Enhancing cybersecurity measures to safeguard members from fraudulent activities
In response to rising scams, the CPF Board announced on Monday (July 17) that it will strengthen its cybersecurity protocols to protect members from fraud.
Following a warning issued in June about scammers, the CPF Board stated that it will standardise its SMS sender ID, exclusively using “CPF Board” for communications related to members’ CPF accounts, Workfare, and Silver Support. The previous sender IDs “SG-Workfare” and “SG-SSS” will be discontinued.
To further enhance security, the CPF Board has registered the new sender ID with the Singapore SMS Sender ID Registry (SSIR), established by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). This registration aims to identify and block spoofed messages from reaching members. As a result, any SMS from the sender ID “CPF Board” will be verified as legitimate.
Starting Wednesday (July 20), CPF members who have registered their mobile numbers will receive notifications about this change via SMS. The board encourages members to keep these messages stored on their phones, ensuring they can verify any future communications from this sender ID. Messages appearing to come from any other sender ID should be ignored and deleted.
The CPF Board also reminded members to stay vigilant and recognise the signs of scams. They advised checking that links to government websites contain the domain “.gov.sg” and to be cautious of calls with the prefix “+65,” as these are often international calls. When in doubt, members should verify information directly with official websites or government agencies.
The concern over scams was heightened after a 75-year-old woman, referred to as Madam Fong (not her real name), lost S$1 million from her Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings due to an impersonation scam. She reported receiving multiple calls daily for eight weeks from scammers pretending to be authorities in China.
In June, the CPF Board issued a public warning via its Facebook page, urging vigilance against scam calls and messages impersonating CPF officers. They reiterated that CPF officers will never ask for personal details such as Singpass IDs, banking user IDs, or passwords. Members are encouraged to stay alert and can find more tips on protecting themselves against scams at cpf.gov.sg/ProtectAgainstScamsFB.
