Fraud alerts

There have been reports of SMS and email phishing targeting bank customers in Singapore.

These SMSes or emails could be sent from a number and/or email address which may appear to be from Standard Chartered or similar sounding sender names such as Standard Charter, S Chartered, StanCharter.

In some instances, the SMSes may even appear in the same thread as legitimate SMSes from Standard Chartered.

These are phishing attempts and are not sent out by Standard Chartered. They include links to unfamiliar websites, requests for online banking credentials including OTPs and personal information.

Please note that we will never send any links in our SMS notifications, asking you to reveal sensitive personal information or passwords, or requesting you to validate your account over emails, SMS or phone calls. If you receive such SMSes and/or emails, especially out of the blue, please do NOT click on the links in the SMS, or provide any sensitive personal details, login credentials, PINs, or OTPs.

If you have responded to such a phishing attempt or are in doubt, please contact the Bank for assistance.

There are reports of fraudsters impersonating law enforcement officers and targeting elderly clients in order to persuade them to forward money to an account controlled by the fraudster.

The fraudster may make false criminal accusations implicating the victim, and coerce them to transfer funds to a designated account in order to prove their innocence.

Watch out for Impersonation scams:

• Law enforcement officials do not call individuals and demand or request money from them under any circumstances
• Individuals claiming to collect money may try to instil fear in potential victims to persuade them to forward money. Do not succumb to the pressure.

It is important that you do not entertain such calls or respond to any requests for money transfers. If you have transferred money in response to a request, inform your bank immediately and report it to your local authorities. When in doubt, check with your nearest Standard Chartered office.

We are aware of recent instances where fraudsters are targeting clients with deceptive text messages informing them that their Standard Chartered online banking services are suspended and requesting them to click on the fake links in the SMS for account reactivation.

Don’t be misled by smishing scams. Remember the following:

• Standard Chartered will never ask you to reactivate your online banking account via an SMS link.
• Standard Chartered will never ask for personal or financial information, like usernames, passwords, PINs, or credit or debit card numbers via SMS.
• Don’t click on links in unsolicited text messages. Clicking the link may infect your mobile device with malware designed to steal sensitive information or gain access to the device.

If you have clicked on a link in any such text message, contact your bank immediately. When in doubt, check with your nearest Standard Chartered office.

We are aware of instances where Standard Chartered webpages and email addresses have been cloned to mislead customers and capture personal details or offer fake investment opportunities.

If you have purchased any investment products or paid any fees as part of such a scheme, contact your bank immediately to stop or recover your payments, and report the matter to your local law enforcement.

When in doubt, check with your nearest Standard Chartered office.

There is an increase in fraudulent activities where impostors pose as regulators to request for personal information, credit card and/or bank account details. This impersonation scam is especially rampant in the Africas and Middle-East where impostors impersonate regulatory bodies such as the Central Bank of Bahrain, Labour Market Authority (LMRA – Govt  wing) and Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to deceive members of the public. Victims who responded to the SMS and phone calls and shared details such as their card (Debit and Credit) number, Expiry Date, CVV, PIN and OTPs, resulted in the fraudster taking over their online banking accounts and performing unauthorised transactions.

It is important that you do not entertain such calls, respond to SMS messages, as well as open any attachments or links to avoid exposure to malicious websites. When you receive such SMS messages or phone calls, contact the regulator directly to verify the authenticity of the requests.

If you have responded to a request for information, inform your bank immediately and report it to your local authorities.

During the year-end peak purchasing season, fraudsters are equally, if not more active. For example, they use limited time offers employed by most online shopping sites during Black Friday and Cyber Monday to trick you with fake offers, counterfeit products or simply to obtain your credit card credentials. Here are a few tips to note before confirming your online purchase or authorising a virtual payment:

Spot the warning signs

• Look at the address bar: it is considered secure if the URL begins with “https” instead of “http”, and has a closed lock symbol
• Check for product reviews: be suspicious if the product or the online merchant has no reviews, bad reviews, or only positive reviews written in a similar way

Stop suspicious activity

• Never open unexpected emails asking you to click on a link to arrange a delivery or make payment.
• Always make the effort to verify that the other party is legitimate before making any payments e.g. search the retailer’s name together with words like “scam” or “complaint”.
• Do not authorise payments unless you are sure that the other party is legitimate
• If you’re shopping on an online marketplace: check the website’s safe buying guide before making a purchase. Some online marketplaces will not offer any protection if you make payment outside of the platform.