Cleaning Service Scams in Singapore: When Prices Are Too Good To Be True

When something seems too good to be true, chances are it probably is.

While the crime rate in Singapore is generally lower, phishing scams are rising.

In 2022, we had some prominent ones – One-Time Password (OTP) scams, Carousell scams, and property agent scams where the victim’s credit card credentials were compromised.

Scammers are also becoming more advanced in the way they scam.

This time, it involves getting cleaning services for your home.

A woman has actually lost $21,000 because of this scam!

Now, let’s zoom into it and learn how this scam unfolds before anyone falls for it again.

What Is This Cleaning Service Phishing Scam About?

Surely, those who despise household chores are the target audience.

For the uninitiated, scammers lured this group by targeting them via social media advertisements – at just $20+ for a four-hour cleaning session every fortnight.

After the victims decide to engage the services of the cleaning company, they will input their contacts and are sent a link, from which they can download an app.

Lo and behold.

The app is actually not one that can be found within your typical Apple App Store or Samsung Play Store. It is an APK file (.apk file extension).

Under the disguise of making a $5 deposit, you’ll also be asked to book an appointment, provide your home address and make payment.

The app would direct you to make payments via spoofed iBanking login sites using your online banking credentials or direct you to spoofed websites (that are within the app) to enter your credit card or debit card information

It’s believed that this app contains malware that allows access to your banking credentials and SMSes.

When you submit the ‘online form’ via the app, the web page will display a message showing ‘invalid card’.

You might be thinking there could be some form of error, and try entering details of other cards you might have.

The scary thing is that the victim would only realise that they had been scammed when they discovered unauthorised transactions in their bank accounts or credit or debit card facilities.

If not, you will just be ended up with a bunch of ‘Invalid card’ message displays.

In fact, one victim lost $21,000 as a result while the other suffered a loss of $4,300.

How to Avoid Falling Prey For Such Scams

First things first.

You should only download files directly from official App Stores and verified sources to ensure that the downloaded files are free from malware or viruses.

If you’re using an Android phone, you may consider installing it with anti-virus software and malware removal tools to detect and remove malware.

Make sure your mobile devices’ operating systems and applications are updated regularly to be protected by the latest security patches and vulnerabilities.

Lastly, as much as you want to save some money, be careful of online advertisements as scams (especially phishing scams) are rampant now.

Just in 2022 alone, scam victims in Singapore lost a total of $660.7 million in 2022, up from $632 million in 2021!

Hope Those Who Are Affected Can Recover

It’s already stressful when we talk about adulting, let alone knowing that someone’s coveting your hard-earned money when all you wanted was to enjoy a service that takes care of your household chores.

Spread the word, and help a brother or sister!

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• My Mum Lost Her Savings in a Ponzi Scheme: Here’s Her Story
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