News Summary: Singapore Police Warn of OneMotoring LTA Phishing Scams

Summary: Police Advisory on the resurgence of phishing scams involving the impersonation of OneMotoring/LTA 

 

On 14 April 2025, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) issued an advisory to Singaporeans on the resurgence of phishing scams impersonating governmental transport bodies, OneMotoring by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). Since December 2024, there have been at least 37 of such cases reported, with losses amounting to at least S$407,000. 

 

How This Scam Works

 

In this scam variant, victims will receive messages claiming to be from OneMotoring of the LTA.  They will claim that the victims have unpaid bills, such as road tax bills. These text messages will usually contain an embedded link that directs them to a spoofed phishing payment website impersonating OneMotoring. 

 

Victims will then be prompted to enter sensitive personal details, such as their NRIC, as well as banking details. The victims will only realise that they have been scammed after they notice unauthorised transactions coming from their debit or credit cards. 

 

LTA and Police Joint Advisory

 

This is a typical phishing scam that involves impersonating governmental bodies. Take note of the following precautions to avoid falling for this scam.

 

1. Messages from LTA on unpaid road tax bills do not contain payment links to the OneMotoring website or other payment portals. 

2. Notifications on the road tax expiry of vehicles by the LTA are only sent to vehicle owners via: 

• SMSes via the “gov.sg” sender identification

• E-letters are deposited into the vehicle owner’s OneMotoring account, only accessible with a SingPass login

• Hardcopy letters sent to the vehicle owner’s registered address (if they have opted for hardcopy notifications)

Use the ACT framework to stay safe from scams in Singapore. 

1. ADD -  Add the Scamshield app and set security features on your online banking apps, such as multi-factor authentication. Use the money lock function of your banking app to prevent the transfer of unused funds. Keep your passwords and one-time passwords (OTPs) safe, and do not share them with anyone. 

 

2. CHECK - Check for scam signs by checking with official sources. Visit the Scamshield website or discover scam prevention tips with Scam.SG. Discover the different types of scams in Singapore and how to avoid them. If in doubt, verify the authenticity directly from official websites and hotlines. Do not click on dubious links provided by people you do not know. Hover over them with your mouse to preview the link before clicking. 

 

3. TELL - Tell family and friends about such scams. Report scams to the police and through the Scamshield website. If there were no losses, report the scam to Scam.SG to help others learn from your experiences. Report any fraudulent transactions to your bank’s anti-scam hotline immediately. 

Screenshots of fraudulent text messages leading to spoofed phishing websites. 

 

 

 

 

Phishing Scams

 

Phishing scams are fraudulent schemes with online scammers tricking victims into revealing sensitive information such as passwords or internet banking details by impersonating trusted sources. They may impersonate governmental officers or bank staff. 

 

According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, phishing scams amounted to a loss of no less than S$59.4 million in 2024. Phishing scams are a growing threat in Singapore, and it is important to know how to spot and avoid them. Learn what to do if you gave your personal information to a phishing scam. 

 

To reference the advisory above, phishing scams can come in the form of fraudulent messages. They usually contain links to spoofed websites that impersonate legitimate ones. The websites then contain instructions for victims to enter their personal information. Victims will only realise they have been scammed when they notice unauthorised transactions or logins from bank accounts or personal accounts. 

 

Learn how to stay safe from phishing scams in Singapore with Scam.SG. Discover how to spot warning signs and how to prevent phishing scams from happening to you. If you’ve been scammed, learn the immediate steps to take to limit losses and protect your personal information. 

Government Impersonation Scams

 

Government impersonation scams are fraudulent schemes that impersonate officials from governmental bodies to trick victims into providing money or personal information such as bank details. 

 

According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, government impersonation scams amounted to a loss of no less than S$151.3 million in 2024. These losses are significant and just go to show the impact of such scams on Singaporeans. Learn how to stay safe from impersonation fraud in Singapore with Scam.SG. 

 

In the scam variant above, the scammers impersonated official messages from OneMotoring of the LTA. Victims who are not vigilant will end up falling for such scams, largely due to the fear of the law. 

 

Besides the impersonation of government officials, impersonation scams can also include impersonations of bank officials or family members. It is important to know how to spot such scams to be able to avoid them and stay safe. 

 

Stay safe from impersonation scams in Singapore with Scam.SG. Discover how to spot the red flags of impersonation fraud and how to avoid them.