SINGAPORE - If you receive calls from people claiming to be from the Ministry of Health (MOH), about an outstanding subsidy or claim application, beware, the ministry said.

They may be scammers.

In a Facebook post on June 16, MOH said it is aware of such calls, where the scammers would ask the victim to bring documents down to the ministry’s main building for verification. The ministry is located in Outram.

To allay any suspicions, the scammer would offer to transfer the call to “the police” so that the victim can verify the authenticity of the call.

MOH said that it does not require people to submit documents in-person for subsidies or claims matters. It also does not request for bank transfers, cash or personal bank details from individuals.

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“We encourage people who have received such calls to make a police report,” said MOH.

On June 6,three men were taken to court after they laundered proceeds from a government official impersonation scam. One of the victims had received a call from someone claiming to be from the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The police said on June 6 that over 200 people were also being investigated for their suspected roles in scams, including government official impersonation scams, which led to losses of over $5.84 million.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction

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