The Judiciary Police (PJ) has recently received a number of reports concerning telephone fraud. Scammers pretended to be representatives from judicial authorities or government departments and informed the victim via the phone that the latter had unclaimed court summons. They also concocted a story about the victim being part of a criminal investigation and demanded personal information. The victim became suspicious, responded with caution and was not deceived. PJ would like to remind the public that officials from judicial authorities and government departments will neither issue notice through telephone recording, nor will they request personal data over the phone.

In view of the high incidence of telephone scams involving fake officials in recent days, once again PJ urges the public to remain vigilant and take precautions as criminals may use various tactics to obtain personal data or defraud money. If you receive such calls, please reply carefully and conduct verifications through reliable channels.

Tips for prevention:

1. Be vigilant at all times and never disclose personal information to people calling from unknown numbers.
2. Do not readily trust strangers, always verify their identity and the contents of your conversation through reliable channels.
3. Do not completely rely on caller ID as fraudsters can use software to manipulate phone numbers, duping the public into thinking the call is from purported authority.
4. When a stranger requests for remittance or money transfer, immediately refuse and hang up.
5. Forward anti-fraud messages to your relatives and friends and alert them to phone scams.
6. If you suspect you have come across telephone scam or other crimes, please contact the Anti-scam hotline of the Judiciary Police 8800 7777 or crime report hotline 993 for assistance.