I was shocked by the news that hundreds of people fell prey to phishing scams involving OCBC Bank (469 lost $8.5m to phishing scams involving OCBC Bank this month, Dec 31).

It must be heart-wrenching for victims who lost their savings or had their lives upended.

The Government and banks should intensify their efforts to stop or go on the offensive against phishing scams. They should consider the following measures:

• Increase public awareness of the ScamShield app, which blocks unsolicited messages and calls on iOS phones.
• Government agencies and banks could send public service alerts via SMS or WhatsApp after they receive reports of phishing scams.
• Educate the public on the dangers of phishing scams using posters in all major languages put up in public, as well as TV commercials.
• Banks should revamp their security systems to flag unusual transfers of money.

Rachel Tan Wee Cho

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/forum/forum-step-up-efforts-to-prevent-phishing-scams