A 52-year-old part-time bakery worker in Singapore lost over SGD111,000 (RM380,012) to scammers who siphoned money from her two DBS bank accounts after infecting her Android phone with malware. The woman, Lie, had chanced upon a Facebook advertisement for an SGD28 (RM96) durian day-tour ticket to Kulai, Johor, from a tour agency called “GD Travel & Tour” on 10 September. The tour package includes unlimited servings of durians for participants to enjoy. She was attracted by the offer and contacted the seller on Facebook. The seller then instructed her through voice messages to download a third-party app called EG Store on her phone to browse the tour offers. Lie eventually did not buy the tour ticket, but a week later, she noticed she could not log into her internet banking app after multiple attempts. She realized the scammers had raised her transaction limit and transferred her money from two savings accounts to five different bank accounts. Lie sought help from her bank, DBS, and made a police report on 18 September. Investigations are ongoing on Lie’s case, which was reported by Singapore’s [color=var(--accent-foreground-rest)]Straits Times. Beware of Third-Party App Scams on the Rise in MalaysiaScammers often use third-party apps to trick victims into downloading malware or giving away their personal information, such as banking details or passwords.
These scams can result in significant financial losses for victims and compromise their personal information and privacy. It is important to be cautious when downloading and using third-party apps, especially from unknown sources. Always verify the authenticity of any app before downloading it, and be wary of any requests for personal information or payment information. Additionally, it is advisable to use reputable sources, such as the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, when downloading apps and to read reviews and check ratings before installing any app.
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