'Left me traumatised': Student's bank account left with 10 cents after scammers hacked into account
There's a saying that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
And that's what happened to one 22-year-old student who told AsiaOne how she participated in a giveaway contest on Aug 8 hosted by an Instagram account with the username tagsn_bags.
And shortly after, she was notified that she had won a free Hermes Mini Pop H pendant.
April, who declined to give her full name, told AsiaOne that tagsn_bags informed her that if she wanted to claim her prize, she'll need to download an app and pay a $10 delivery fee for the pendant to be shipped to her.
Thrilled that she won a pendant worth some $730, April said: "Despite my initial doubts, I decided to go ahead and provide my bank details on the app."
Bank account left with 10 cents
However, April said she didn't received the promised pendant and that the 'tagsn_bags' account vanished from Instagram even after she paid the $10.
Not only that, she said her bank balance was wiped out on Aug 22 morning, leaving her with only 10 cents.
Taking to the social media app Lemon8 on Aug 23, the university student wrote: "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 told AsiaOne that $400 was transferred out of her DBS account, and that she immediately called the bank to freeze her account, she said.
Left with 10 cents in her bank account, she said that she had to ask her father for some 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 made a police report.
April later posted on her Instagram urging others to be cautious when participating in online contests and sharing their personal information.
"Scammers are getting more creative, and it's important to stay vigilant and protect ourselves," she said.
AsiaOne has reached out to the police and DBS for comment.
Netizens were shocked by April's encounter with a user even commenting, "a new fear unlocked".
Single mum loses $28k after phone gets hacked
In a similar vein, a woman surnamed Chen, 49, realised that her phone was hacked when she saw a notification pop up, indicating a transfer of $6,000 out of her bank account, Shin Min Daily News reported.
Chen shared that when she logged into her bank account to investigate, she was horrified to see that she only had $4 left in the account.
According to the police, Chen had likely clicked on an advertisement in Facebook that downloaded the malware without her knowledge.
The malware application was disguised as Google Chrome and sent a request to Chen for an 'update', allowing the hackers to work on Chen's phone remotely.
"We ought to remember to check our phones to prevent malicious acts like these from happening again," she said.
ALSO READ: 'Their money and pride taken against their will': Singapore Counselling Centre sees more young victims of scams
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