SINGAPORE - Scammers stole more than $110,000 in a new Covid-19 related ruse in which callers impersonate staff from the Ministry of Health (MOH) before referring victims to purported officials from China.

The police said in a statement on Monday (April 13) that since March, they have received at least five reports of this new variant of the China officials impersonation scam.

Impersonating MOH staff, the scammers claimed that China officials had seized parcels containing contraband medicine to treat the coronavirus.

They said the medicine was registered under the victims' names.

These calls were then transferred to another person claiming to be from the Chinese police investigating the case.

The victims were tricked into providing the impersonators with their NRIC numbers, passport details and Internet banking credentials in order to clear their names.

They were told not to disclose any information to anyone else but to contact the purported Chinese police officials daily.

Scammers using the same ruse previously impersonated staff from courier companies, telecommunication service providers and officers from government organisations.

Victims are typically told their mobile numbers are linked to a crime, that there is a court case against them, or that they have committed an offence and are needed to assist in investigations.

The Singapore Police Force said that no government agency would request for personal details or the transfer of money over the phone or through automated voice machines.

They also advise the public to call a trusted friend or talk to a relative before taking any action, as they may be overwhelmed by emotion and have poor judgment.

To trick their victims, scammers may use caller ID spoofing technology to mask the actual phone number and display a local one.

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From Wednesday (April 15), all incoming international calls will be prefixed with a plus sign.

The police on Monday reminded the public to stay vigilant when receiving any unexpected international calls and reject those which spoof local numbers.

People were also warned against giving personal information such as identification card number, bank details, credit card details and one-time passwords.

Those with information on such scams can call the police hotline on 1800-255-0000 or submit a form online.

They can call 999 if urgent police assistance is required.

To find out more about scams, the public call the anti-scam helpline on 1800-722-6688 or go to this website.