SINGAPORE: An email purportedly sent by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asking for “contributions and thoughts” as Singapore tackles the spread of COVID-19 is fake, said Mr Lee on Monday (Mar 30).
The incident has been reported to the police, Mr Lee added.
“A fake email that purports to come from me is circulating online. The email gives an update on the COVID-19 situation, and encourages them to respond with their contributions and thoughts to the situation,” Mr Lee wrote in a Facebook post.
He urged people not to respond to the email or provide any personal information.
“Please do not forward it to your friends and family,” Mr Lee said.
The email claims to have been sent using the Prime Minister’s “personal email” account and thanks Singaporeans for their contributions towards the COVID-19 situation, while asking for a response.
“These are unscrupulous characters trying to exploit the current crisis to dupe you. Be extra careful, and stay safe online.”
CNA has contacted the Singapore Police Force.
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There have been cases of phishing scams in Singapore amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
Last Friday, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said it was aware of scammers using automated voice calls or impersonating MOH employees or the contact tracing team.
They would ask people to provide personal information, including financial details, or ask them to collect documents from the ministry.
“MOH will not ask for your financial details during contact tracing, and MOH will not ask you to collect documents from us, if you do not have existing matters with us,” the ministry wrote on its website.
“When in doubt, please verify the authenticity of phone calls by calling MOH hotline at 1800-333-9999. It is a good practice to always verify the authenticity of instructions before offering any personal information or making payments to anyone.”
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