stores or transfer your call to the police or any other government officials,” the police emphasised.

For those who have already downloaded and installed suspicious applications on their device, they are advised to switch on flight mode and switch off Wi-Fi.

They can then run an anti-virus program or Google Play Protect on their device, and check if there are any unauthorised transactions on their bank account, Singpass or CPF account using other devices.

In such cases, the police urge the public to keep their devices in flight mode and refrain from performing a factory reset, which can hinder police investigations.

They may perform a factory reset and change important passwords after the incident is reported to the police.