Phone Kidnapping Scam Warning from SPF

Despite the frequent warning of such scam, there are still victims falling to such scams out of anxiety for family member.



Members of public are advised to be aware of kidnap scams, which have surfaced, and to adopt the following measures:

• Call ‘999’ immediately when you receive such calls;
• Remain calm and contact your loved one to confirm his or her safety; and
• Do not remit any money.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/singaporepoliceforce

Phone Kidnapping Scam

Someone has requested The Online Citizen to pass on this scam alert to the public. We are not able to confirm the news.

From TheOnlineCitizen:

A citizen allowed us to share this information with the public

< My mum got a call 9:30 this morn fr no 0092357658. A man claimed he had jus kidnapped her daughter(me). Then follows a lady crying on the phone in mandarin "妈妈 妈妈 快救我 快救我 出事了 出事了＂the man then continue to say he had just killed someone and is on the run. He needs 20k to flee. He ask for my mum's location n if she's alone in the office. Later when he heard voices of her colleagues, he got angry and said "you lied that you r alone, now I am going to kill ur daughter. Come collect her body in 2 mins" >

The mum who received the call on last friday made a report on the night itself to the Singapore police. Do be advised on such scams and warn elderly parents who would need to be alert to such occurrences. Callers are from overseas and will get victims to do money transfer via western union which makes it difficult for police to track.

This piece of news arrives during this period of time when the police is still investigating the attempted kidnap reports but there is definitely no link between them.

It has been a known fact that such phone kidnapping scam has long existed. Even the recently ended drama show on channel 8 "Rescue 995" starred by Yvvone Lim, Fang Zhan Fa, Tay Ping Hui and Ou Xuan has a scene that Yvvone Lim's brother (in the show) tried to scam their grandma together with his friends.

This is a kind of confidence trick. The scammer would claim that his team has kidnapped the victim's child or grandchild. As the victim loses her calm, the "kidnapper" would make her "son" or "grandson" to cry for help. It is not easy to verify the voice over phone, especially when the source of screaming is a distance away from the scammer's phone. Moreover, when the victim is in a shock, there is a higher tendency that she would fall for the hoax.

People who are sharp enough would have tried to call the "hostage" to check. However, there are cases that the victims' relatives cannot be reached, they take in the scammers' words and hand over the "ransom".

It seems that the scammers are doing random calling to pick up their victims. We have heard from a targeted person staying in HDB flat that after she slammed the phone years back, the scammer did not bother to call her back. Her neighbour was, in fact, targeted within the same day as well.

Since the use of mobile phone is common, it is definitely easy for anyone to call her relative to check the status to confirm that the caller is a scammer. Everyone should remind the elderly at home about such kidnap hoax so that they will not fall for the trick.

New ideas would emerge everyday and the scammer may put in more "dressing" to the scam. Everyone should always stay vigilant.

Hoax Kidnap News after Four Attempted Abduction Reported

Recently, there are a number of attempted kidnapping news circulating in Facebook, stating that young children are nearly grabbed and taken (abducted) by PRC Chinese.

Allison Goon:

I was in Ang mo kio hub fiesta today and they having a magic show in b1. When I finish feeding him the food he was following me to throwing the rubbish suddenly I turn back I can't find him

Nope when i turn back I saw a lady holding my son hand and my son follow her

I shouted my son name and asking her y u hold my son hand ? The lady saying opps I holding a wrong child .. I oso saw her with a man 2 of them just pretending nothing and walk away

I did asking my son y u follow the lady when u don't know her at all, he reply me saying: jeh jeh saying u follow me and I will bring u home

The first news was contributed by a Facebook user by the name of "Allison Goon". The actual date should be around 18 March 2012. She was watching a magic show at Ang Mo Kio Hub with her son who followed behind her while she went to the litter bin. She turned back to see a lady holding her son's hand before she approached the lady. The lady claimed that she had held the wrong child in a heavy PRC accent. Then, the lady walked off with another man. The son told his mum that the lady had asked him to follow her and thus, it was not a case of "holding wrong hand". The manager of Ang Mo Kio Hub has confirmed the incident and the mother has lodge a police report.

On 23 March 2012, a grandmother reported to the police that a woman had tried to lure her 10-year-old grandson into a van outside his school in Simei Street 5.

Hwai Kee:
My son was almost pushed away in a stroller at north point. We were looking into the baby spa when I turn around, saw a china man holding 1handle of my son stroller,luckily my maid was hold the other.he was probably waiting for my maid to be careless and let go,when I turned ard and stare at him,he walked away suspiciously. Was too angry and forgot to snap a picture of him!

On Tuesday 27 March 2012, another Facebook user said a Chinese man tried to abduct her young son at Northpoint mall in Yishun.

Iryna Tang:
Another child abduction alert!! Happened to my sil juz ytd. She pickin my 2nieces fr cc. Her hand holdin 2yo n another hold umbrella. Told her 5yo to walk in front of her so she can watch. Then suddenly a woman came out to grab 5yo han. My sil shouted at her n she ran off. At bukit panjang area...

Then, a Facebook user said a Chinese woman had tried to abduct her five-year-old niece near a Bukit Panjang community centre.

Police are still investigating the cases while they advise public not to spread rumours, which may create unnecessary fears.

Source: Temasek Times and Asiaone


Regardless of the truthfulness of the reports, parents should always ensure that they keep a good watch over their children. They should also educate their children not to follow strangers.

The outburst of the kidnapping news may in turn be helpful in building better relationship among the family members as parents will take extra care of their children.

Singapore is a small country surrounded by sea and two causeways linked to Malaysia. Even though our security may not be the best in the world, no one can deny that it is reasonably efficient and better than our neighbouring countries - less Mas Selamat's case. With the size, geographical location and good security, any kidnapper should really think thrice before trying it over here.




Taking the opportunity of the widespread of news regarding the attempted abduction cases, someone has posted in Facebook regarding a "true" kidnap case at Tampines Street 22. As there is no police report being made regarding any lost child by anyone, the police has identified the rumour as a hoax. We would like to say "good luck" to the person who has started the fake rumour, which had caused an alarm to the public.