There's a saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That's what happened to one 22-year-old student who shared her experien
There’s a saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That’s what happened to one 22-year-old student who shared her experience with AsiaOne after participating in a giveaway contest on Aug 8, hosted by an Instagram account named tagsn_bags.
Shortly after entering, she received a notification stating that she had won a free Hermes Mini Pop H pendant. April, who preferred not to share her full name, was told that to claim her prize, she needed to download an app and pay a $10 delivery fee. Excited about winning a pendant valued at around $730, April initially had her doubts but decided to provide her bank details through the app.
However, she never received the promised pendant, and the ‘tagsn_bags’ Instagram account disappeared shortly after she paid the fee. The following morning, on Aug 22, she discovered that her bank balance had been drained, leaving her with just 10 cents.
In a post on the social media platform Lemon8 on Aug 23, the university student recounted, “I woke up today and saw an SMS regarding a DBS opt, but I didn’t suspect anything until my colleague, HS, texted me and asked why I transferred her extra money.”
April revealed that $400 had been transferred out of her DBS account. She immediately contacted the bank to freeze her account. Left with only 10 cents, she had to ask her father for money to cover her transportation and food expenses. “This incident has left me traumatised. Every time I check my Internet banking, I experience flashbacks,” she said, adding that she has since filed a police report.
April later posted on Instagram to warn others about the risks of participating in online contests and sharing personal information. “Scammers are getting more creative, and it’s important to stay vigilant and protect ourselves,” she urged. The police confirmed that a report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing.
Netizens expressed shock at April’s experience, with one commenting, “a new fear unlocked.”
In a related case, a single mother named Chen, 49, lost $28,000 after her phone was hacked. She realized something was wrong when a notification appeared about a $6,000 transfer from her bank account. Upon logging in, she found just $4 remaining. Police suggested that Chen likely downloaded malware after clicking an advertisement on Facebook.
Chen warned, “We ought to remember to check our phones to prevent malicious acts like these from happening again.”
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