Don't let the scammers huat! 5 common Lunar New Year scams!

1 February 2024

1. Bak kwa scam

Bak kwa is a must-have snack during the Lunar New Year season and it’s common to see snaking queues to buy the sweet and salty BBQed meat. Many stores are also sold out well before the arrival of the new year.

In 2021, scammers capitalised on the scarcity of bak kwa by posting Facebook advertisements that claimed to sell “Hock Moon Hiong” bak kwa in Singapore. They used the name of a real bak kwa distributor in Malaysia to lend credence to the scam, though the authentic retailer has no physical outlets (opens in new tab) in Singapore.

Victims were required to place orders on the social media platform and make full payment through PayNow or bank transfer. They realised they had been cheated only after they did not receive their goods and were unable to contact the seller.

Indeed, many goods such as abalone, are highly popular during the build-up to the Lunar New Year, and the pressure to secure your share can lead you to let your guard down.

Do your shopping early so you don’t have to resort to dubious sources that may very well turn out to be scams. Remember, if something is priced ridiculously low when everything else is soaring, it is most likely a scam.

2. Parcel delivery scam

It’s super convenient to buy all your Lunar New Year essentials online, be it food items, new clothes, or home decorations. With so much stuff bought through the internet, it’s hard to keep track of all the deliveries you’re expecting. Plus, you’re probably anxious about your purchases arriving in time for the new year.

These conditions just might make you fall for the parcel delivery phishing scam. In this scam, victims receive a text message or email telling them that additional payment or information is required to complete the delivery of their shopping. The messages are designed to look like they are from logistics companies such as SingPost and contain a phishing link. When victims click on the link, they are brought to a spoofed website to key in their personal details and banking credentials.

This information is then used by the scammers to make unauthourised transactions through the victims’ bank accounts or credit cards.

Be wary of links sent to you. It’s better not to click on them and go to the official app or website yourself to verify the delivery status of your purchases. Legitimate e-commerce portals will provide up-to-date information on your deliveries.

3. Angbao scam

Angbaos will always be a part of the Lunar New Year, though with e-angbaos rising in popularity, the physical angbao may one day become a thing of the past.

But the technology has also made it possible for you to be tricked into giving away angbaos to total strangers.

This is especially so as Lunar New Year greetings are likely to flood your phone come midnight of the Lunar New Year. Scammers may use this opportunity to impersonate friends and relatives (opens in new tab) to request for ane-hongbao.

So watch out for messages from unknown numbers and when in doubt, verify the identity with a video call. While such a scam is not yet prevalent, sending an e-angbao is instant and irreversible, so it pays to be careful.

4. Fake promotion scam

With many merchants riding on the Lunar New Year to offer discounts and promotions, scammers will also crawl out of the woodwork to ride on the expectation of such discounts and promotions.

In 2022, a flyer purportedly from NTUC FairPrice (opens in new tab) was distributed, offering vouchers for scanning a QR code that led to an online financial survey. FairPrice later clarified on social media it was not behind the flyer and made a police report.

Two years ago, another scam (opens in new tab) was carried out by tapping on Geneco’s Lunar New Year giveaway. After the utilities company announced it was giving away vouchers, scammers created a fake Facebook page for Geneco and contacted victims to tell them they had won the vouchers. The victims were asked to disclose their personal information and given links to spoofed websites.

Both these cases show how easy it is for scammers to impersonate real organisations and discount campaigns to phish for information from victims. Always get information from the official websites and apps of retailers. When referring to social media accounts, look for the verified check marks for assurance that you are accessing the official accounts of merchants.

5. Online travel scam

While Lunar New Year usually means extended family gatherings, some people use the break to travel overseas.

If a nice holiday is your idea of an ideal Lunar New Year, then be careful of online travel booking scams.

With so many aspects of travel arrangements happening online, scammers have many opportunities as well to pull a fast one (opens in new tab). Fake travel booking websites offering non-existent air tickets, hotel bookings, and car rentals. Hotel room rates that look too good to be true. Bogus e-visa sites. These are just some of the ways that your holiday can go wrong before it even begins.

As always, take the extra time to verify that the portals you are on are authentic. Don’t be taken in by offers of last-minute deals that are expiring. These create a false sense of urgency and trigger the fear of missing out so that you’ll throw good sense out the window.

Don’t let scammers huat

Lunar New Year is about prosperity, but make sure you're hanging onto your money. Don’t let it be the scammers who huat during this festive season. Remember, here’s a summary of things you can do:

Be extremely cautious about sharing sensitive information, especially your SingPass credentials. Remember, no legitimate service will ask for your SingPass details via email, message, or phone call.

Download and use the ScamShield app (opens in new tab). ScamShield filters out scam messages and calls from numbers used in scams.
Be wary of clicking on links, especially those received in unsolicited messages or emails. Always verify the authenticity of the website; these days, scammers can impersonate official websites closely. For government-related services, look out for those starting with ‘go.gov.sg (opens in new tab)’ – these are legitimate URLs you can trust
Last but not least, report Suspicious Activities: If you encounter or suspect a scam, report it immediately to the authorities. This helps to potentially stop the scam and alert others.

Here’s to a scam-free year of the dragon for everyone!