When you received an email saying you had just won a million dollars, you immediately trashed it because you knew it was a scam.
But then you received an email inviting you to dine with President Halimah Yacob, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and some Cabinet ministers, and you were surprised but intrigued.
Me? They want to dine with… me? Well, I guess I am quite entertaining. And I do have some thought-provoking political opinions. Why not! I’ll make my famous Nasi Lemak and bring it with me!
But sadly, dear reader, neither the President nor the Prime Minister wants to dine with you. And it’s not because you’re an awful dinner guest; they didn’t even send out the email.
President Halimah Yacob Warns Public About New Email Scam Which Invites People To Dinner With Her
President Halimah Yacob said on Wednesday (26 Feb) that she has lodged a police report over a fake e-mail inviting recipients to a dinner event with her, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Cabinet ministers.
The President declared the email a “hoax” in a post on Facebook
As President Yacob details, those who receive the e-mail are told to download an invitation letter via content-sharing platform Sharepoint and to key in their email passwords.
The President advises Singaporeans to be wary of such scams which are becoming increasingly prevalent.
“I strongly urge all Singaporeans to remain vigilant against online exploits and scams, and to familiarise yourself with tell-tale signs of a phishing e-mail, so that we do not fall prey to these malicious cyber threats,” she wrote.
Scams involving fake quotes
This isn’t the first scam that used the President’s name without her permission.
As The Straits Times reports, scammers in the past have used images of and made-up quotes from the president and ministers to trick people into supplying their credit card or bank account information.
One such scam involves fraudulent webpages quoting President Halimah, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, or Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam supposedly in support of bitcoin trading schemes.
Readers are encouraged by the scammers to take advantage of the get-rich-quick opportunity by registering on the site with their personal details, including name, e-mail address, and credit card details.
In August last year, President Halimah alerted her Facebook followers to such scams, urging them to be cautious of these “false and misleading” websites.
So remember, just because it’s written down or printed doesn’t mean it’s true. Question and corroborate. Don’t believe everything you read, especially if it’s on the internet.
When in doubt, just listen to Abraham Lincoln:
By the way, he, too, is a President.
Reader Bao: That time got Internet liao meh?
Shut up and just believe what the man said.
