Scammers use fake Budget 2024 infographics offering cash from Government to lure victims

The police are warning the public about a phishing scam involving fraudulent Budget 2024 infographics.

Victims would receive a Telegram message containing an infographic purportedly from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on Budget 2024.

The message would entice them to click on a link by offering to verify their eligibility for Government cash disbursements on the website.

After clicking on the link, the victims would be directed to a fraudulent website requesting for their names and Telegram accounts’ contact numbers on the pretext of verifying victims’ eligibility for Government assistance.

Those who fill in their information and click on the verify button would receive notifications that a new device has attempted to log in to their Telegram accounts.

The fraudulent infographic would subsequently be forwarded to other Telegram users in the victims’ contact list and they would be added to unknown Telegram group chats purportedly related to investment opportunities.

MOF will only disseminate information through its official ministry channels. Any SMS notification sent by the MOF will only inform citizens of their benefits.

You will not be asked to reply to the SMS, click on any links, or provide any information to the sender.

The police advise adopting the following precautionary measures:

• ADD – Add the ScamShield App to protect yourself from scam calls and SMSes. Set security features to protect your social media accounts from being taken over.
• CHECK – Check for scam signs with official sources.
• TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report any phishing attempt to the platforms immediately.