In a troubling turn of events, over 100 government employees across more than 30 agencies in Singapore have received threatening emails demanding monetary ransoms, according to the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI). These emails, some sent to high-profile ministers, allege the existence of compromising videos and demand 50,000 USDT (approximately US$50,000) to prevent their release.
Extortion Emails Sent to Government Officials
The MDDI reported that the extortionary emails began circulating on 26 November 2024, targeting political office holders and civil servants. Many emails featured manipulated images that appeared to show the recipients’ faces in compromising situations, sourced from publicly available platforms like LinkedIn.
- Ministers affected include Chee Hong Tat and Edwin Tong.
- The emails demanded cryptocurrency payments to avoid publishing the videos.
The public has been urged to report any such communications to the police. A zero-tolerance policy against such harassment was reiterated by the government following multiple similar incidents reported earlier this year.
Brushing Scams Affecting Everyday Citizens
Meanwhile, a different form of harassment has emerged as Mr Terrence Chong, a 46-year-old Singaporean, faced an onslaught of unsolicited packages at his doorstep. For two and a half months, he and his wife received numerous empty parcels labelled with random items that they had never ordered, suggesting they had fallen victim to a brushing scam.
- The couple received over 100 falsely labelled packages from e-commerce platforms.
- Sellers use legitimate addresses to ship low-value items for fake reviews.
According to Associate Professor Huong Ha from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), this scam aims to inflate seller ratings through deceptive practices, ultimately undermining consumer trust in online platforms. Shopee, one of the platforms involved, reported taking actions against the accounts responsible for sending parcels to Mr Chong’s address.
Advice for Singaporean Consumers
In light of these developments, consumers are encouraged to:
- Be cautious of unsolicited packages and report them to respective platforms.
- Pay attention to online reviews and be wary of suspicious patterns.
As e-commerce continues to flourish, awareness about such scams and the precautionary measures to take remains crucial for consumers in Singapore.